THE WINNING STANCE

Philippians 3:15-21
Bob Bonner
August 17, 2008

For several of his best years in professional baseball, Oral Hershiser was the premier pitcher of all major league baseball. For most of his career, Oral played for the Los Angeles Dodgers. As a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, on and off the field he was a good-natured encourager to those around him. But 24 hours before his turn in the rotation to pitch a game, Oral’s stance and mental attitude would totally change. So focused was he on studying the opposing batters’ weaknesses and tendencies, so zeroed in was he on thinking through his game plan, that he was nicked named “The Bull Dog.” When in the mental grip of game day, nothing could shake his concentration.  He was dialed in. In 1988 he won 23 games and the Cy Young Award, and he broke Don Drysdale's major league record by tossing 59 consecutive scoreless innings, ending with a 10-inning shutout on his final start of the season.

Oral’s focus, attitude, and approach to the game were typical of those who succeed in whatever field of endeavor they step into, whether it be to become a successful businessman, a quality marriage partner, or an effective witness and team player for Jesus Christ. In fact, as we will see in our passage of study this morning, God has called each of us individually as well as corporately to share in this same attitude or determined stance in order to live together successfully to fulfill God’s calling on our lives and to bring honor to our Savior Jesus Christ.

Our passage for this morning builds on the foundation of Paul’s teachings in verses 7-14, which deal with the primary focus of every individual Christian--to know Jesus more intimately. Everything begins with each individual making his knowing Christ better the priority of his life. As we come to know Him better, the obvious result will be two fold: we will be conformed to His image, and we will seek to serve His interests.

Today’s passage of study builds on this theme of knowing Christ. In this section of scripture, Paul’s subject matter moves from one’s individual focus on knowing Christ to the church as a whole functioning as a team or family, working in unison and harmony to fulfill Christ’s purposes. Elsewhere, Paul has instructed us in what those purposes are: to build up each other in our faith and to reach out to the lost. In our passage of study for this morning, 3:15-21, the Apostle Paul makes an appeal to those who are genuine followers of Christ, the local, corporate body of believers. In brief, Paul’s appeal is that the church at Philippi share as a team the same focus, attitude, and determined stance to live out their lives together in harmony to the end goal of serving the purposes of Jesus Christ and of bringing Him honor. Paul’s point in these verses eventually will lead the readers of this letter to the conclusion that if they want to become or remain a healthy team or family of Christians working together for Christ, they must stand firm, committed together in how they chose to live and do ministry together.

If you have been with us during our study of this book, you remember that for some time these Philippian Christians were not standing together working in harmony with one another to reach their world for Christ. Some of them had individually taken their focus off knowing Christ and placed their attention on their own selfish interests. They had become so inflexible, so arrogant and selfish in how they thought ministry should be done, that the church was experiencing strained relationships among its members, and disunity resulted. As a group, rather than following after the example of those humble servants who had built into their lives, men like the Apostle Paul, Timothy, and Epaphroditus, they chose to follow after the example of other arrogant individuals.

Hence, Paul makes an appeal to his dear friends to change their ways.  He wants them to understand that the goal of the team is more important than the individual player’s preferences. Paul wants them to understand that the calling of the church to do the work of Christ was so important, that even personal affronts or hurts brought on by other Christians on the team should be put aside so that they could fulfill God’s calling for their church family. 

In verses 17-21, Paul makes his appeal very specific: they should imitate him and those who served with him in the way they did ministry. He follows up his appeal with explaining that there are typically two types of people in a church: those who are false believers, and those who demonstrate that they are true followers of Christ. Those true followers of Christ are revealed by their putting aside personal interests for the betterment of the ministry of the church. He goes on to give indicators of how you can discern the difference between a false or genuine believer. His point in doing so is to show that they have a choice: are they going to play the game like false believers, interested in themselves, or are they going to play like genuine believers who are team players, committed to fulfilling Christ’s purposes? 

With that as an introduction, let’s read our passage first and then examine Paul’s thoughts more closely. Beginning with 3:15, Paul writes:

Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if

in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also

to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to

which we have attained. 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.

