“For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.  Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.  But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ . . .”

–Philippians 3:18-20 (esv)

“If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.”

–1 Corinthians 15:19

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.  Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

–Philippians 3:7-11 (esv)

Enemies of the Cross of Christ.  Their end is destruction—hell.  Their god is their belly—they are gluttonous, greedy.  They glory in their shame—they boast in their sin, they boast of their works; yet even the good, the best of their boast is but “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6) before a holy and righteous and awesome God.  Their minds are set on earthly things.

I read these verses, and this may sound harsh, but I thought to myself that the American church must be an enemy of the Cross of Christ.  And I feared that I sometimes am.

Here in America, religion and faith is something we too often pursue to become a better person, to get wealthy (as the TV evangelist promises we will), to live our best lives now, to find safety and comfort.  We “believe” and “follow Jesus” because doing so is the latest fix-all for life’s many problems. 

This sounds very different from Paul’s description of the believer’s walk, the follower of Jesus’ goals.  According to Paul, unbelievers shouldn’t be looking at us and saying to themselves, “That person really has it together—I guess religion did them some good!  What’s the harm in them believing in God, anyway?” but rather should pity us more than all men if our God is not real.  More than all men?  Yes!

The first century Christians lived a life of faith.  Christians in China, in Africa, in Muslim countries where believing and preaching the Gospel is illegal live by faith today.  Why be tortured, boiled in oil, flogged, crucified, sawn asunder, burned alive?  Why sell all and give to the poor?  Why leave all you have, be shunned by your family and hated by your friends, to share what turned everyone against you—and call it “Good News”?  Why love and sacrifice until it hurts, until it costs you your life?  Why?  If it all be for nothing . . . they are all crazy!

They live in a way that makes sense to no one unless our God is real.  They live differently than they would were there not a God, were Heaven not real, were Jesus not returning soon, were the Bible just an old book of unusual conceptions and high ideals, and did Jesus not command them to “go and make disciples of all nations.”  Christians—people who believe everything God says to us in the Bible, people who really follow after Jesus by taking up their cross and walking in His Footsteps—live differently.  Do you?

Paul sought to know God—to fellowship with Him in His sufferings, to become like Him even in His death.  Do you seek to know God?  Do you really seek to know God?  Do you seek to know Him in such ways that it infringes on your safety and comfort?  Do you ask to know His Heart in every situation? 

Do you live in such a way that you experience what He experienced: Do you leave your comparatively rich, blessed place in life to minister to those in need as He left Heaven to minister to us in our need?  Do you humble yourself to become a servant as He humbled Himself to wash the disciples’ feet?  Do you speak the full truth with passionate conviction when it may cause people to see you differently or dislike you as He spoke the truth for you even unto being crucified?  Do you lay down your life and do you love?

Oh, let us not be enemies of the Cross of Christ!  Let our end not be destruction, but our hope—Heaven, God’s Presence; let our god not be our belly—let us be giving and ever seeking to benefit others and to not live for ourselves; let our glory not be in our shame—let us boast only in Christ’s Work at the Cross and His Righteousness; let our minds not be set on earthly things, but on eternal things;let us venture all on Christ—like those who came before and those who are hurried into eternity by martyrs’ deaths today, like those who without any recognition or with much recognition truly leave all to follow Jesus . . . let us be so crazy as to live differently—Biblically.

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.  But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.  Only let us hold true to what we have attained.”

–Philippians 3:12-16 (esv)


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