C.S. Lewis wrote this in Mere Christianity: “If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did the most for the present world, were those who thought the most of the next one. It has only been since Christians have largely ceased to think of the next world that they have become so ineffective in this one.” I think that is a very fitting quote, as we come into week 8 of our study of Philippians. Last week we started this discourse of Paul in chapter 3, this warning to the church to not fall for the lies that were being told by the Judaizers, that they needed to follow all these rules, and be circumcised, to be saved by Jesus. And Paul warned them, do not fall for that garbage, because knowing Jesus is worth so much more than all those things that we used to put our trust in, that we used to believe would save us. Jesus is more than our doubts, more than our efforts to be holy, and more than everything else that life has to offer. So this week, I want to ask you all, what are you pursuing? What are you working towards in life? What controls your time, your money, your ambitions? What examples are you modelling your life after?
This week is where everything we have studied in Philippians so far becomes personal. What is YOUR goal in life? Are you focusing on the things of this world to make you happy? Are you focused on getting to a certain goal in life? Maybe paying off some big debt, or getting that promotion, a raise or a bonus? Or maybe it’s getting to the finish line, getting to retirement, so you can have all that time to do all the things that YOU have wanted to do for all these years? Last week we saw what Paul was pursuing in life: being made fully like Jesus, and all the hope of perfection and resurrection that came with that. That was his ultimate goal in life, and everything that he did was focused around that goal, of running his race towards being like Jesus. Because Paul knew that the things of this life, they don’t matter. The temporary pleasure that they give you PALES in comparison to what Jesus is offering you. You may remember last week that he called the things of this world feces, or crap, in comparison to knowing Jesus. Paul knew that what was to come in the next world was so much better than anything that we could experience here on earth. He knew that the best pleasures of this life, were only the faintest shadow of what is to come. He knew that, and he knew that the world to come is the one that he was TRULY a citizen of, NOT this world, so he pursued that goal with his life. His example is one for us to follow, because that reality is just as true for us as it was for Paul in the first century. Every Christian should live in pursuit of Christlikeness, because we are citizens of heaven.
Our passage today is Philippians 3, verses 15-21, and I am reading from the New International Version: “All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”
Alright, let’s go through this verse by verse, starting at the beginning: All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things.” Of course, this view that they should take is what we studied last week. But what is clear from this sentence, is that not everyone agreed with Paul’s views on the race to perfection, not everyone agreed with what he had said about the Judaizers. The Greek verb phronomen in this sentence indicates that it was actually more than just a minor intellectual difference between two positions, it was a completely different outlook on the situation at hand that affected the conduct of some of those that Paul was writing too. And that Greek word that he uses for maturity, telios, is very specifically referring to a SPIRITUAL maturity. So what Paul is really saying is, if you have been brought to a spiritual maturity in Jesus, you should share this view with me. Now for the REST of the audience, those who disagree with him, he says the following: “And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.” So if you disagree with him on this, it will be made clear to you in time through his Spirit, and we call this conviction, the Holy Spirit CONVICTS you when you are wrong. BUT in the MEANTIME, UNTIL it is made clear to you, live up to what you have already attained. And that phrase “Let us live up to” in the Greek carries the sense of a COLLECTIVE discipline, of everyone walking in the same row or by the same measure like soldiers. So he says: Take the view I have just given, your works cannot save you. Everything that you USED to pursue in life, everything you USED to put your faith in, it is all meaningless compared to knowing Jesus. If you are spiritually mature enough, you will agree with me on this. And if not, that is ok, because Jesus will make it clear to you as you walk with Him and mature IN Him. But UNTIL THAT TIME, we all move forward together, as one body. TOGETHER we live up to the salvation we have received in him, even when we do not agree.
“Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.” To be clear, this was not a lack of humility on Paul’s part. It should be the goal of ALL of us, whether you are a preacher, church leader, or a Christian of any age or condition or position, it should be YOUR goal to pursue Jesus and Christlikeness with such devotion and dedication, that you could call others to follow YOUR life as an example. We should ALL live lives that could be examples to others. Paul was trying to become as much like Jesus as it was humanly possible to be in this life, forgetting what was behind him, and pursuing what was ahead. What he is saying here, is to follow HIS example of setting aside the things of this world and pursuing a life that looks as much like Jesus as it is possible. This becomes clear in the Greek word symmimetes, which we translate here as “following my example”. But its literal translation is joint imitator, or rather, an imitator who is copying the actions of the same person as someone else, imitating an imitator. So, in other words, join me in imitating Jesus. And this is not a vague ethical idea, it is a command, an imperative. Just like Paul, they TOO must learn to renounce all man-made righteousness, and place themselves under the righteousness of the cross, which calls us to die to sin, and be born into new life in fellowship with God. This is the REASON that he had given the example of his own life earlier, and how he had personally given up the old things in his life. He shared his own personal experience earlier to persuade them to follow him and his example. And of course, we know that this is only possible through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, HE is the one who transforms you to be like Jesus.