As we can tell from his words in verse 15, Paul specifically addresses these words to those Christians who consider themselves to be “perfect,” or probably better translated, those who consider themselves to be spiritually “mature”, who have grown as far as one can for the moment, but realize that there is still room to grow and are ready for the next step. This is rather like a “perfect” 8 year-old child who is at the right stage of physical, emotional, and intellectual maturity for his age bracket, but is still maturing toward adulthood. It is quite the sign of maturity when an individual, like the Apostle Paul, can admit that after years of following after Christ, he has yet to reach full spiritual maturity. But remaining humble and teachable, he is ready for the next step which will lead him to greater spiritual maturity.

In contrast to the maturing Apostle are the immature, the arrogant, those who struggle with new or non-traditional ideas, those who stand against correction, or those who do not remain teachable. In ministry, I have witnessed numerous individuals who have had 10 years of ministry under their belts and think they know it all, when they barely have a clue. It’s okay not to know it all or not to have had the experience to see different approaches. But it is pure arrogance and immaturity to not remain teachable. 

Ironically, the immature rarely see their own immaturity. They can quickly point out areas of needed growth in others, all the while pseudo-humbly (which means with no true humility) admitting that they have not arrived yet. Typically, the immature believer demonstrates his/her immaturity by their talking a great deal and listening very little. 

As Paul addresses the mature in verse 15, he tells them to have or maintain “this attitude.” Which attitude? It has been the same attitude or determined stance or approach to ministering together that he has been talking about ever since 1:26. That is the personal stance of humility which is Christ-centered and is committed to accomplishing His purposes. It is the stance of being of the same mind about the goal of ministry—the progress of the gospel. Keeping their corporate mind on the same goal enables the group to work together in harmony with an attitude that doesn’t always demand that one’s personal preferences or convictions be followed by everyone.

Notice how Paul ends verse 15. He is not going to demand or force his readers to agree with everything he has said. He accepts the fact that not all will see eye to eye with him on all matters. He is not going to arrogantly say to them, “My way or the highway.” Instead, he says, “If any of you see that your approach to ministry together should be different than what I have just written about, I’ll leave it up to God to show you otherwise. I’m not writing these things to you to argue with you.” By stating it this way, Paul is humbly offering them his unconditional friendship. They may agree to disagree with him at points, and if any area of disagreement really matters, he trusts God to bring them up to speed.

“However,” Paul goes on to say, in other words, “whether you agree with me or not, let us keep living by that same standard.” The word for “keep living” is a military term describing people who are marching in the same line, headed toward the same goal. And that goal, which was given back in 1:26, is the progress of the gospel. And the progress of the gospel has two points to it: One point is the reaching of the lost. The other is the building up of the believers.

Understanding the potential for people who are headed for the same goal to encounter disagreements along the way, Paul reminds them again, in verse 16, to “keep the same standard.” Namely, that standard is being committed to humbly working together with one mind to the further progress of the gospel. This was what they had successfully attained or accomplished in the past, but now, due to disunity, were failing at.

Being committed to the same standard, the same goal, means that when working with one another, we will at times find our feelings hurt, and when that happens we must be willing to take the hit for the greater goal, the success of the gospel. It means being willing to suffer long with one another so that we give each other a chance to grow up, and as well being willing to allow for a chance for the gospel to take root in the lives of others who are watching us. It means that when we get hurt along the way, we look at one another not as the enemy, but as good-intentioned, good-willed fellow believers who sometimes make mistakes or hurt others. It means also that we realize we are sometimes called to endure misunderstandings.

Notice Paul’s emphasis of “Let us . . .” Living the Christian life requires a mutual effort, not a solo mission. That’s one of the reasons we encourage you to become a part of one of our small ReDi groups. Through these groups we help each other work through difficulties and through tough discipleship moments in our lives that are necessary if we are going to progress in the faith.

Finally, in verse 17, Paul comes to the heart of his appeal. He says, “Brethren, join in following my example, [or as the NIV more accurately states Paul’s intent, “Join with others in following my example”] and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.” The walk of the believer must always be a walk with, and therefore in harmony with, other Christians. You were never meant to grow up in Christ solo. You grow while being connected to others. Remember 1 Corinthians 12:21? “The eye can’t say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you;’ or again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’” Paul was forced to learn at the feet of Barnabas and others that he could not grow up in the faith all by himself. He needed the partnership of the rest of the body.

