For the past few weeks we have been talking about being set apart from the rest of the world. We are set apart because we are Holy as we work at becoming as much like God as we can. In this process we are sanctified, or in the process of being sanctified. That's the direction that we're going today as we talk about reconstructing or reconditioning our lives to be as much like God as we can. Whether you realize it or not, we are all in the process of becoming better Christians every day. It is a journey. Title. Prayer
I was reading this past week about St. Stephen's cathedral in Vienna, Austria. The church was named after Steven, the first martyr. It was constructed in the mid- 1100s but was rebuilt, renovated, and restored over the centuries. It's not the largest or the most ornate cathedral, but it's stunning in other ways. Since Vienna is the home of the Vienna boys’ choir, you can imagine the beautiful sounds that resonate from its interior.
The cathedral's greatness doesn't come from its interior or exterior facade, which is beautiful, but its greatness comes from centuries of care given to maintaining its acoustics as the building was reconstructed.
You see, our world values what is seen and immediate. We tend to value things that we can touch. But some things, like precision architecture and Christian maturity, can't be rushed. Spiritual growth is not something that’s instant. It's not something that just happens and you're there. As we're going to see today, sanctification takes a lifetime, but the results are definitely worth the effort.
I will be using as our Scriptural text for today Philippians 3. This letter was written by the Apostle Paul to the church at Philippi. Paul's original name was Saul. He had been a Pharisee prior to his conversion to Christ. We always think of a Pharisee as being self-righteous. There's some truth to that. A Pharisee commanded the respect of nearly everyone within the Jewish community. Being a Pharisee implied an extreme level of self-control and living by ethical standards that were far beyond the typical Jew.
Saul not only attained the status of a Pharisee but he also claimed to be blameless. With regard to his external behaviors and lifestyle, he had lived an upright life, at least in an ethical sense. His goal at this point in his life was to round up these Christ-followers and have them jailed and even crucified. He thought he was doing the right thing.
One day as he traveled on the road to the city of Damascus, the resurrected Jesus appeared to him, knocked him off his horse to the ground, and he was blinded for a few days. In this conversion process Saul himself became a Christ-follower. His ways were changed immediately. It was then that God changed his name from Saul to Paul. But he knew he wasn't perfect. We’ll see that as we begin our story.
Philippians 3:12-14 – “Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, 14 I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.”
Paul realized he was a sinner. In fact, in his letter in 1 Timothy 1:15, he claimed to be the worst of sinners. He was so convicted about this truth when he met Jesus, that it caused him to reevaluate everything in his life; his devotion, his heritage, his reputation, and his titles. As he thought about it all, he came to the conclusion that all of them were worthless in comparison with having the righteousness of God through his faith in Christ.
In the Jewish tradition, their understanding was that righteousness was mostly an outwardly conforming to the demands of the Old Testament law. In the New Testament, being set apart has to do with a change of mind and heart through the power of the Holy Spirit. If we consistently surrender to God's Spirit, we increase the power that we have over the sinful desires of our body. Paul was committed to do these things until Christ called him home to heaven.
Can you see that to be more God-like, it's not what we do, but what is done to us? God expects believers to exhibit holy living and righteous deeds, but we have to understand that none of these have any bearing whatsoever on us earning salvation. Only God can declare us righteous. And He does so because of what Christ did for us, not by what we can do for ourselves.
Paul understood this. He trusted Christ alone for his standing before God. He was somewhat radical in his obedience to God's word - not in order to be saved, but because he was already saved. This is what Paul meant when he said that Christian obedience is how we work out our salvation - that which is already ours. We don't work for our salvation; we work it out.
Now there may be some of you that think that you're perfect. So, I might pop your bubble when I say that Christian perfection isn't possible on this side of heaven. Paul admitted that he would never reach Christian perfection here, but he made every effort to take hold of it. Because of what Christ had done in and through him, Paul simply wanted to please God. He also wanted the believers in Philippi to understand that holiness is more of a lifelong journey than a lifetime destination.
Growing in Christ is a spiritual journey. As I said a moment ago, sanctification is a continual journey toward Christlikeness. It may not be immediate. Sanctification can't be rushed, but the results are worth the effort.
Philippians 3:15-19 – “Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. 16 In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. 17 Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us.
*******18 For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things.”
Paul was very straightforward in what he said. He was living out what were probably the remaining one to two years of his life. He didn't have time for games. He knew that he was speaking to a mature group of Christians, and he was intent to help them grasp the depths of his knowledge of Christ. Unashamed, Paul called them to look at his life as an example of how to live. He acknowledged the pain that he had felt because of the people that refuse to repent. So, he urged the Philippians, and us as well, to follow the example of mature believers that we know, so we too may become mature in Christ.