Verses 18-19, “For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.” With tears, Paul is showing his love for his opponents. See, he used to be a Pharisee, and he still sees the Israelites as his family, it hurts him to see them as enemies of Jesus. This goes all the way back to the beginning of last weeks passage, when Paul says to beware of the dogs. You see, there are many people who it would NOT be good for the Philippians to imitate. The truth was that there were those who did NOT honour Jesus with their lives, even in the CHURCH, and Paul is warning them against following the example of those people. They are enemies of the cross because they are preaching adherence to the law as the means of salvation, which nullifies the necessity of Jesus on the cross as the ONLY means of salvation. Because of this, because they put their hopes in works to save them instead of in Jesus, their destiny is destruction. Then it says, Their God is their stomach, which is possibly a reference to the food laws they kept to be clean, which was a distinct trait of Judaism. They were worshiping their cleanliness as holiness, it had become a idol. In biblical imagery, the stomach also resembles larger moral and spiritual issues of personal values, self control, self indulgence and the state of ones soul. It was a symbol of someone seeking to satisfy the appetites of the sinful nature. And then it says, Their glory is in their shame, which is probably a reference to circumcision. They take pride in something that they should be ashamed of, mutilating their bodies. Their mind is on earthly things. And that phrase, their mind is on earthly things, is sort of the center of this chapter. It all revolves around the Judaizers vs the Christians. Earthly things vs heavenly things. Pursuing material and earthly goals, versus pursing Jesus and sanctification. Their attention is directed to pleasure, honour, and their positions as God’s special people, of being better than everyone else, and their chief anxiety is that they may secure them. Their mind is on earthly things. And the fact that this is mentioned as one of the chief characteristics of what an enemy of the cross looks like, is scary. And if you don’t find it scary, YOU SHOULD. Because how many professing Christians are there who live in pursuit of worldly things? How many people live only to acquire wealth, honour, or to enjoy the pleasures of the world? Have you yourself ever been guilty of pursuing earthly things?
Verses 20-21, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” To understand this passage, you need to understand something about Philippi, which is that Philippi was a Roman colony. By being a citizen of Philippi, you were automatically a citizen of Rome, and as a result, you shared all the rights and privileges of BEING a Roman citizen, even though most of the Philippians had never been to Rome in their lives. And they took great pride in being Roman citizens! Lydia, the first Christian in Philippi, had made a fortune selling purple cloth, the colour of imperial Rome. Everyone in Philippi wanted to wear the colours of Rome, much in the same way that people today put a flag in their yard to show their patriotism. So Paul was appealing to a concept they were already familiar with, they knew what it meant to be a citizen of a city you had never been too. Here on earth, they are resident aliens who dwell in Philippi, but have their citizenship somewhere else, in a city in which the emperor, or saviour, lives. The emperor was actually called the saviour by Romans, so Paul chooses this term very specifically. Likewise, as Christians they live here on earth, but they are actually citizens of heaven, which they have not yet been too, and our Savior, Jesus, comes from there. And that Saviour, OUR Saviour, will transform our lowly, earthly bodies into heavenly bodies like his, through the power that was given to him because of his sacrifice and his humility. And this is the end goal, the completion of the sanctification process.
Paul’s view of the resurrection is that it involves the body, but one distinct in nature from the current body that we live in today. The body that Jesus was given will be the same as the bodies that we will be given. Paul calls it a spiritual body in 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body.” PAUSE The object or goal of this passage we have studied today, is that in all things we should be striving towards being like Jesus. We try to resemble him in moral character here in this world, in anticipation being like him in the new world. When we finally resemble him in all things, Both HIS plan for US, and the wishes of OUR souls, will be fulfilled.