Having personally learned this, Paul appeals to the Philippians for the third time to “imitate me,” “imitate my approach to ministry with others.”  And if you study the context of the two previous times he calls them to follow his example, in 1:30 and 2:18, they both occur in the context of Paul’s willingly choosing to accept the hurt and the hits from other Christians in the ministry. In chapter one, he willfully took the hits, the unjust attacks of fellow Christians, rather than striking back, because what was most important is that the gospel of Christ be proclaimed (verse 18). Paul modeled for us that it is better to suffer for Christ than to take one’s proverbial ball and go home or to strike back when another Christian in your church family hurts you or makes life more difficult for you.

Paul is so intent that his readers get the picture that we are called as a community, not individuals, to serve Christ, that he invents a new word-- “fellow-imitators.” Nowhere else in Greek literature is this word used.  It combines the meaning of being in fellowship with another person and the meaning of becoming like Paul in the way one does ministry. And quickly Paul adds that they should observe closely those around Paul in order to emulate them, who like Paul, humbly continue to serve together, even when hurt by fellow Christians. And I believe that here, Paul has in mind those two disciples who have been with him, and of whom he spoke at the end of chapter two, Timothy and Epaphroditus, two men with whom they are very familiar.

It troubles some that Paul uses himself as an example for the Philippians to follow. At first glance, it seems like a proud and boastful thing. However, we won’t stumble at this point if we keep a few things in mind. First, Paul tells the Philippians to follow him only after candidly confessing he was far from perfect in verse 12. Secondly, Paul has already told the Philippians that their chief example in all things is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (2:5). The fact he now tells them to follow him means he is here repeating what he said to the Corinthians, “Be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1).

To clarify why he said in verse 17 to observe how others have chosen to live for Christ, Paul takes the remainder of the paragraph to show the Philippians their two options of people to emulate. The first option is not a very good choice. Those who choose to take this option reveal by their lifestyle and unabashed actions that they are anything but followers of Christ. They are false believers. Of these people he writes: 

     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.

Apparently, from the beginning of his ministry with these Christians at Philippi, Paul has warned them, as he did the Ephesian believers in Acts 20, that they would have false believers in their church fellowship, claiming to follow after Christ but actually deceiving. These people were not saved. And because they were not saved but thought they were, Paul was deeply grieved for these individuals. Nonetheless, he speaks the truth about them: “They are enemies of the cross.” He proceeds to give us four indicators of such people.

First, he declares that if these people continue to choose to live this way, their end will be their own destruction, literally eternal damnation. But “destruction” is not limited to just eternal damnation; it also points to the present effects of their choices upon their earthly lives and relationships with others.

Secondly, Paul states that their “god is their appetite.” That word for appetite literally is the word for “stomach.” This word is used metaphorically to refer to all unrestrained physical appetites and desires. This would include not just the sensual but also the inability to control how much and what is eaten or drunk. It would include the inability to control the desire for the “rush” one feels when dangerously pushed beyond physical limitations in a sport or activity. Motyer put it this way: “Their god is their belly; they recognize no need and no authority outside of personal satisfaction. Their appetites dictate their lives.”

A third indicator of one being a false believer is that they “glory in their shame.” To glory in something is just another way of saying that you delight in it. Hence, they delight in their shame. Their moral values are so reversed and confused, they actually will boast of things that they should be ashamed of. They boast of how much liquor they can consume. They boast of their sexual conquests. They proclaim that perversion is normal and even desirable. They delight in the slaughter of innocent unborn children. There is no shame in their actions. Speak of these things as not being good in their presence and they will condemn you for being a religious fanatic, cruel, intolerant, and unfeeling.

The last indicator of the false believer that Paul mentions here is that of their perspective which frames the focus of their attention. “They set their minds on earthly things.” In other words, their perspective is founded upon that which is temporal and earthly. What God demands is really of little consequence to them. The spiritual takes a back seat to the physical. They live for today, without concern for the future earthly or eternal consequences. 

