Philippians 3:17-21

17: Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.
18: For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ,
19: whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

20: For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
21: who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

*** 

Paul invited the Philippians to join his example of living as he had just described in the previous verses, and to observe those who followed the same pattern. Paul gave himself as an example, not to boast in himself or to gather a following for himself, but because he knew the Lord, and was whole-heartedly pursuing the path of righteousness unto salvation the Lord had revealed to him.

His desire was for his converts to grow into maturity in Christ, continually growing closer to the Lord until His return. He warned of those, as he often had before, who were enemies of the cross of Christ. They would come to destruction in the end. He described them saying their god was their appetite. The desires of the flesh drove them. They fed the lusts of their flesh and didn’t despise the shame that brought them to. Their attention was on earthly things. Paul wept as he warned the Philippians not to follow them.

Here on earth, joining with those who are sincerely pursuing the Lord, following the example Paul has given, and watching those who walk the same way instead of those who are on a destructive path, will be a safeguard for us. You will naturally go in the direction you are looking, so we want to keep our eyes on the Lord and stay around people who are doing the same. Not to say we have no contact with others, for that is unavoidable while we live on earth. We are to shine as lights in the darkness and be the Lord’s witnesses, yet we must be mindful of where are attention is focused and the path we are on.

Our citizenship is in heaven. From this place of heavenly citizenship, we eagerly wait for the Lord who will change our physical body to one like His. He has the power to do so, even to subject all things to Himself. He will, by this power, deliver us from these bodies into a glorious one.






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