We live in a day and age where “ex-vangelicalism” has become somewhat of a common terminology among churched people—a term denoting the exodus of evangelicals who have lost the faith they once possessed or abandoned the beliefs they once professed.
While ‘ex-vangelicalism’ might be a new term, it is not a new phenomenon. In fact, it predates all the way back to the early church of the 1st century (arguably, even earlier). As such, the Apostle Paul—the main church planter of the early church—strongly encourages the 1st century believers to persevere in the gospel. Except his call to persevere, however, is not merely an exhortation alone; it’s an exhortation rooted in one main strategy: partnership.
In other words, the blueprints for persevering in following Christ is deep partnership and relationship with Christ followers. According to Paul, one of the surest indicators of whether or not we will persevere is directly related to whether or not we will engage in gospel partnership. Our own perseverance hangs in the balance of our partnership with others.
Philippians 1 is one of Paul’s strongest exhortations about perseverance through partnership. You can listen to the message from this past Sunday at the following podcasts: Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