The message was clear for the church in Philippi: Everyone needs to learn to set aside the earthly things they used to pursue, the things they once put their hope in, and unite as a church in pursuit of Christlikeness, because they are citizens of HEAVEN now, and someday Jesus is coming back to claim his people and finish the work he started. If they don’t agree, they should still pursue it in unity with the church, and God will make it clear to them along the way. That is what Paul was telling the Philippians. So how should we apply this passage to ourselves, today? We may not be Judaizers, but we are all pursuing something. Where is your time and energy, your money, your desires, where is your heart? We KNOW that we are not supposed to pursue the things of this world. So what should pursuing Jesus look like?
First, we should live in pursuit of transformation. For the Philippians, Paul called them to think like he did on worldly things, but he also said that if they DIDN’T agree, that God would make it clear to them in time, because that is how the Holy Spirit works, he convicts, and he transforms. I know that I have said the word sanctification a few times throughout this series. Sanctification is the process of God making you holy, of making you like Jesus. If you are in Jesus, this process is already at work in you, but the thing about sanctification is, you have to show up. You have to ALLOW the Holy Spirit to work in you. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” And the key words there are be transformed. It is an imperative, a command, given by Paul. We are to allow him to TRSANSFORM us. If we do NOT allow him to transform us, we will never grow, we will NOT become more like Jesus. But we are supposed to live in pursuit of transformation, both individually and as a church. Ephesians 4:11-15 says, “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” We are to live in pursuit of transformation.
Second, we should live in pursuit of substantiation. Substantiation is just a fancy word that means “the act of validating, finding or proving the truth of something.” Paul said this in todays passage: “Only let us live up to what we have already attained. Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.” As Christians, we should be living lives that PROVE and VALIDATE the power of God to change lives. We should be living proof to others of the power of the Holy Spirit to change and transform lives. We should be living examples not of what it means to live in pursuit of yourself, but what it means to live in pursuit of HIM. Matthew 5:14-16 says “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” You see, our lives should be examples to those around us of what it means to be transformed by God, to be changed. Paul called us to follow his example, because he was living a life in pursuit of Jesus. It was not out of arrogance that he said this; he was just calling us to follow the example he was following. Titus 2:7 says, “In everything, set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about you.” We should live in pursuit of substantiation, our lives should serve as living proof of the power of God to change lives.
Third and finally, we should live in pursuit of resurrection. Resurrection is the promised prize at the end of the race. We know that there is a resurrection because Jesus was resurrected. He is our proof and our hope. Paul in our passage today says the following: “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” It is a goal that we work towards, not to earn it, but because it is the final step in the sanctification process. When we are resurrected, we are given a body like Jesus has. We are finally made to be wholly and completely like him. In 1 Corinthians 15, it says this: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit. The spiritual did not come first, but the natural, and after that the spiritual. The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man.” This is the image of Jesus that we are resurrected in, and through our sanctification, it is what we are pursuing. Romans 6:5 says, “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” We should live in pursuit of resurrection, the final result of the sanctification process.
So to conclude, I will ask you the same question I began with: What are you pursuing? There are so many distractions in the world around us, so many things to grab our heart, so many things for us to chase and pursue, so many things that PROMISE HAPPINESS, but that never deliver on that promise. But once we are saved, once we are in Jesus, we have to let go. We have to let go of these things that don’t matter anymore, these things that are just empty shells of what Jesus has to offer, things that just cannot compare to what you have in Jesus. Every Christian should live in pursuit of Christlikeness, because we are citizens of heaven. We should live in pursuit of transformation, so that we will be able to test and approve what God’s will is for us, which is good, perfect, and pleasing to follow. We should live in pursuit of substantiation, our lives should be such strong examples of transformation, that they prove and validate the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives. And finally, we should live in pursuit of resurrection, the promised prize at the end of the race, the final step in the process of sanctification. Not because we have to earn it, he has already paid the price! But we should pursue it because it should be our deepest desire, as sinful, broken, and bent people, to be restored and made FULLY new, FULLY like Jesus. We should live in pursuit of Christlikeness, because WE are citizens of heaven. As we leave here today, I want to ask you that question one more time: What are you pursuing? Are you pursuing Jesus? Or are you pursuing something else? My prayer for us as a church, is that whatever distracts us in this crazy world we live in, and whatever gets between us and him, that we would join together in pursuit of Jesus, because HE is the only thing that is worth pursuing. Prayer
