Standing Firm: How Trials Build Our Faith Credibility

I want to stay with Paul in Philippians because I think it’s important to understand how he was using his imprisonments as an advantage to further the message of Christ. “so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”Philippians 1:10-11 You see, he’s telling us that through our trails and suffering it will bring us to a better understanding of God’s love for us and his grace. It’s like we are building “street cred” in Christ, right? I mean for us to be able to bring credibility to our testimony, it certainly helps when we’ve “been there and done that”. This holds true in most all areas of our lives. It’s hard to follow someone who’s never been there. Paul also talks about not being frightened by our opponents. What might we be frightened of and how do we stand firm with courage? What do we really need to be afraid of when we are in Christ?“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,”Philippians 1:27-29 Paul knocks it out of the park here! Standing firm in your faith will surely defeat anything you are up against. It is your shield and your armor! Be Nice. Grace wins.