The Characteristics of Christian Citizens
17 Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 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. (NIV)
A sister and a brother in a Christian and patriotic family were playing together, and their words were overheard by their parents. The boy recited at the end of the mock church service, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” The girl continued in a strong voice, “and the republic for which it stands.” Their playing church illustrates well, I think, an issue that we as Christians face. The fact of our dual citizenship.
Of all the temptations, the temptation to become comfortable in this world, to settle down in it-- this may be the most difficult to resist. Christians have always wrestled with how to be in the world and not of it—to hold a dual citizenship with our highest allegiance to the kingdom of heaven.
The Philippians could relate to the idea of dual citizenship. Though Phillipi was some 600 miles away from Rome, it was still a colony of Rome. Though they lived in Philippi in Macedonia, these people were citizens of the Roman Empire. They didn’t want to speak the language of Macedonia; they wanted to speak the language of Rome. When they put their children in bed at night, they did not tell them stories of Macedonia; they told them stories of the glory of Rome.
We receive our mail at 321 Julie Lane, Hampshire, IL But that’s just our temporary address. Our permanent address is heaven. We’re just passing through here! Here we are, resident aliens, trying to establish a beachhead on someone else’s turf. We are an island of Christians, surrounded by an ocean of non-Christians.
Paul is talking about these very things in Philippians 3:17-21. He’s telling the Philippian church and us what are the characteristics of Christian citizens living temporarily in this world.
He tells us 3 important truths:
1. Spiritually-minded Christian citizens imitate
excellent Christian role models. (Verse 17)
2. Spiritually-minded Christian citizens shun
worldly values. (Verses 18-19)
3. Spiritually-minded Christian citizens consider
their primary citizenship to be in heaven.
which incidently makes them good citizens in
this world.) (Verses 20-21)
1. Copying other spiritually-minded believers - Vs. 17 tells us to follow the example of Paul in Godly living and those who are also following his example. Paul and others were not perfect, but still they were excellent role models.
In my limited understanding of 12-step programs, whether a person is recovering from eating disorders, gambling addictions, co-dependency, or alcohol problems, a person cannot recover from their dependency unless they have a sponsor. A sponsor serves as a motivator, an encouragement, and a source of accountability. Likewise, Christians cannot grow properly unless they have a mentor or guide. We call this discipleship. Unfortunately, discipleship is a lost practice in the church. We need a mature Christian to help us in our journey here on earth. I have a mentor who prays for me, encourages me, and challenges me. Without him, I would be stunted in my growth as a Christian. Thus Paul writes in v. 17 “Brothers, become imitators together in following my example and pay attention in the same way of those conducting themselves who have a pattern in us.”
Paul is not a braggart here: He has just told us in the Philippians 3:12 “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on. Paul is saying to those prone to follow anybody who “sounds” good or “looks” good that they should follow people who “do” good, like himself, Timothy or anyone else who imitates the life of the crucified and risen Lord.
Can we offer ourselves as a pattern, asking others to follow our lifestyle? There are no Bibles like human Bibles. There are all kinds of bibles: pulpit bibles, teachers’ bibles, children’s bibles, women’s bibles – all kinds of bibles. But there is only one Bible the unsaved are taking time to read and that is the bible characterized in your life and mine. If our unsaved neighbors and friends do not see the Lord Jesus Christ in us, in all probability they will never see Him. What do they read when they look at our lives? What do they see? Are we examples of the God of grace and glory who has sacrificed everything for us?
Conducting one’s life in opposition to worldly-minded believers - Vss. 18-19 - Avoid following the example of those who are ungodly.
18 For many [professing Christians, that is ] are conducting themselves whom often I told you [about] but even now I tell you weeping that these [are] as enemies of the cross of Christ 19 whose destination is utter ruin, whose god is the temporary attainment of fleshly desires, who glory in their shame, focusing on earthly things.
Paul is passionate: he weeps over worldly-minded people who profess to be Christians. He isn’t talking about unbelievers but people in the church. There is nothing more dangerous, I think, than a professing Christian who is worldly in his thoughts and in his actions.
To be in opposition against the cross of Christ means one no longer regards a need for God’s forgiveness. If a person doesn’t regard the need for God’s forgiveness and then turns his or her back on God’s grace, there will never be a relationship established with God and their destiny is utter ruin—in other words, hell.
19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach
"Stomach" in the mind of the Paul means appetite or desire. The bible doesn’t say that desire in and of itself is wrong. "The stomach [of desire]" is necessary to live. But, while desire is something that should serve a person, a person is not to exist to serve his appetites. "The stomach [of desire] itself is not the problem, rather making "the stomach" god is the problem.
When fulfilling hedonistic desires becomes the primary focus of our daily life, it makes the "stomach" our god. When satisfying our wants becomes the purpose of our life we make the "stomach" our god and that "belly" god changes into a tyrant and before we know it starts to drag us around like slaves. Because the stomach is not the God of heaven but a god of this passing world, as long as we choose to serve that god, we can only think of what is important to this world all the while being proud of what we should be ashamed of
Mark 8:36 “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”
“Their mind is on earthly things.” The battle we must fight as Christians is the battle over our minds. People give Satan much too much credit in terms of his power. The only power he has is in the lie. Jesus said in John 8:44: “there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” When we believe his lies, when we set our minds primarily on earthly things, we fall into his trap.
