Philippians 3:17-4:1: Standing Firm

Standing Firm
Philippians 3:17-4:1 

Our Scripture Reading this morning comes from Philippians chapter 3 verse 17 through chapter 4 verse 1. Hear now the words of the Living and True God:

17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. 1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

 May God bless the reading of his Word. 

Yesterday, we celebrated this nation’s Semiquincentennial, remembering 250 years of American history.  I really hoped to mark the occasion.  I felt the pressure.  After all, I missed the Bicentennial in 1976 by two years.  And I will likely miss the Tricentennial in 2076 when I turn 98 years old.  I do not plan on living that long.  But whether we felt like we truly marked the occasion, we celebrated.  We looked back, thanking God for that history.  We looked back, thanking God for forty-seven peaceful transfers of power.  We looked back, lamenting our nation’s sins.  We looked back, thanking God for his grace and provision.  We also look forward, not knowing what lies ahead for our nation.  None of us know who will serve as the next president.  None of us know whether this country will continue. 

But Christians look forward, knowingly.  Christians strain forward, knowing what lies ahead.  Christians strain forward, knowing who serves as king.  Christians strain forward, knowing their country will continue.  For our text today tells us what lies ahead.  It also tells us what to consider until we get there.  As we await the return of a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, we consider 3 G’s.  We do not consider the 3 G’s of poor cell phone reception.  We do not consider the 3 G’s of the Age of Exploration: Gold, God, and Glory.  We consider Growth, Grief, and Glory.  But a different kind of glory.  We grow by Christlike example.  We grieve over earthly-minded enemies.  And we glory in our heavenly citizenship.

Paul recognizes the distractions.  We have a lot of them.  So, he calls us to focus.  He calls us to stand firm in the Lord.  Which leads to the main idea: Christians stand firm as heavenly citizens, not as earthly-minded enemies.

Paul, writing from prison to the church at Philippi, expresses joy and confidence in ch1 that God advances the gospel, even through suffering.  He urges Christians to live lives worthy of Christ: standing firm, unified with one another.  In ch2, he calls Christians to pursue harmony and humility.  For Christ serves as the ultimate example of humility.  Christ restores harmony between he and his people, securing their salvation.  Because of this, Christians work out their salvation, for God works in them for the sake of their witness.  Then, at the end of ch2, he gives two examples of faithful witness.  And as much as we appreciate and emulate faithful witness, we do not place our confidence there.  For Paul goes on in ch3 to say that Christians put no confidence in themselves, but in knowing Christ.  How do we do that?  We press on towards Christ, maturing by revelation.  But we also have the example of others to follow.

I. Christians Grow by Christlike Example, 3:17

 “Brothers, join in imitating me.”  Eventually, he will broaden his scope to have us imitate others.  But for now, he says, “Join in imitating me.”  Why?  Because Paul practices what he preaches.  He has not reached perfection.  But he presses on towards Christ, towards maturity.  So, he confidently calls them to imitate him.  In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul says, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”  Paul imitates Christ.  Therefore, they can imitate Paul.  Because Paul gives them both a visible and verbal example of Christ.  He gives them a visible example when he visits them.  And he gives them a verbal example when he writes them.  Paul cannot give us a visible example of Christ.  He cannot visit us.  But he can give us a verbal example of Christ.  He gives it in his writings.  We can read what he wrote.  We can join in imitating him.  You have heard it said, “We become like the company we keep.”  So, we choose our company wisely.  We choose whom we spend time with wisely.  We choose whom we imitate wisely.  Surely, we spend time with people we should not imitate.  Everyone needs a witness.  Everyone needs someone to imitate.  But Paul does not say, “Imitate everyone.”  Instead, he says, “Join in imitating me.”   

But not just me.  For he goes on to say, “And keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.” In other words, take note of, or regard attentively, other Christians who walk as Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus do.  Watch them.  Walk like them.  Follow them as they follow Christ.  Study them.  Do we study other Christians who believe and act like Christ?  And then do we walk as they walk?  We do not idealize them.  We do not put them out of reach.  But we do imitate them.  If we find good examples of Christlikeness, we follow them.  But I would recommend that you do not limit yourself to the circle of people around you.  God has given us a great cloud of witnesses, not only in scripture, but throughout church history.  Read the biographies of these faithful Christians.  Read their works.  Keep your eyes on those who walk according to godly example.  I cannot even begin to quantify how much I appreciate and grow by reading biographies and works of faithful Christians.  Yes, we press on towards Christ.  Yes, we mature by revelation, by reading God’s word.  But we also look around.  Who else presses on?   Who else shows mature Christlikeness?  We would do well to imitate their example.  For Christians grow by Christlike example.

