Imitate Those Who Walk Well
Over the course of the last few weeks, Philippians chapter 3 has been establishing, one layer upon another, a certain kind of mindset. A certain way of thinking that’s for the Christian.
The first layer in this mindset comes in verse 3, where Paul assures these Philippians,
“We [Paul and them alike] are the circumcision [meaning we are members of God’s true people], who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.”
Layer two is seen in verse 9, where Paul emphasizes,
“[I long to] be found in him [in Christ], not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law [so not in what he has done], but that which comes through faith in Christ, [in what he has done].”
So, I’m a member of God’s people. And the only reason I am a member of God’s people is because of what Jesus has done.
The third layer, perhaps the sweetest of all, comes in verse 8, where Paul says,
“I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus.”
I am a member of God’s people, the only reason I am is because of what Jesus has done. And, as a member of God’s people, Christ is my supreme treasure.
When Paul writes then, in verse 15,
“Let those of us who are mature think this way.”
The “this way” he’s referring to has these three layers as its foundation. But it’s the fourth layer, which we saw last week, that rests on top of the foundation, for us to look at and consider. That fourth layer of, “I’m not there yet, but I am pressing on.”
So, altogether, when Paul entreats the Philippians in verse 15, “Let those of us who are mature think this way.” It is the way that acknowledges: I’m a member of God’s true people, because of Christ, who is my treasure. And I’m not there yet, but I am pressing on.
That’s the way Paul entreats these believers in Philippi to think.
Christian Maturity
Now, it is a bit interesting how he qualifies this way of thinking, saying, “Let those of us who are mature think this way.” Why those who are mature?
Well, the text doesn’t tell us explicitly, but it’s likely there’d been a “certain way of thinking” that’d been creeping its way into Philippi, that said, “the ‘Mature Christian,’ isn’t the one who says, ‘I’m not there yet, but I am pressing on.’ But instead, says, ‘No, I am there. I have arrived. I’m mature. Complete. Perfect.’ That’s what Christian maturity looks like.”
It’s not hard for us to imagine how this false sense of Christian maturity could come about, right? The train of thought would simply go, “Well, Paul said I am justified by faith, which means that things between me and God are now good, which means I’ve no longer got anything to fear when I die, which means that from here till then, it is all gravy. I don’t need to press on. I don’t need to strain forward…
Maybe I did a bit of that back in my early twenties…had a season of that during summer camp back in my teens…there was that year or so from a while back when I was waking up early, praying eagerly, reading the Bible intently, serving willingly, sharing the gospel daringly, but now… Now, I’m mature. I’ve read the books. I’ve showed up to the events. I’ve done the things. I’ve got some years under my belt. I’m mature. I’ve arrived. You think we have any of that today in the church? Any of that today in us?
Well, it’s in contrast to that way of thinking then, that mindset, that Paul establishes. It is the mark of the mature Christian, not the immature Christian, but the mature Christian, to say: “I’m not there yet, but I am pressing on.” To say that, and then to continue to say that, season, after season, after season till the day the mature Christian finally makes it home.
In fact, from this text, I believe we can say even more. That not only is it a mark of the mature Christian to continue in thinking, “I’m not there yet, but I’m pressing on,“ but to also increase and deepen in that way of thinking season after season after season.
To get that way of thinking in you more and more pervasively season after season after season.
See it in verse 15,
“And if in anything you think otherwise [like, if, mature Christian, there are remaining areas of your mind not operating under this sense of, “I’m not there yet, but I am pressing on,] God will reveal that also to you.”
God will help you to see your remaining inconsistencies. God will bring to attention where you still have areas of immaturity.
Now, don’t read this as a snide remark, like, “If in anything you think otherwise, well, you just wait till God shows you how wrong you are.” No, no, no, remember with what warmth and gentleness Paul has been writing these Philippians? This is not a jab, it is an encouragement. God loves you, Philippians. God will “bring the good work he’s begun in you to completion.” And, one way he’ll do that is by revealing to you, little by little, season after season, areas in which you can still grow. It’s an encouragement — God reveals to us our remaining immaturities so that he can make us, thoroughly, his own.
So, we take on this mature Christian mindset, and let it work its way into every nook and cranny of our minds. That is mature Christianity. At least part of it. Another part of it is described in verse 16.
The Mature Christian Walk
“Only [as in, whether you are already totally aligned with this mature mindset, or you still have areas in which you can grow] Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”
Now, what does that mean? What does it mean to, “hold true?”
Perhaps it’ll be helpful to think about it in terms of a golf ball. Anyone here play golf, or watch golf? I don’t, but as of four days ago I now officially own one golf ball — my son found it in our yard. Well, what would it look like for that golf ball to be hit off a tee and then hold true?
