June 5, 2000
FAMILY BIBLE SERIES:
Christlikeness is to be sole desire and vision
___Philippians 3:1-21
___By Bubba Stahl
___First Baptist Church, Boerne
___The book of Philippians helps us identify several characteristics of a believer. It is important to remember these characteristics are the image of Christ that God the Father is shaping in us for the world to see.
___The most distinguishing mark of a believer is love. Love defines the other characteristics. Love gives the fruit an unmistakable taste. The fruit of the Spirit is not for us, but for others, in order that they may come to Christ. As we abide in the vine and his word abides in us, we will produce much fruit.
___Persistence is one of those characteristics. Persistence in following Christ means to abide in Christ and to stay focused upon him. In Philippians 3:1-21, Paul reveals how he stayed focused upon the Lord. It is one of the places in the Bible where the old apostle shares his personal testimony and in so doing we are encouraged to be persistent in our walk with Christ.
___In 3:1-11, Paul shares that he came to the point where he persisted in wanting to be like Jesus more than he wanted to be like himself, anyone else or anything else in the world. We say we love Jesus and believe in what he did for us on the cross, but do we really want to be like Jesus more than anything else in this world? What would Jesus do if he were sued, slandered, accused, insulted or cursed? Many of his followers today seem to have strayed from wanting to be like him more than acting out their hurt feelings, holding tightly to material possessions, great institutions and worthy causes, or anything! Verses 8-11 are not very popular in our political, materialistic, religious world.
___In 3:12-16 Paul tells how he came to that point of persistent devotion to Christ. He was able to focus upon "one thing I do" (3:13). He put all the eggs in one basket and then kept his eye on that basket! In our multiple-options world of hundreds of channels and choices, it has become increasingly more difficult to stay focused. The secret for a believer is found in verse 16, "let us live up to what we have already attained." Once we see ourselves as God sees us in Christ, we are then able to see "the goal" and "the prize" to which we have been called. Again, Christ-likeness is to be our one desire and vision.
___We are then encouraged to find examples to follow who have this one desire and focus (3:17-21). We are to judge the fruit of those we are following (Matthew 7:15-23). We are responsible for who we are following. Jesus said their fruit would reveal who or what they are abiding in, focused upon, persistently locked onto. Everything other than Christ is to be avoided, while he alone is to be whom we persistently cling to and desire.
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