“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 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 set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 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” (Philippians 3:17-21).
As I mentioned in the previous writing covering verses 12-16, Paul had such a close walk with the Lord Jesus that he could invite and encourage other believers in Christ to imitate him and his walk of faith, i.e. to follow his Christian example. For he led an exemplary life of holiness, godliness, moral purity, uprightness, honesty, integrity, and faithfulness, etc. For he walked in the fear of the Lord, and he took God and his word seriously, and he even said that he strongly disciplined his own body to bring it into submission (to make it obedient to Christ) (1 Corinthians 9:27).
For Paul modeled before the believers in Christ what it meant to truly be in Christ and to be saved from our sins and to have the hope of eternal life with God. He led by example, and he did not teach what he was not living, or else he would have said that he wasn’t living it, which some people accuse him of doing in Romans 7. But Romans 7 needs to be understood in the context of Romans 6 and Romans 8 and all of the rest of Paul’s teachings in the New Testament Scriptures. For Paul was not walking in sin or else he could not be the model for all other Christians to imitate.
And then he also encouraged the Christians in Philippi to keep their eyes on other believers in Christ who walk according to the example that they had in Paul and in the other apostles (or just in Paul and Timothy). But we need to be very careful here that we are not following others who profess faith in Jesus Christ unless we are certain that they are true followers of Christ who are walking in holiness and in righteousness, in obedience to the Lord, and not in sin, in practice, though not necessarily in absolute perfection. But Jesus Christ and his example and the teachings of Scriptures are to be what guide and direct our lives. So always be testing the spirits.
But the reason that Paul encouraged them to follow his example and to keep their eyes on others who were also following Paul’s example was because there were so many professers of faith in Jesus Christ who walked as enemies of the cross of Christ and were not who the believers in Christ should model their lives after. And that is definitely true of today, that there are so many wolves in sheep’s clothing, and so many who give lip service to the Lord Jesus but who deny him by their actions. So be discerning people.
So what does it look like to walk as enemies of the cross of Christ? What does Jesus death on that cross represent? What was its purpose? Well the Scriptures teach that Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, and that we might live for God and no longer for self. And they teach that Jesus shed his blood for us to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we can now honor God with our lives (our bodies) by living holy lives, pleasing to him. And they teach that if sin is what we obey, it will lead to death, not life eternal.
[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23]
So, to walk as enemies of the cross of Christ would be to do the opposite of what these Scriptures and others like them teach us about the purpose of Jesus Christ dying on that cross for our sins. So they would be people professing faith in Jesus Christ who are still walking in deliberate and habitual sin, in sexual immorality, adultery, idolatry, dishonesty, pretense, moral impurity, faithlessness, and in rebellion against the Lord and in direct and deliberate disobedience to his commands under the New Covenant.
And what do the Scriptures teach about those who live like this? Their end is destruction and death, not salvation from sin, and not eternal life with God, regardless of what professions of faith they have made in Jesus Christ. And this is why we must be testing the spirits and all that we hear and read and think we see against the truth of the Scriptures, in their context! For liars and deceivers abound! So just because he or she or it looks good or sounds good, it doesn’t mean they are good. So know what the Scriptures teach!
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
And at the end of it all, when we have been faithful to our Lord to walk in his ways and not in the ways of our sinful flesh, we have the hope and the promise of eternity with our Lord and that we have a home with him which is free from sin and pain and suffering and all evil and wickedness. Praise God! One day we will no longer be in these flesh bodies, tempted to sin, fighting off the attacks of the enemy, staying strong despite many obstacles against us. But one day we will be able to rest in the arms of Jesus and be safe from all harm and all enemies and all temptations to sin. Oh, how glorious!
Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer
Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897
Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.
Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.
O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.
O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.
Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg
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