Over Our Earthly Mentality
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The Cross of Christ Changes Us
3.13.22 [Philippians 3:17-4:1] River of Life (2nd Sunday in Lent)
I hope you get everything in life you deserve. Nobody would be better. I wish I had your confidence. You’ll wear or say anything. You can’t get food like that in a restaurant.
Sometimes, insults sound like compliments. Have you ever had that experience when someone says something to you or about you and you’re not sure if they’re complimenting or criticizing you? You’re not sure if you should be overjoyed or offended?
When you read through the Paul’s letters to different Christians, you can imagine his detractors saying things that sounded like compliments, but were actually insults. Perhaps his adversaries in the region of Galatia were saying: Paul’s given you a great start. We’ll take it from here. Maybe his detractors in Corinth were saying: Paul’s a simple teacher. We’ll take things to a higher, intellectual level. In Philippi, his foes might have said: Paul’s got his head in the clouds. We’ll show you how to navigate the real world.
And with the Apostle Paul (Php. 1:13) in chains for his preaching of the Gospel of Christ, it’s not hard to imagine that that insult—that Paul has his head in the clouds—would resonate a little bit. Again and again in this letter, Paul talks about (Php. 4:1) his joy. Again and again in this letter, Paul tells the Philippians to (Php. 4:4) rejoice. It’s not hard to imagine someone saying: You don’t want to end up like Paul. He might like it, but you won’t.
Perhaps Paul heard rumblings of such things. Even if he didn’t, his exhortation here is pretty clear. (Php. 3:17-18) Follow my example, brothers and sisters. You have us—(Php. 1:1) Paul and Timothy—as a model. (Php. 3:18) Keep your eyes on those who live as we do. Imitate us. Even when it seems counter-productive. Even when it’s counter-cultural. Even when it’s counter-intuitive. (Php. 3:18) Imitate those who live as we do. (Php. 4:1) Stand firm in the Lord in this way.
Now Paul was not saying that every Philippian Christian needed to live in such a way that it put them in chains alongside the Apostle Paul. Here, Paul is driving home the important principle that the lives of Christians are lived markedly differently because they have a different mindset. While his detractors might say that Paul had his head in the clouds, he told the Philippians that (Php. 3:20) his citizenship was in heaven. Just like their’s. And ours.
And we need to be reminded of this reality, again and again. Because as Paul says here with tears: (Php. 3:18-19) Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction. Their god is their stomach. Their glory is in their shame. We might wonder: who exactly is Paul talking about here?
It could be that Paul was speaking of the pagans that called Philippi home. Philippi was a Roman colony. It had a proud heritage. It was a place where many Roman soldiers moved to to retire. We can imagine living in a place where military service is honored. Where national pride is a given. Where most people talk about their careers in the past tense.
It’s not hard to imagine some people in Philippi worshipping popular Roman gods, eating and drinking to excess, cavorting and glorying in activities that God condemns. Pleasure-seeking people would discover their lives put them on the path to destruction.
But it could also be that Paul had in mind the Judaizers. These pious people insisted that everyone follow all the laws of Moses to a “T”. (Php. 3:19) Their god was their stomach—not in the sense that they ate and drank to excess. Rather, in the body is temple sense. They believed what went in a person made them unclean. They based their glory on how good they were. But their attempts at righteousness were shamefully, woefully inadequate. So, their destiny was destruction, too.
It is quite likely that Paul saw the common thread between these contrasting ways of living. Whether one lives like a wild pagan or a like a pious Pharisee, the outcomes were the same. (Php. 3:18) Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
But not just many in Philippi. Many today do, too. And we face this temptation day after day, moment after moment, in ways we recognize and in many we struggle to see. Notice that Paul says, with tears: (Php. 3:18) Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. He is moved to tears because many of them do not realize they are living that way. (Php. 3:18) Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. He does not say many identify as enemies of Christ. So we must not ask ourselves: do I think of myself as enemies of Christ? We must examine our lives. Am I living like an enemy of the cross of Christ? And there are two chief ways people live as enemies of the cross of Christ. The first is self-indulgence. The second is self-delusion.
Self-indulgent enemies of the cross are often possessive & controlling. This is my time. This is my money. This is my life. We’re going to do things my way. Self-indulgent enemies find clever ways to justify not picking up their cross and following Christ. God is love, so he wouldn’t want me to say something that might hurt someone’s feelings. I’m God’s child, so he wouldn’t want me to struggle like that. We’re committed to God’s truth, why is growing a church so hard?
Self-indulgent enemies are reluctant to make real sacrifices, right now. They tell themselves, and others, that when conditions change or improve they’ll be more involved or more invested. I’m just too busy right, now. When things slow down, I’ll help out more. I wish we could afford to be generous. Maybe when we win the lottery. Self-indulgence enemies are engrossed in what’s tangible, what’s emotional, what’s earthly. Sadly, there is a self-indulgent enemy in each of us that dictates a lot about how we really live our lives.
Self-delusional enemies of the cross are proud and conceited. They are constantly comparing themselves to someone else. To how they used to live. To how others around them are living. Some are very proud about how much they know. Some are quite pleased with how they live. Self-delusional enemies of the cross are quick to point out how others don’t measure up. They are quick to complain about the ignorance, the immaturity, and the iniquities of those around them. They balk at (Gal. 6:2) bearing one another’s burdens.