It’d mean that the ball, upon impact, would take off soaring out in front of the one who hit it, and unlike so many other shots that end up veering off into ponds, or sand pits, or rows of trees, or other unsuspecting golfers, this one, this one, takes off straight and holds true.
To hold true means to “stay in line with” or, “be in conformity to.” Paul’s saying the mindset he’s just described, charts out a course for a certain way of living from here till glory. It charts out a course for a certain way of talking, and behaving. The living out of, “not quite there yet, but on my way, and progressing forward.” In other words, “Look, I don’t want you to just think like a mature Christian, I want you to live like one. Live, hold true, to the Christian faith, to what we as justified worshippers of Jesus have already attained.”
It is, in fact, much in line with what we also read in 1:27,
“Only [interesting, he again begins with that word “only”] let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.” Now, 3:16, “Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”
So, take hold of the mature Christian mindset. Let it work its way into every area of your mind. And live accordingly. That’s what we’ve gotten so far.
Now, here’s where things get practical. Here’s one way to go about living accordingly. Verse 17.
What Does it mean to imitate?
“Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”
Now, before we go further, quick survey of the room — Who here is a kid? Raise your hand if you’re a kid. Good, now, for the adults in the room, I want you to know that if you have questions on this next section here, verse 17, the experts in the room are the ones currently raising their hands. Okay. See ‘em? Good, now kids you can go ahead and put your hands down, and I’ll explain why it is that you’re the experts.
It is because we have in verse 17 the call to, “imitate.” For the adults in the room, I think we tend to miss the point when it comes to this word, “imitate.” We hear it, and it does not immediately strike us as a challenging task. We just read right over it and move on. It’s almost as if, to us, the word “imitate” is not even a verb. Like to simply read it, is to accomplish it. And I think it has a lot to do with the fact that as we “mature” we tend to lose our wonder and imagination.
But, as for the experts in the room — the kids — when you hear the word imitate, you take it on as a call to action. A mission of the highest order, which you happily accept. You ready your mind, you focus your attention, every muscle in you prepares for action.
He raises his right hand, you raise your right hand.
He lifts his left foot, you lift your left foot.
He says Simon says, you do it, he doesn’t say Simon says, you don’t do it.
You are on, engaged, motivated. And the reason is because you understand what the word imitate means. Imitate means copy, replicate, follow along with. It is a call to action.
Brothers and sisters, the Apostle Paul just charged you to imitate him. And not only him, but others who live according to his example. People like Timothy, Epaphroditus who he described in chapter two. This means he wants us to look back at their example: They count all things as loss for Christ, so we should count all things as loss for Christ. They show genuine concern for others, so we should show genuine concern for others. They seek the interests of Christ, so we should seek the interests of Christ.
Paul entreats, “Brothers join in imitating me,” in hopes they would actually do it.
Last little note here, when Paul says “join in imitating (him)” it implies this call to imitate is a team sport. A group activity. “Brothers, join in imitating me. Come together in imitating me. Link up with the others striving side-by-side in imitating me. Join in on this happy fellowship of imitators of those who are imitators of those who are imitators ultimately of Christ Jesus.” Because it is a lot easier to follow Simon in what he says, if you’re in a room surrounded by others who are also following Simon.
So, take on the mature Christian mindset, let it work its way through you, and live it out by imitating others ahead of you.
Now, here’s why that last part, Paul’s call to imitate, is so crucial. It is because, in the end, you’re going to imitate somebody. You will. Inevitably, without doubt, like it or not, you’re going to imitate somebody. That somebody you imitate could be somebody who walks according to the example we have in the Apostles, or, that somebody could be somebody who walks otherwise. And guess what, there are many who walk otherwise.
Verse 18,
“Many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.”
Description of the Enemies
Now, I don’t know if there is a more terrifying title in all the universe than, “enemy of the cross of Christ.” I mean just let it sink in for a moment. To be an enemy of the cross of Christ is to be one who is against Christ, fails to benefit from the cross of Christ, who refuses to walk in the manner of the cross of Christ, who looks at Christ upon the cross and shakes his fist and picks up stones. I don’t think you can over-estimate the terror of being called an enemy of the cross of Christ. And Paul says, there are many of them.
What are these enemies like? Well, for one, their mind is set on earthly things. You see that at the very end of verse 19? Their “mind is set on earthly things.” It’s a contrast to a mind that, 3:14, “presses on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God.” Upward call of God. Here, instead, is a mind focused on earthly things.
