"Living Up to Our Salvation"

Scripture: Philippians 3:15-21

Last week, we ended with Paul’s thought that Jesus had “taken hold” of him to both bring perfection into his life and to use him for some divine purpose. (3:12-13) But even in recognizing Christ’s hold on him, he also confesses that he hadn’t yet arrived in the place where the Lord ultimately wanted him to be, but he wasn’t giving up – he would “press on toward the goal”. (3:14-15)

Personally, I give Paul a lot of credit for readily admitting this to the Philippians. His letter was one of encouragement and thanksgiving, and even in doing so, he confesses that he himself still has a long way to go in his faith walk! Have you ever wondered how the church accepted this information? After all, Paul had founded this church years ago, and the people saw him as a marvelous example of what Christian faith should be about! Where would Paul take this thought, and would it serve to encourage them, or discourage them?

Read Philippians 3:15-16

Paul takes the high road, and tells the people that everyone – both mature Christians and those new to the faith – need to understand that attaining perfection in following Jesus is an excellent goal for life, but that they will never attain it. And when you have a difference in understand with a brother or sister, let God work it out, and don’t come to blows with each other! Just live your life as though you truly honor the Lord for the faith that you have received. This, he says, is the mark of Christian maturity.

So what does Christian Maturity look like, if not perfection? Apparently, Paul thinks that maturity in faith is anything but perfection! It is more of an attitude regarding what your faith needs to be – that none of us is perfect, and that we are all still in the place of discovering just what Jesus does needs from us.
In this, Paul may very well have been addressing a concern that some of the earliest converts to Jesus Way were not treating the newer converts with respect. Have you ever known someone who thought that since they had held a particular position for many years, that they should continue to hold it – that they were the only ones who could do it “right”? Have you ever known someone who made others feel inferior because they had “seniority” in the church? Have you ever known someone who used their family’s longevity in a congregation as the means to get others to follow their lead?

It’s very possible that the Philippians were experiencing similar issues. And Paul wanted them to know that everyone, including him, still had a long way to go in faith. And his statement in verse 6, I believe, is intended to make them think humbly about how much they had already received from Almighty God, and not how great these gifts had made them! He would have us understand that no matter who we are, we are to use the gifts and graces that God has already given us, regardless of whether we have been in the church for 3 months or 30 years!

James 3:13 also addresses this very issue. He writes that we should demonstrate our wisdom in faith by how we live our life, by those things we offer to others in humility as servants, and not as great and learned leaders!

Read Philippians 3:17-19

Who are we to follow as Christian examples? Not those who “lord” it over others, not those who choose to tell everyone just how important and vital they are to the church, not those who are arrogant in faith, but rather those who quietly go about following the Lord and humbly doing what he calls them to do and be. And just because Paul offers his own life as a standard for Christian living does not imply that he has lost his humility! From the very moment that he met the living Christ on his way to Damascus, Paul lost all of his arrogance, his self-serving attitude, his “I’m better than you, so you had better do it my way” approach to faith. Paul offers them, and us, his entire life in Christ as an example in modest and unpretentious living.
The apostle sought nothing for himself. Not sustenance, not wealth, not position, not admiration. Since Jesus came into his life, Paul gave it all – ALL – to the Lord, and kept nothing for himself. Perhaps his words should be understood more as “follow my example of imitating Christ”, and not as “Imitate me”.

And that is the epitome of what it means to be a Christian leader. Leadership in the church is not about being the one who everyone looks to for guidance, it is not someone who holds a church office or position, it is not about gaining glory and prestige for ourselves – it’s about pointing the way to the true source of wisdom and power, that which resides in Almighty God alone, and it’s about bringing honor and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ!
Back in verse 16, Paul writes that we are to “live up to what we have already attained.” But how can we possibly live up to the gift of salvation and eternal life in Christ Jesus? That is a gift that is so far beyond our understanding, so far beyond our will, that we will never be able to live up to it! About all that we can do is to do our level best to follow Jesus’ steps throughout this life and into the next. And quite honestly, that is all that he expects from us – our best.

And Paul cautions us that many do not give their best. Some commentaries say that verses 18 and 19 are about those who refuse to give up their former Jewish practices. But I think that he is addressing a much greater issue than dependence on ritual – I believe that he is calling out those who are only half-hearted in their faith. They are focused on “feeding themselves” through faith – attempting to make themselves look better to others, and not in lifting others up higher than they themselves already are. They are focused on gaining glory for themselves instead of gaining glory for the Lord. He says that “Their mind is on earthly things”, on the ways of earth, instead of the ways of heaven.
An important caveat for all of us to consider in our own lives!

Read Philippians 3:20-21

Those “enemies of the Cross of Christ” still hold on to their worldly life, but Paul is encouraging those in the church to relinquish it in favor of a new “citizenship in heaven”. What does the issue of citizenship mean to each of us? Citizens of the United States have a number of privileges and obligations, such as voting for our leadership, ensuring the freedom of thought and life for others, living within the laws of our nation, and so on. But as a citizen of heaven, we have but one obligation, and that is to lift the name of Jesus up to the world and to bring honor and glory to only that name. For the people of Philippi, who were in all probability citizens of Rome, they had to live under pressure from their government officials, as well as in faith. But remember Jesus’ words to the Pharisees when they asked the question about obedience to Rome and God? “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s”. (Matthew 22:15-22) We are to be obedient to both our national government and its laws, as well as obedient to God’s ways, which may mean that we must accept the world’s hostility and condemnation when we choose to follow God’s law instead of their expectations and understanding. So be it.

But that is what comes from “living up to our salvation”. It is God who has transformed our lives to be in his image, and the power of earth brings us nothing that is even close to being comparable. It is God who promises us eternal life, and earth that gives no such promise. It is God in Christ who will come to our rescue to raise us up to his level, while the power of earth, even in the name of freedom, can only hold us down. While it is true that both of these powers, that of earth and that of the Lord, want to transform us into their own image, it is only the power of God that will do this to our benefit and not its own.

“Living up to what we have already attained” is not an easy prospect for any of us, and the reason is that we only have a partial understanding of what we have already gained! But we have some fine examples before us to help us to understand and live in that way. Paul, Timothy, Peter, and many others throughout scripture show us what it means to live and strive, even in our struggle, to bring honor to God through our faithful lives.
Will any of us ever fully live up to our salvation? No, not even close, but giving our best, our all, is all that our Almighty and Glorious Savior asks of us.
No more than that, but no less either.