Timothy continues to serve with him.
Philippian believers are on the road to struggle and persecution.
And Paul is encouraging them to stand firm in Christ amidst their opposition.
How encourging...
'For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him...'
'granted' - charizomai (gk) - to give permission, to authorize, allow
If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, it's only because God has allowed your eyes and ears and heart and mind to be opened to the Truth.
Yes, He wants all of His creation to know Him.
No, they won't all want to know Him.
Through your willingness to seek Him no matter how broken hearted, bitter or angry towards Him you might be, He knows you and me and every person on earth and opens us up to understanding His Word according to His time and plan.
In the same way that He gives us permission to believe and trust in Jesus...He allows us to suffer.
He allows us to believe in Jesus for eternal love and life. And allows us to suffer like Him on earth.
He doesn't just allow it really, He authorizes it, He permits it.
He's pretty much saying that if you're willing to follow the Messiah, the Savior of the world Jesus...then you and I must be willing to suffer in some way as well, some of us in more extreme ways than others...some even to death.
Paul was confident that God would continue to work in their lives through good and bad (1:6) and because they knew God would never stop working in them (2:13) they should continue working out their own salvation (2:12) living a life worthy of Christ (1:27), living, acting, thinking and speaking with His attitude (2:5).
What other gifts do we need?
He's given us the greatest gifts a believer could ask for:
1) to believe in Jesus
2) to live like Him (includes suffering)
We're allowed to be like Christ.