Philippians 3
August 11, 2022
“For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.” (v18-21)
The cross is not just God’s means of forgiving us our sins so we can go to Heaven when we die, freeing us to live self-indulgent lives now. No, the cross, rightly understood – will lead to us live surrendered, self-controlled lives now. There were some in the church at Philippi, though, who didn’t want to live that way; they wanted to indulge their every appetite, thinking only about how to squeeze a little more pleasure out of the here and now. In contrast to those who live only for now, who only live to satisfy every craving here on Earth – Paul says, “Our citizenship is in Heaven” (v20). And then he reminds us of Christ’s return, at which time He will transform our bodies so that they can enjoy Him and the New Earth - not just for a few decades - but for all eternity!
Father, I praise You for the hope of an inheritance that can never fade, spoil or perish. Thank you that I can look forward to living forever in a paradise, where my every longing will be perfectly satisfied. Forgive me for buying into the YOLO (You Only Live Once) lie - that I need to try to satisfy my every craving in this life, which is a vain and futile pursuit. Holy Spirit, stamp eternity into both of my eyes - so that I’m not tempted to pursue empty pleasures in this life, but patiently await Your perfect Paradise.
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