Paul says that the mind set on earthly things turns one’s eyes from the God of the universe to the god of their own appetites. See, middle of verse 19, “Their god is their belly.” What exactly is meant by “belly” is a bit unclear, but its certainly operating somewhere in the realm of fleshly appetites. Could be sexual. Could be food and drink. Could be ease and comfort. “It’s this earthly stuff. It’s the things I can get here. That’s what I worship. That’s what I adore. That’s what I think about and want more of.” Jesus is not their God. They are their god.
And, “they glory in their shame”, again, middle of verse 19. They glory in their shame. The things of which they will, in the end, be ashamed. Might not necessarily be inherently sinful things or actions. It could also be good things, but practiced for the sake of self-righteousness. See good things become bad things when we say of them, “This is what makes me righteous.”
The point is that these people are heaping things up today, that will, in the end, be forgotten. Count for nothing. They’ll either go up in smoke or be given to another — either way, in the end, they will stand before God, with only ashes around them. Ashes of what they once called glorious. Ashes of what they once looked to and said, “this can save me.” Glory turns to shame.
Which brings us to the last descriptor here in verse 19. Where is their so-called glory bringing them? Where is the mind set on earthly things leading them? What is the final end for all who turn from Jesus and bow down instead to their own fleshly cravings? Destruction. Their end, verse 19, is destruction.
And see here’s what’s crazy. They’re walking as enemies of the cross. Their end is destruction. Paul says, verse 18, he is weeping about the disaster that is their life, the disaster that is their end. And yet, today, we catch ourselves envying them.
We see them on the cover of magazines and envy them. We see ‘em in movies and shows and commercials, and envy them. We hear them in the songs they sing, the podcasts they produce, and we envy them.
Man, I remember in college watching those shows that take a look at the normal day in the life of a famous athlete. You know what I’m talking about? And you know what watching those shows began to do to me? They began to shift in me the location of where I thought life was found. I began to see the really nice houses, super expensive cars, total freedom to focus only on themselves and do whatever it was that they wanted all day every day. And I began to hear a little voice inside me saying, “Hey, maybe this is where life is found. Maybe I ought to set my mind on these things.”
Is there anyone on your social media feed who you look at that way? Anyone in the shows you watch? Anyone at your work place? Your neighborhood? Maybe even your own family? Has it began shifting in you the location of where you think life is found? Have you begun imitating them in any way?
Like, when you see them pursuing only selfish interests, do you begin pursuing only selfish interests? When they begin to justify sexual sin, do you begin to justify sexual sin? When they make excuses for sloth and greed, do you begin to make excuses for sloth and greed? When you see them treat their spouse unkindly, or their children like they don’t matter, or their body like it is their own and they can do with it what they want, what then? When they live as if Jesus is dead, and Hell is fake, and all roads lead to heaven, and god really doesn’t expect much from of us — he’s just happy we acknowledge him every once and a while. What then?
There are those who are, right now, walking as enemies of the cross. And there are those who like Timothy, and Epaphroditus and a billion of others from throughout the history of the church who have walked or are walking, right now, according to the example of Paul, and ultimately of Jesus. Which are you going to walk after? Which are you already walking after?
Who Will You Imitate?
Paul wanted these Philippians to do the math.
Philippians, you as people, are prone to imitate the people you see, and the people you’re around. Many of the people you see and are around walk as enemies of the cross. You can choose to imitate me and keep your eyes on those who walk accordingly. You could do that. What do you think is most likely going to happen if you don’t?
See how vital it was that these Philippians take up Paul’s call to imitate him? Might it be just as vital for us to do the same today?
Cities Church, we, as people, are prone to imitate the people we see around us. And just as in ancient Philippi, many of whom we see around us today walk as enemies of the cross. We could choose, as a church, to take up Paul’s call to imitate him, and keep our eyes on those who walk accordingly. We could do that. And church, it is essential that we do that.
Here are two ways, and then I’ll close. Two ways to take up Paul’s call to imitate. The first is easier, I think the second, in the long run will be more fruitful.
First: Read Christian biographies. Read people who gave their lives for the cause of God’s glory in the world. Read of Adoniram Judson, Amy Carmichael, William Tyndale, Ellizabeth Elliot, and so many others. Read, and learn how they lived, how they loved, how they sacrificed, how they believed. Get your eyes on them, and imitate.
Second: This takes more effort, but I think it has the bigger payoff in the end. Get time with someone in this room who is further down the road than you in the Christian life. They don’t have to be that much further, just further. Don’t have to be that much older than you, in fact, they may even be younger. Get time with them. Ask them about their habits. Ask them about their relationships. Ask them about fighting sin. Ask them about pursuing true treasure. Get your eyes on them, and imitate.
So much about our lives will, in the end, come down to who we aim to imitate. And by God’s grace, church, we will learn to be a people who imitate well.
Let’s pray.