Here are some lies that are commonly spread about by this liar just for Americans:
“You must be young, good-looking, and popular to be a success.”
“Women must be skinny or they are second-rate.”
“The man who dies with the most toys wins.”
“What garbage we take in through the mass media will not affect our spiritual lives.”
“Christianity is just a crutch for weak-willed, weak-minded people.”
“Do what works for you. There are no absolutes.”
“If it feels right or good, then by all means do it.”
“Homosexuality is a legitamate alternative lifestyle.”
“Marriage isn’t important, it’s okay just to live together, what’s a piece of paper anyway?”
“Sex before marriage is preferable because it gives you experience when the right person comes along.”
You get the idea.
Finally, Commiting ourselves with a primary allegience as citizens of heaven - Vss. 20-21 - Our citizenship is in Heaven right now. We are away from home temporarily. We should be looking for the coming of our Savior, who will transform our bodies to be like His.
20 For our citizenship exists in heaven, from which we yearn intensely for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ [his parousia]
Although the Philippians lived in Macedonia their real homeland was Rome. Therefore, I’m sure when they heard the words, "Our real home is in heaven" the disciples of Philippi were immediately able to grasp the imagery of this phrase. Remember that the majority of the Philippians held Roman citizenship. Because they held this citizenship, they enjoyed various special privileges. That was also something they were proud of, too. Paul is making no mistake writing these words with this image of Roman citizenship in Philippi.
On the other hand, we could never qualify [on our own] to obtain the right to be a citizen in heaven. In the sight of God, our sin becomes the primary obstacle to citizenship in the kingdom of God. Sin is the fundamental barrier in our relationship with God--somehow we must receive forgiveness. But it only comes from the gift of redemption made possible through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ on the cross. It only comes from a righteousness that is given from a gracious and merciful God based on a faith that believes in Christ. Only when we are safely under the cross of Christ we can first say that "Our real home is in heaven."
For the Philippians, as Roman citizens, death on the cross was the cruelist form of capital punishment, reserved for murder, slave revolts, and other heinous crimes. Roman citizens were beheaded, not cucified. Jews felt the same way. Stoning was the preferred method of execution. Deuteronomy says, “anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse.” Precisely. God came to earth in the form of a human who became a curse for us. “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us” Despite the sahme and sadness of it all, what took place on a hill called Calvary became arguably the most important fact of Jesus’ life save for His resurrection. Church fathers forbade its depiction in art until the reign of the Roman emporer Constatine who made Christianity the state religion and he presented the cross no longer as an emblem of suffering, a symbol of sacrificial love, a mark of humiliation, but as a good-luck charm, a magic totem, and a symbol of Roman military victory.
We see the symbol everywhere. Generation Xers and rock musicians are seen with crosses dangling from their ears and necks. Roman armies had the cross painted on their shields. Many Latin American baseball players cross themselves before stepping up to the plate before they bat. The fact of the matter is that the cross was the modern day equivilent to the guillotine, the electric chair, the gas chambers, and the firing squad. It is not to be thought of by the Christian citizen as a fashionable, “in vogue” emblem. It means something different to the Christian citizen. The cross redefines God as One who was willing to renounce His divine power for love’s sake—love for us.
Do we look at Jesus’ powerlessness on the cross as an illustration of God’s impotence or do we see it as proof of God’s love for us? Do we see the cross as stylish insignia or as the execution device in which God Himself was slain for our sins?
The day we were saved, when we repented and received God’s Son, Jesus, into our lives, our names were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, in the heavenly register. But we carry another set of papers with the cross of Christ emblazon upon it. Temporary visas. We’re just visiting. Or, if you prefer, we carry green cards. We are just working here for awhile. I love the stars and stripes. But my first allegiance is to the cross as a citizen of the kingdom of God. The rewards are great.
We note the JOYOUS RESULTS of walking in the right way in verses 20 and 21. There is an eager expectation of Christ’s return. As each day dawns and each evening fades we should be expecting the fulfillment of this blessed hope! The faithful Christian citizen will not fall asleep at his watch for the Lord’s return. One of the primary reasons why Christian citizens allow worldliness to sneak into their lives is because they cease to watch for the imminant return of Christ, our King. The second to the last verse in the bible contain the promise of our King who triumphantly declares in Rev 22:20 "Yes, I am coming soon."
There is also the assurance of the resurrected body (v. 21a). “[He] will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. The word "Lowly” points to the body’s weaknesses and its susceptibility to persecution, diseases, aging, pain, and death. But, at the time of Christ’s second coming, and because we have walked the right path, our bodies will change -- they will become glorious, powerful, honorable, spiritual, and immortal—all because of the cross.
To reiterate:
Spiritually-minded Christian citizens imitate excellent Christian role models.
Spiritually-minded Christian citizens shun worldly values.
Spiritually-minded Christian citizens consider their primary citizenship to be in heaven.
If others were to imitate our Christian life what would happen? Knowing our own weaknesses, it’s a sobering question. And not too many of us would invite people to strive to be like us.
Paul, on the other hand, unashamedly bids the Philippians to follow his example of life and faith, so they will not be led astray by those who are foolish or evil. Paul’s instructions on how to be heavenly-minded are applicable for all of us today. We, too, can put into practice his resolute trust and joyous self-sacrifice. Serving God and his kingdom prevails as our goal for, in reality, we are first and foremost citizens of heaven and the cross is the symbol of our citizenship.
