“Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, forbearing with one another in love.” vs1-2

Love is how we advance the gospel and maintain the unity of the Spirit; it is not all about being right doctrinally, but our spirits must be right too. This is heavy work, but we are led by God’s mercy.

Paul beseeches us as the prisoner of the Lord [vs1]. He says, “Look, I’m in jail for the gospel, and I’m telling you to keep going! Don’t draw back. Don’t be afraid. Set your mind on the love of God in Christ, so you can be strengthened to supernatural exploits of self-control and gentleness, until Christ is formed in you increasingly.”

“Do not fear but go,” is Paul’s message to us. Let us receive it wholeheartedly, laying our lives down for Christ, living in harmony with each other, putting aside pride, selfishness, and vainglory, so that we can love with humility and respect [Phil 1:21].