Life-Style Change

"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." Philippians 3:18-21 TNIV

This passage of Scripture needs to be read as a unit. It has much to "unpack" so it will take us several posts, but we need all of it in its context.

Paul is warning these dear ones about not slipping back into a worldly way of life. Our way of living is begun in our mind with our heart's desires. Whatever motivates us there defines our placement.

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you have died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4 TNIV

These two passages make it very clear that where our mind  goes - our heart goes; where our heart goes - our life goes. So the instruction and the encouragement is - because we belong to the Kingdom of God, then let's think with the Lord, so our life will reflect that thinking. The caution is against immediate self-gratification.

Our way of living, regardless of where we live on this globe, is determined  by our thinking processes. The person who lives as an enemy of the cross (notice that it does not say, "enemy of Christ" as this is addressed to Christians) is a Christian who refuses to deny their own immediate desires. They take, take and take, but never learn to wait on the Lord's movement in their lives. They choose to spend, eat, drug out, drink out, indulge in relationships inappropriate in the Kingdom, etc.... It has many names, but it is the same lack of willingness to be a part of the fellowship of the sufferings mentioned in verse 10 of this same passage in Philippians. It is the action of not working out our own salvation in fear and trembling knowing that it is Christ in us both to will and to work. It is independent thinking and satisfying our own needs immediately.

This "enemy of the cross" status is a demonstration of a lack of willingness to allow the Lord to discipline and instruct. In typing all this out, I know all of us have guilt here. This post is not about trying to make us guilty. It is instead a look at what the Lord has for us - way beyond the drudgery of trying to get our own needs met. He has a way of living in Him that is releasing and filling. It is embracing and being embraced.

It is a matter of faith. Faith waits. Faith trusts. Faith is willing to "think with" instead of the "me" attitude of immediate self-gratification. Faith is how we see in Him, how we feel in Him and how we live in Him. Enemies of the cross are not living in faith at all, but living to please themselves.

Those of us who live this way, either do so in ignorance of this passage or we simply have not been willing to allow our Lord Jesus to become our primary relationship and source. As a citizen of heaven, there are some outstanding benefits for our life. They are only discovered in a willing faith walk. So may we hear this truth and begin to be willing to process in Him the life-style of His Kingdom. It's benefits are far beyond the benefits of immediate self-gratification in every way.