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Speaker: Jerry Cisar
The Gospel leads us to the cross and the first thing the cross of our Lord Jesus does is to make God known to us. In the very act of making Him known it reconciles us to God. To know Him through Jesus is to be reconciled to Him. However, the moment the Gospel makes God known to us, we learn how God relates to others—those who are unclean; those who were His enemies; yes, us—and that knowing compels us, constrains us, yes (dare I say it), requires us to be transformed in how we relate to others.
In Philippians 1:27 Paul tells the Philippians to live their lives in a manner worthy of the Gospel, to live in a manner consistent with, or matching up to the Gospel. This kind of living will transform how those in the church relate to each other and to the world around them. Living our lives in a manner worthy of the Gospel will transform how we relate to each other bringing about a sure and profound unity for the same Gospel that reconciles us to God reconciles us to each other.
In our text, Paul gives us 1) a vision of a profound unity in love; 2) a vision of the Lord’s glory; and then he calls us to 3) an obedience rooted in a great promise…the great promise.