Self-delusional enemies of the cross of Christ serve in the church—but only in the ways that make them feel good. When the Lord needs things that are outside their comfort zone, they offer a cop out like: that’s just not my spiritual gift. In their own minds, they already do so much. Other people need to step up. Self-delusional enemies of the cross of Christ want credit, control, and that others contribute, too. The self-deluded (Php. 3:19) mind is set on earthly things, too. Sadly, there is also a self-delusional enemy that calls the shots in our lives, too.
With tears, we must admit, far too many times we have lived like an enemy of the cross of Christ. We deserve eternal destruction.(Rom. 5:8-10) But God has demonstrated his own love for us in this: While were still sinners Christ died for us. While we were God’s enemies, God sent his one and only Son to willingly bear the cross for us, to die for our sins, and to reconcile sinners to God.
The cross of Christ is the sole source of our salvation. The cross of Christ is God’s greatest glory. The cross of Christ is our enduring hope. The cross of Christ has the power to convert enemies into heirs. The cross of Christ has made us citizens of heaven. We are God’s own children. Our hearts have been reshaped. Our minds have been renewed. We have been changed. All because of the cross of Christ.
In our Gospel reading from Luke 13, we see Jesus responding to his enemies. They tell Jesus (Lk. 13:31) Herod wants to kill him. This may or may not have been true. (Lk. 22:8-12) Before Good Friday, Herod had no interactions with Jesus. But even as he was threatened with death, Jesus was resolute. Jesus knew the teachers of the law were plotting to kill him. But he also knew what he had come to do. He knew the goal of his life was the shame & (1 Cor. 1:18) foolishness of the cross. (Jn. 12:27) This was the reason he had come. (Jn. 12:23) This was his hour of glory. Though it was personally painfully, socially shameful, and spiritually excruciating, Jesus embraced God’s will for him. He rejoiced in redeeming the world because his mind was set on heavenly things. This is why he prayed (Lk 22:42) not my will, but yours be done. Some might say: Jesus’ head was in the clouds. (Mt. 16:21-23) Isn’t that exactly why Peter rebuked Jesus when Jesus told his disciples that he was going to be killed and rise again on the 3rd day?
Jesus was different. He was willing to sacrifice his life to save sinners. He was willing to lose his life because he loved you and was focused on your eternal future. Because Christ made atonement for all our sins, our destiny has been changed. Once doomed to destruction, God has rescued and redeemed us. The Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior and our ultimate example. Paul and Timothy patterned their lives after Jesus. Not because they were trying to earn their salvation, but because God’s love, Jesus’s sacrifice, and the Holy Spirit’s power had changed them. Seeing God’s love in 3-D in the Son of God’s life, death, and resurrection had given them a new perspective on the purpose of their own lives. How can you live like everyone else, when you have received God’s undeserved love? How can you live like this world is all there is, when God has promised you eternity with him in heaven?
And you don’t. By nature we were all enemies of God and enemies of the cross of Christ. By God’s grace and mercy, we lift high the cross. By God’s power, we pick up our crosses daily and follow Jesus and those who follow him. That same power rules and regulates all things in this world. That same power will transform our lowly bodies to be like his.
That power enables you to do the impossible. The unimaginable. Pick up your cross and follow Christ. Pick up your cross and fall in line with those who have gone before you. Pick up your cross and deny your self-indulgent and self-delusional sinful nature. Pick up your cross and imitate those who have denied themselves, who have lost their lives for Christ, and found eternal life in Christ alone.
Hebrews 13:7 Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Maybe it was your mom or dad. Grandma or grandpa. A pastor or teacher or some other individual. You witnessed their devotion to the Lord who loved them first. They made sacrifices for their Christ and his church. And they did so with joy! Their hearts and minds were (Col. 3:2) set on things above, where Christ is. They were generous and kind. Humble and helpful. Sometimes, as a young child you may have grown frustrated with their faithfulness—but you learned through observation what faithfulness looks like and does
If you don’t have that example, it’s because you either you aren’t looking hard enough among the body of believers or you aren’t spending enough time with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Here, there are plenty of people whose hearts and minds are set on things above. (2 Cor. 4:16) Who may be wasting away on the outside, but inwardly are being renewed. Who may be poor in material things, but have riches stored up for them in heaven. Find those folks. Imitate h
But today you are that example. In a world of self-indulgence, your mind is set on something different. In a society of self-indulgence, you are called to be self-sacrificing. To love those who have hated you. To serve those who can never pay you back and may not ever appreciate it. To give of yourself with a joyful heart, even when you don’t get any credit. You live as a beneficiary of the cross of Christ. You pick up your cross and deny your sinful nature—not because it is easy, not because it is popular, not because it makes you feel or look good—but because you know the Lord is good. You study the Scriptures, not so that you might be the smartest person in the room, but so that you might be filled with the Spirit, so that you might have (Col 3:16) the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, so that you might (2 Tim. 4:2) be prepared in season and out of season to share the hope that you have. Some might say you have your head in the clouds. But that’s where your crown is. Where else would you want to be? Amen.