Philippians: Our Home is in Heaven
Philippians 3:17-21 - Which direction are you facing? Where does your citizenship lie?
“Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 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.”
Philippians 3:17-21 NASB1995
This is the last passage in Philippians 3. Paul is exhorting the brethren at Philippi to follow in his example and to observe those who walk according to the pattern they see in him and other faith leaders. Paul is not being egotistical - he is aware of how far he has to go reach the prize (see the last devotional), but he is certainly worth emulating in his faith. Enduring Word does a nice job with their commentary for that first verse:
Join in following my example: We shouldn’t think that Paul was being egotistical here. He knew that he was not a sinless or perfect example, yet he was still a good example. He could say as he also did in 1 Corinthians 11:1 – Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
We need concrete examples. While it is wrong to put our trust in any man, it is hypocritical for any Christian to say, “Do as I say, not as I do.”
And note those who so walk: As well, Paul wasn’t so proud to think that he was the only one who could be such an example. He told the Philippians to note those who so walk in the way he spoke of, and he noted that the Philippians had us as a pattern (instead of saying that Paul was the only pattern).
There are many good examples of Godly men and women who have been in this world, besides Paul. Some of the commentary I read recommended reading biographies of various respected Christian leaders to see how they conducted their lives. I also think of a man like Billy Graham, who devoted his life to bringing people to Christ. He lived as an example for others. With other evangelists in his group, early in their careers they created a list of four areas to model integrity known as the Modesto Manifesto (they were meeting in Modesto, California at the time). This excerpt, found on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association website from Graham’s autobiography describes those areas:
One afternoon during the Modesto meetings, I called the team together to discuss the problem. Then I asked them to go to their rooms for an hour and list all the problems they could think of that evangelists and evangelism encountered.
When they returned, the lists were remarkably similar, and in a short amount of time, we made a series of resolutions or commitment among ourselves that would guide us in our future evangelistic work. In reality, it was more of an informal understanding among ourselves—a shared commitment to do all we could do to uphold the Bible’s standard of absolute integrity and purity for evangelists.
The first point on our combined list was money. Nearly all evangelists at that time—including us—were supported by love offerings taken at the meetings. The temptation to wring as much money as possible out of an audience, often with strong emotional appeals, was too great for some evangelists. In addition, there was little or no accountability for finances. It was a system that was easy to abuse—and led to the charge that evangelists were in it only for the money.
I had been drawing a salary from YFC (Youth for Christ) and turning all offerings from YFC meetings over to YFC committees, but my new independent efforts in citywide campaigns required separate finances. In Modesto we determined to do all we could to avoid financial abuses and to downplay the offering and depend as much as possible on money raised by the local committee in advance.
The second item on the list was the danger of sexual immorality. We all knew of evangelists who had fallen into immorality while separated from their families by travel. We pledged among ourselves to avoid any situation that would have even the appearance of compromise or suspicion. From that day on, I did not travel, meet or eat alone with a woman other than my wife. We determined that the Apostle Paul’s mandate to the young pastor Timothy would be ours as well: “Flee … youthful lusts” (2 Timothy 1:22, KJV).
Our third concern was the tendency of many evangelists to carry on their work apart from the local church, even to criticize local pastors and churches openly and scathingly. We were convinced, however, that this was not only counterproductive but also wrong from the Bible’s standpoint. We determined to cooperate with all who would cooperate with us in the public proclamation of the Gospel, and to avoid an antichurch or anticlergy attitude.
The fourth and final issue was publicity. The tendency among some evangelists was to exaggerate their successes or to claim higher attendance numbers than they really had. This likewise discredited evangelism and brought the whole enterprise under suspicion. It often made the press so suspicious of evangelists that they refused to take notice of their work. In Modesto we committed ourselves to integrity in our publicity and our reporting.
So much for the Modesto Manifesto, as Cliff (Barrows) called it in later years. In reality, it did not mark a radical departure for us; we had always held these principles. It did, however, settle in our hearts and minds, once and for all, the determination that integrity would be the hallmark of both our lives and our ministry.