Paul wasn't expressing just his personal beliefs, but biblical truths that were breathed from the very mouth of God. The beliefs that Paul was expressing were meant to be studied, understood, and applied to our life. Earlier in this letter Paul had told them how to experience the grace, righteousness, and power of God. So, he insisted that mature believers live up to the truth that they had already attained.
By this time, Paul had walked with God for several decades, and was actively pursuing intimacy with Christ. He had expressed in other letters how he had endured tremendous challenges, hardships, and serious ministry responsibilities. It is this man, the Apostle Paul, who is teaching his deepest insights about the Christian life to the Philippian believers. Because of the experiences that he had, Paul instructed those who considered themselves to be mature Christians to think as he did about the Christian life. Sharing our journeys can help others with their journey. It goes back to mentoring others as we talked about weeks ago.
As we journey with the Lord, it makes us more like Him. So, Paul urged the Ephesians, Galatians, Philippians, and us to continue the journey with the Lord as we become more like Him. Look how he emphasized this in his letters.
Ephesians 5:1-2 – “Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, 2 and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.”
Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Philippians 1:6 – “I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Paul's role as an apostle provided him with the experiences that few others had ever known.
? He knew what it was like to hear the actual voice of the resurrected Christ speak to him. Acts 9:4
? He experienced to the life-giving vitality of the Holy Spirit flowing through him for people to be healed. Acts 14:10; Acts 19:11-12
? He witnessed God use his voice to drive demonic spirits out of possessed people. Acts 16:18
? He understood what it meant to have the Holy Spirit anoint a person with supernatural inspiration, and for the very words of God to be spelled out through a quill in his own hand as he wrote these letters. 2 Thessalonians 3:17
? He had an acute memory of the time he was caught up in the presence of God and heard heavenly voices revealing secret things known only to God. 2 Corinthians 12:2-4
I can give you Scripture references to each of these statements I just made if you would like them to read up on later.
Through all of this, Paul had likely become one of the, if not the greatest Christians who ever lived. And despite that, his view of himself only decreased. All of the pride that Paul had possessed earlier in his life had now been swallowed up by humility. More and more he was becoming like his Master, Jesus.
Our journey with Christ starts with justification and ends with glorification.
Philippians 3:20-21 – “Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.”
There are three distinct aspects of salvation: justification, sanctification, and glorification. Let me explain. Justification refers to that moment we were first saved. Our coming to that point of salvation in Christ through justification is many times a long process. But it concludes in an instant when we place our trust and faith in Christ. At that precise moment, we pass from death to life. We're born again. God declares us righteous, and we are saved.
Next, comes the process of sanctification. That is what it means to be set apart. Sanctification has both an instantaneous and a lifelong aspect to it. It is happening right now, and it will continue to happen until God receives us into His presence. God sanctifies us. We can't make ourselves holy. He sanctifies us by the truth of His word.
The final step is glorification. That happens when we meet Christ face-to-face and share eternity with Him. Paul said it this way:
Colossians 3:4 – “When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
When God's work for us is complete, we will be saved in the final, ultimate sense. This is the process of glorification, the last aspect of our salvation. The moment we pass from this earth in physical death, we will appear with Him and share in His glory. We will ultimately be changed and glorified. At that time, we will put on imperishable immortality.
Then, as eternity begins, the effects of sin will be undone for those of us who are redeemed. This is when God makes all things new. We will then live forever in perfected, everlasting bodies in God's presence, with all believers of all times.
With all believers of all time. Can you even imagine strolling through heaven and meeting other believers face-to-face. Meeting the Apostle Paul, Moses, Isaiah, Adam and Eve. How amazing that will be!
This is the promise and the eternal hope of us as a believer. It will be accomplished by the power that enables God to subject everything to himself. At that time, we will truly be set apart.
So, growing in Christ is a lifelong journey that concludes in the presence of God. This is a journey that is only taken by those who are Christians. As Christians, we are called by a variety of names in Scripture: saints, sons and daughters of God, brothers and sisters in Christ, disciples, believers, beloved. The Bible also frequently refers to Christians as being those who are saved.
Because we are saved, we have a Savior. We are citizens of heaven. We're not trespassers, we are not guests, we certainly are not aliens, but people with heavenly passports to gain entrance to the presence of God. Jesus lives there. It's His eternal home, and ours as well.
So, I close with the words of the Apostle Paul in:
1 Thessalonians 5:23 - "Now may the God of Peace himself sanctify you completely. And may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Let's continue this journey together as we draw closer and closer to becoming the image of our Lord and Savior.