It never ceases to amaze me how many people claim to be followers of Christ and then call me on the phone to ask me if I will marry them. When I ask why they want me to marry them, their response is that they want God to be a part of their wedding. When I ask them, “Does that mean you want God’s blessing on your marriage?”, they say “Yes.” When we talk further, I soon discover that they are living together, knowing full well that God forbids this before marriage. In addition, I often find that they have chosen to marry someone who has no commitment to follow Christ. Just recently, I had one of these individuals ask me to perform their wedding to someone whose spiritual background is a cult. These types of choices reveal their true interests, and that their mind set is really not to honor God. Their mind set is really not one which holds the spiritual as more of a priority than the physical or earthly. Their mind set is not on the eternal, but the temporal. Ultimately, all they are after is undisciplined self-indulgence. And like Paul, it grieves me to see their determination to do the wrong and non-profitable thing. 

Paul says to these Philippians, and the Spirit of God says to us, “Look, you can choose to live like a false believer, one who goes to church but knowingly chooses to ignore God’s directives, or you can take the second option.” And he gives us that option in verses 20-21. This option is the one taken by those who are genuine believers. This option is the one chosen by those who seek first the heavenly “prize” of knowing Christ, becoming like Him and serving His purposes. This option is for those who are committed to grow in grace in community with others, understanding that they will experience some hurts and discomforts along the way. Paul states:

     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.”

This second option is the one that Paul and the others on his ministry team chose as they worked together successfully for the gospel, and he hopes that the Philippians will choose it as well. It is to follow Paul’s example to live with an eager but patient eye, looking forward to Christ’s return. In other words, we stay busy about the Master’s work, the progress of the Gospel, knowingly anticipating that any moment He could return to take us home. This focus on Christ’s coming forces our perspective to remain on the eternal and thus dictates how we make our choices today. We realize that we are aliens, temporarily living here on earth. But our final and eternal home, our citizenship, does not belong here on earth but in heaven. That is not a pipedream for the believer; it is his hope, his assurance, his reality. And he confidently lives today with that in mind.

Furthermore, we live today realizing that one day Jesus Christ will “transform” our physical bodies, that is our outward appearance, to take on the same appearance that Jesus took on when He was in His resurrected body. It will be a physical body that can eat, drink, endure space travel, move through walls, and yet no longer be able to sin. And he will do this by the same resurrection power that enabled Him to raise Himself up from the dead, a power that will defy all of His previously made natural laws.

Also, just for fun, note how Paul labels our earthly bodies. Literally, the Greek says, “the body of our humiliation.” It describes the fallenness, the weakness, the corruptibility, the mortality of everyone. It’s humiliating to experience our physical limitations at times. It’s humiliating at 58 to have to hand a tightly sealed jar to my adult son and ask, “Can you get this open?” I have blisters on my hands from trying to take the cap off, and he pops off the lid with no problem! 

That’s what’s meant by “the body of our humiliation.” That’s the bad news. The great news is that we get to trade it in on a new, perfect, everlasting model, handcrafted by the Son of God, guaranteed to please the possessor. No need to sit and compare your new resurrection nose with someone else’s, wishing yours were different! You will be perfectly made, ready to enjoy serving Christ with no distractions!

So where does that leave us right now? What do Paul’s words cause us to stop and consider? First, are we genuine believers in Christ? Have we truly committed our lives to Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord? What is the evidence from your life, from your choices, that reveal you are a genuine follower of Christ?

Secondly, as the Apostle Paul admitted, although he was spiritually mature, he too still had room to grow in knowing Christ and in becoming more like Him. We must also recognize that none of us has arrived, and we all still have room to grow. But sometimes that is hard to know where it is that we need to become more like Christ. One good place to begin is to ask those closest to you, those in your ReDi group or some other small group or ministry partner, “Where do I need to reveal Christ-likeness as a team player? Where is it that I become a distraction rather than a help to this church’s goal of furthering the progress of the Gospel?” Do you see areas of impatience with others or more of a focus upon personal interests that leads to discord rather than harmony? Realizing that even constructive criticism is painful, finish off asking someone closest to you, “Where have you seen me encourage harmony and put my interests aside for the progress of the Gospel?”

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