For those who do not know, I became a grandfather last November.  When my daughter asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I asked for a weekly text photo of my grandson.  I have noticed in those photos, that he often smiles back at the camera.  At first, I attributed his smile to his sweet disposition.  But when I saw my daughter take his picture, I realized that she smiled at him.  He imitates her. 

We all imitate others, whether we do so consciously or unconsciously.  So, whom do we imitate?  Besides the people I know and the people in scripture, I have people from church history that I try to imitate.  I have at least four examples that have shaped me:  Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Francis Schaeffer, C. S. Lewis, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.  I put a few of their books on the screen, in case you would like to join me in imitating them.  I believe they would bless you as much as they have blessed me.  I warn you though.  I did not give you a list of Baptists.  I did not give you a list of people that I can agree with on all theological issues.  But I have found good Christlike example in each of them.  You do not have to read what I read.  Do some of your own digging.  But dig deeper than this century.  I read older books too.  They help me grow.  In v17, Christians grow by Christlike example.  But so long as we live in this world, we see others that we should not imitate.  While we could say that Christians rejoice in Christlike example…

II. Christians Grieve Over Earthly-Minded Enemies, 3:18-19

Paul warns, “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.”  Notice the contrast between the two walks in vv17 and 18.  Some walk in imitation of Christ.  Many walk as enemies of Christ.  This calls to mind Matthew 7.  Jesus says, “Enter by the narrow gate.  For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are,” what? —“Many.”  Paul warns of them.  Paul grieves over them.  Paul calls them enemies.  He does not call them his enemies, per se.  He calls them enemies of the cross of Christ.  What does that mean?  Paul already told us.  He says in this verse, “of whom I have often told you and now tell you.”  In ch1, v28 he told us about opponents whose end is destruction.  In ch 2, v15 he told us about a crooked and twisted generation.  In ch2, v21 he told us about those who seek their own interests.  And in ch 3, v2 he told us about false teachers.  In other words, enemies of the cross of Christ apply to all unbelievers in general.

Sometimes, they look like moral, upstanding, well-adjusted people.  Sometimes, they do not.  Either way, v19 says, “Their end is destruction.”  As he does in ch1, v28, Paul again foretells their future.  Destruction.  He does the same in 1 Thessalonians 5:3, “While people are saying, ‘There is peace and security,’ then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”  Paul grieves over them.  Paul does the very opposite of what we do.  Naturally, we fear enemies.  When we fear them, we move further away from them.  Supernaturally, Paul weeps for enemies.  When Paul weeps for them, he moves closer to them.  He cares for them.  But he also warns of them.  We do not walk as they walk.  For they walk the primrose path of destruction.  But how do we identify enemies of the cross of Christ?  Paul gives three descriptions.  First…

A. Enemies of Christ worship their appetite, 19a

They worship the god of their belly.  In Romans 16:18, Paul says, “For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites.”  Or ‘bellies,’ same word.  They have reverence for worldly appetites.  They feed on them.  They trade bibles for wine lists, they trade hymnals for playlists, and they trade sermons for self-help books.  They offer sacrifices to them in time and treasure.  But bellies make for ridiculously sad gods.  In their belly worship, some reject Christ directly.  We can easily identify them.  They will tell us.  Everything they live for centers on creaturely pursuits.  But others reject Christ indirectly.  Meaning that they might profess him.  But they do not possess him.  We see two categories of those who reject Christ and his cross indirectly: antinomians and legalists.

The antinomians among them reject Christlikeness.  They may claim his salvation, but they do not claim his lordship.  Instead, they worshipfully feed lust, greed, and gluttony.  They believe Christ’s grace will forgive them regardless of their lifestyle.  The legalists among them reject Christ’s grace.  They may claim his lordship, but they have their own salvation.  They worshipfully abstain from these behaviors.  But in doing so, they feed both pride and trust in self.  Whether these enemies take part in worldly appetites or take pride in abstaining, they share one thing in common.  They worship self.  They exult self in what they consume.  Or they exult self in what they do not consume.    We can never do enough to satisfy the god of bellies.  Because appetites keep coming.  Proverbs 27:20 says, “Sheol and Abaddon”—in other words, the grave and destruction—“are never satisfied, and never satisfied are the eyes of man.”  Enemies of Christ worship their appetite.  Second…

B. Enemies of Christ boast in their shame, 19b

They glory in their shame.  They praise worldly passions.  Or they praise abstaining from worldly passions.  Sometimes, they call ugly deeds beautiful.  And they call beautiful deeds ugly.  They call good deeds bad.  And they call bad deeds good.  They do not know that Isaiah pronounces woe on such speech.  “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!”[1]  They glory in their shame. 