Of course this manifesto received significant criticism from secular media and feminists who disagreed on rule #2, especially when the former Vice-President Mike Pence also followed the same rules. Having spent quite a bit of my career traveling with a bunch of guys to technical reviews, for launch site support and to conferences (sometimes I was the only female) I can say that the rule is a good one even though the travel parts cannot be avoided (sharing flights and rental cars and staying in the same hotel). I always tried to get others to go out to dinner in big groups and even became the “social director” for a few years, making reservations at local restaurants for parties of ten or twenty. For me, doing a secular engineering job, I also felt compelled to not compromise my or anyone else’s marriage through conversations and actions. This wasn’t always easy and I saw problems occur when co-workers became attracted to each other. Women want it both ways, which is challenging: To work closely with other men and to not be the target of sexual harassment. Personal responsibility goes in every direction.
The other rules in the manifesto ensured that the evangelists in the group were always above-board with their finances, their group publicity/reporting, and their work with local churches.
I’ll repeat the next part of the passage here so you don’t have to scroll up:
For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.
I’ll be honest with you - I like good food and the picture I selected above to represent the appetite looks very appealing. Paul in this passage is apparently addressing Christians that he sees walking in the wrong direction. He weeps over those who give lip service to their faith, but yet adapt many of the things of this fallen world for their personal comfort (perhaps like the philosophies of the Greek Epicureans during that time in history, who lived for this life only). They are enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end will be destruction (eternity in hell), their god is their appetite for pleasures and things, they glory in their shame, and they set their minds on earthly things. They are the opposite of the legalists. From Enduring Word:
For many walk: With great sadness, Paul realizes that there are many who walk in a manner contrary to what he teaches. He regards these people as enemies of the cross of Christ.
The enemies of the cross were really the opposite of the legalists, who celebrated their supposed liberty in Christ to the indulgence of their flesh.
Paul had to contend with people like this in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 and Romans 6, who thought that salvation comes without repentance and conversion, and who thought that as long as your soul was saved, it didn’t matter what you did with your body.
When we say that men are enemies of the cross, we do not mean that they are enemies of a physical representation of the cross. We mean that they are enemies of the Biblical truth of the atonement Jesus made for us on the cross and its ongoing power and effect in our life.
These people were truly enemies of the cross of Christ, who did not want to follow Jesus by taking up His cross of self-denial (Matthew 16:24-26).
And now tell you even weeping: The work and the end of these enemies was that they, in their disregard for God’s holiness, gave ammunition to the legalist’s accusation that Paul preached a cheap grace that required no commitment of the life. This is what grieved Paul so at their teaching.
[Charles] Spurgeon thought that Paul wept for three reasons. First, on account of the guilt of these enemies of the cross of Christ. Second, on account of the ill effects of their conduct. Finally, on account of their doom.
“I never read that the apostle wept when he was persecuted. Though they ploughed his back with furrows, I do believe that never a tear was seen to gush from his eye while the soldiers scourged him. Though he was cast into prison, we read of his singing, never of his groaning. I do not believe he ever wept on account of any sufferings or dangers to which he himself was exposed for Christ’s sake. I call this an extraordinary sorrow, because the man who wept was no soft piece of sentiment, and seldom shed a tear even under grievous trials.” (Charles Spurgeon)
“Professors of religion, who get into the church, and yet lead ungodly lives, are the worst enemies that the cross of Christ has. These are the sort of men who bring tears into the minister’s eyes; these are they who break his heart; they are the enemies of the cross of Christ.” (Charles Spurgeon)
Whose end is destruction: The word translated destruction is the same word used for perdition in other places (such as Philippians 1:28). This can refer to either their ultimate damnation or to the present destruction of their lives. Probably their ultimate damnation is more in view.
Whose god is their belly: This describes the idolatry of these enemies. Not that they were necessarily focused on what they eat, but belly here has a broader reference to sensual indulgence in general. They live for the pleasures of the body, mind, and soul.
Whose glory is in their shame: This shows the misplaced priorities of these enemies. They gloried about things they should have been ashamed about.
Who set their mind on earthly things: This describes the focus of their life. It was not to please and worship God, but to get along in this world. Their attitude was the same as the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21.