But this shameful mentality does not have its own inertia.  This shameful mentality cannot boast without help.  Those who glory in their shame need to do some recruiting.  They need others to join them in their shame.  They need others to join them in suppressing the truth in unrighteousness.  They need to collectively crush conscience.  Or they need to collectively control conscience.  1 Peter 4:4 says, “They are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you.”  Those who glory in their shame need support from others.  They need propping up.  They do not satisfy themselves that you tolerate them.  They need you to celebrate them.  When we have no intention of living in God’s world by God’s way, we will seek support from others.  We will ask others to glory in shame, to glory in what God calls inglorious.  Enemies of Christ boast in their shame.  Third…

C. Enemies of Christ think about earthly things, 19c

They have their minds on earthly things.  Their daily lives consume their thinking.  They may not think about evil things.  Instead, they may think about good things: going to work, getting the kids to sports, cleaning the house, volunteering in their community.  But they do not take time to pause and consider their eternal destiny.  They do not set their minds on things above.  For them, Christ died in vain.  They have no need of him.  They think about earthly things.  They love the world.  But 1 John 2:15 warns us, “Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”  Do we have our minds on earthly things?  And how do we know if we have our minds on earthly things? 

Martyn Lloyd-Jones says, “You can test where a man’s allegiance is by the way he spends his time and money and energy.”  Jesus says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” What do we treasure?  What do we think about?  What do we have our minds set upon? —Earthly things? —Heavenly things?  Do we look up and ask, “Why am I here?  What is all of this for?  Is there a God?  Does God expect something from me?  Did Jesus die for a reason?”  Or do we spend our time looking downward?  According to our text, many do.  And downward they shall go.  With Paul, we grieve, even with tears.  We share Christ, even with tears.  But we cannot walk as they walk.

As we walk, imagine coming across a starving family.  We have plenty of bread in our packs.  So, we offer them bread.  But they refuse.  They do not like the baker of the bread we offer.  We have Mancini’s.  They prefer Bread Works.  So, do I, by the way.  I prefer Bread Works.  But I would take Mancini’s whether I felt starved or not.  But they will not take it.  But they will offer us an alternative.  They agree to take the bread if they can earn it.  But we insist they take it free of charge.  They refuse.  They go their own way.  Their minds focus downward, searching for something to satisfy their hunger.  They hardly look up.  They will not look at us.  They will not take what we offer.  Their bellies lead them nowhere.  They die, still looking.  How do we react?  Do we seethe at their stubbornness?  Do we scoff at their stupidity?  Or do we sorrow for the state they came to?

Christians grieve over the earthly-minded enemies of Christ’s cross.  We offer them the bread of life, even with tears.  But they refuse.  They do not like the baker of the bread we offer.  Or they agree to take it if they can earn it.  But we cannot earn what Jesus offers.  Jesus offers himself freely as the bread that comes down from heaven.  “For many of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.  Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds on earthly things.”  In vv18-19, Christians grieve over earthly-minded enemies. 

III.  Christians Glory in Their Heavenly Citizenship, 3:20-4:1

A. Christians have a heavenly citizenship, 20a

Not will have.  But have.  It says, “But our citizenship is in heaven.”  Present tense.  It does not say that it will one day be in heaven.  It says it is in heaven.  All of us have temporary, national citizenship from some country.  Christians have at least two.  They have the country of their birth.  And they have the “country” of their second birth.  We have heaven.  But notice that Paul starts this sentence with the word, ‘but.’  Meaning that he contrasts the earthly-minded in vv18-19, with the heavenly citizens in v20.  We cannot find a starker contrast.  Our end is not destruction.  Our end is resurrection.  Our god is not our belly.  Our God is God.  We do not glory in our shame.  We glory in Christ.  We do not have minds set on earthly things.  We have minds set on heavenly citizenship.  We may live here, but we do not go full native.  Meaning that Christians do not live a Lord of the Flies lifestyle.  We do not act like the ruler of this world, Beelzebub, which means, ‘lord of the flies.’  We do not abandon the customs of our heavenly homeland.  And do we not forsake the Lord of that land.  For…

B. Christians have a Savior and Lord, 20b-21

“And from it”—from heaven—“we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”  Which begs the question, what, or whom, do we wait for?  Do we wait to grow up?  Do we wait for some relationship?  Do we wait for some trial to pass?  Do we wait for some better season of life?  Do we wait for the world to come around.  No.  Christians wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  Christians wait for Christ to return.  Until then, we press on towards him.  For we have a heavenly citizenship.  We have a Savior.  We have a Lord.  In short, we have a focal point.  We do not focus on earthly things.  We focus on our citizenship in heaven.  And from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

And what will Christ do when he returns?  Verse 21 tells us.  We await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, “who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.”  So, currently Christians have lowly bodies.  In other words, we have bodies subject to temptation, pain, weakness, sickness, and death.  We have bodies limited by physical restrictions.  For instance, we cannot walk through closed doors, like Jesus did in his resurrected body.  We cannot appear and disappear at will, like Jesus did in his resurrected body.  But one day Christ will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.  Think of it.  No more temptation.  No more pain.  No more weakness.  No more sickness.  No more death.  We will have bodies like his glorious body.  We might have bodies without physical restrictions.  We might do what Jesus did.  We might walk through closed doors.  We might appear and disappear at will.  Who knows.  As a child, I cared more about that.  I thought little about temptation, pain, weakness, and sickness.  I certainly did not think about death.  I just wanted a resurrected body that could walk through closed doors.  I wanted a resurrected body that could appear and disappear at will.  Now, I would content myself with a resurrected body free from temptation, pain, weakness, sickness, and death.  Jesus will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body.

How?  The end of v21 tells us.  “By the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”  What power?  The power we saw earlier in the verse.  Christ’s resurrection.  Christ’s glorious body.  His resurrection enables him even to subject all things to himself.  In 1 Corinthians 15, he destroys every rule every authority and power, including those we see in vv18-19.  Then he destroys the last enemy.  Death.  How? —By his resurrection.  His resurrection serves as the first fruits of our resurrection.  By his resurrection, God puts all things in subjection under his feet.[3]  He subjects all things to himself.  He is Lord.  One day, we will no longer suffer under the subjection of sin.  We will no longer suffer under what we rightly suffer.  Rather than subject us to sin, he will subject us to himself.  Until then, what do we do?  He tells us in…

C. Christians stand firm in the Lord until he returns, 4:1

“Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.”  In case we forgot, Paul has had to tell us to stand firm twice.  He said the same in ch1, v27.  There he called Christians to stand firm in one spirit with one mind.  In other words, Christians stand together.  Here he calls us to stand firm thus in the Lord.  For we have nowhere else to stand.  But notice the love and encouragement in this verse.  Paul longs for these beloved brothers. Paul cannot visit them because of his imprisonment.  But he can take joy in them.  They serve as his crown, as his reward for faithfulness.  He does not labor in vain.  In 1 Thessalonians 2:19, Paul asks, “For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming?  Is it not you?”  Those he served, serve as the crowning achievement of his life.  Even we, who heed him, serve as his joy and crown.  Because Paul’s ministry has long-lasting effect.  So does ours, Christian brother and sister.  Our descendants, both spiritual and actual, may never know our names.  But we have long-lasting effect.  

What do we do with that responsibility?  This verse tells us.  —Stand firm thus in the Lord.  Do not retreat.  Do not rush ahead.  Do not take any position, other than your position in Christ.  I thought about that when I served in Afghanistan.  Our base came under frequent rocket attacks.  Not knowing where they might land, they told us to hit the ground.  Stay in place.  Do not run for cover.  It reminds me of a line from the movie Gettysburg.  A general tells his men under cannon barrage, “Lay still men.  Keep down.  There’s no safe place here.  One spot’s as good as the next.”  I might not have stood firm.  But I laid firm.  I did not take any position other than the position I had.  In like fashion, Christians stand firm thus in the Lord.  We do not stand firm in our earthly citizenship.  We stand firm in our heavenly citizenship.

When I met Rohith, the young man from India that always sits with us, I learned something interesting about my American passport.  Rohith told me that certain passports have certain strengths.  An American passport has more strength, or more power, than most passports.  It allows an American citizen to get into more countries than other passports might.  In other words, Americans have a privileged citizenship.  With that said, our privilege has waned in recent years.  We used to have the most powerful passport in the world.  That power has waned.  But the power of our heavenly citizenship never wanes. 

As citizens of heaven, we have Jesus.  We have a King who willingly died for us.  We have a King who will willingly resurrect us.  In short, we have the God of all the universe.  Christians glory in their heavenly citizenship.  In his book, The City of God, Augustine spends a thousand pages explaining that one truth.  Our citizenship is in heaven.  He writes of two cities: the city of God and the city of Man, the heavenly city, and the earthly city.  He says, “Two cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self… the heavenly by the love of God.”  The question is not merely where we live, but to which city we belong.  So, to which city do you belong?  Where does your citizenship lie?  Christians glory in their heavenly citizenship.  The Lord of that land, Christ, invites each of us to become citizens. We do not have to wait years to become citizens in that land.  Christ stands ready to receive us now.  We do not have to take a test to become citizens in that land.  Christ already took the test for us.  He invites us to become citizens of heaven.  From heaven we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

 Christians stand firm as heavenly citizens, not as earthly-minded enemies. This means that we stand in the Lord in the first place.  Meaning that we repent, we turn away from our sin.  We turn to Christ as our Savior and Lord.  And once we do, we have no better place to go.  “One spot’s as good as the next.”  Christians strain forward, knowing what lies ahead.  Christians strain forward, knowing who serves as king.  Christians strain forward, knowing their country will continue.  Will we stand firm thus in the Lord?