WOW - Paul is describing so many people in this world, including many who claim to be Christians. This culture is one that revels in feeling no shame and indulging in carnal appetites of every kind. Celebrity women have been seen and photographed with t-shirts bragging about how many abortions they have had. Pornography is big business and caters to younger minds. Entire television networks are dedicated to living the good life and to food and food preparation and to voyeurism. People spend thousands of dollars on sporting events and concerts and cruises and other experiences (well, guilty as charged, since we have done some of those things). It goes on and on and on…
This is a challenging precept - we are living here on this Earth and God described His creation as good, but to follow Christ is to do as Jesus says:
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Matthew 16:24-26 NASB1995
Whatever occupies most or all of your thoughts and time is the god of your life and it directs your path. It could be your job, politics, your hobbies, your interests, even your family. These things have a place, but what is the end goal of your life? Christians are not meant for a monastery, where they can hide away from reality, but are to live this life by losing it for His sake.
Here’s what Paul tells us in the last verses of this passage:
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 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.”
By believing in Him, we have, in this life, claimed our citizenship in heaven. We eagerly wait the return of our Savior, who will transform our humble bodily state into conformity with His glory through His power. This transformation is mentioned many times in the New Testament. All will be subject to Him at that time when He returns.
What does it mean to be a citizen of heaven? I like this answer from Enduring Word:
For our citizenship is in heaven: We need to appreciate all this would have meant to the Philippians, who greatly valued their Roman citizenship. Just as the Philippians could consider themselves citizens of Rome and were under Roman laws and customs (even though they were in fact far from Rome) so Christians should consider themselves citizens of heaven.
One paraphrase of citizenship is in heaven reads like this: “We have our home in heaven, and here on earth we are a colony of heaven’s citizens.” Paul is saying: “Just as the Roman colonists never forgot that they belong to Rome, you must never forget that you are citizens of heaven; and your conduct must match your citizenship.” (William Barclay)
If we are citizens of heaven, it means that we are resident aliens on earth. Foreigners are distinct in whatever foreign land they go. Christians must be so marked by their heavenly citizenship that they are noticed as different.
Aliens should seek to do good works in the land they sojourn in.
Aliens should not seek to interfere in the affairs of the land they sojourn in.
Aliens have privileges as well as duties; they are not under the same obligations as citizens of the land they sojourn in.
Aliens are not eligible for the same rewards and recognitions as the citizens of the land that they sojourn in.
Aliens should not focus on building riches in the land they sojourn in.
We also have a certain character as citizens of heaven.
As citizens we are under the government of heaven.
As citizens we share in heaven’s honors.
As citizens we have property rights in heaven.
As citizens we enjoy the pleasures of heaven.
As citizens of heaven we love heaven and feel attached there.
As citizens of heaven we keep in communication with our native home.
“How heartily the Germans sing of the dear old fatherland; but they cannot, with all their Germanic patriotism, they cannot beat the genial glow of the Briton’s heart, when he thinks of his fatherland too. The Scotchman, too, wherever he may be, remembers the land of ‘brown heath and shaggy wood.’ And the Irishman, too, let him be where he will, still thinks the ‘Emerald Isle’ the first gem of the sea. It is right that the patriot should love his country. Does not our love fervently flame towards heaven?” (Charles Spurgeon)
There is a significant contrast between the citizens of earth as described in Philippians 3:18-19 and the citizens of heaven as described in Philippians 3:20-21.
So in this life believers should render unto “Caesar” the things that are Caesar’s (taxes, performing civic duties, obeying local laws and ordinances) while we focus on the privileges we will enjoy in heaven. I thought one of the bullets from this commentary was quite interesting (“Aliens should not seek to interfere in the affairs of the land they sojourn in”). I’m not sure I totally agree with this sentiment, because Christians can be effective in public roles.
But we also need to look at the efforts of those who claim to be part of the New Apostolic Reformation (see this article and other links on Gotquestions.org). This movement, which is decidedly unchristian, wants to establish God’s kingdom on Earth, which is in contradiction to what Jesus said (that His kingdom is not of this world). Jesus was not on Earth to overthrow the Roman Empire but to be the atoning sacrifice for our sin. Although we don’t have to like or approve of the things going on in our world, we should know where our true citizenship resides and act like we are His beloved ambassadors. We want to shine a light so beautiful to others that they are compelled to ask us about that light.
C.S. Lewis said it quite well:
My next devotional examines Philippians 4:1-3 - Rejoice! Paul urges Euodia and Syntyche to live in harmony with the Lord.
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Please help me to walk in the way that Paul demonstrated to the faithful at Philippi and to focus on my citizenship in heaven in the ways I conduct my earthly life. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Enduring Word commentary by David Guzik is used with written permission.
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