Heavenly Citizens: Home, Not Holding

This summer, you have been walking through the letter to the Philippians where you’re considering what it means to live as citizens of Heaven in the here and now. The letter of Philippians is perhaps the most personal and encouraging letter that Paul wrote. Over and over again Paul is reminding the Philippians of the present joy that comes from belonging to Christ; to being a citizen of heaven (16x joy/rejoicing). In fact in 3:1 he even says, “Rejoice in the Lord. To write the same thing to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.” 

It’s as if Paul knows how easy it is to forget the joy of being a citizen of heaven. And we are no different than those first century Philippians. We too can lose sight of the joys of living for Heaven – our true Home – because we’re holding on to here. And here’s the deal, whatever holds our attention determines our direction. I just returned from 2 weeks in the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming and amazed how quickly I can convince myself that I should uproot my family and move to the mountains because it feels so heavenly. Then my wife reminds me that 8 months out of the year they’re under 20 feet of snow – not so heavenly. 

We all have our little ‘h’ heavens that distract our attention from the true and better Heaven. And whatever holds our attention determines our direction. 

• Maybe it’s a certain amount of money that holds your attention. Do you find yourself daydreaming about how much better life would be if you had $$? Is your grip on cash loose when it comes to dining out and entertainment, but tight when it comes to giving? Do you look for jobs based only on making more money? 
• Praise and adoration, so I’m only motivated to work hard when I’m being watched. Willing to make jokes at the expense of others b/c it gets you the most laughs. Find my mood goes up or down based on likes or views. 

We’re all vulnerable to our attention being held by these little ‘h’ heavens. And the problem is they let us down. So we need a way to reorient our attention. To live for our Eternal Home without holding on to this temporary home.

This is where the text today will help us. Philippians 3:17–4:1, Paul is going to give us two ways to stand firm as citizens of heaven in a world of distraction. 

Let’s read the text and then unpack what it would have for us…

3:17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. 

4:1 Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.

The first way Paul shows us to stand firm as citizens of Heaven is to keep our eyes on living examples. See 3:17-19…

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.

Now what Paul is not doing here is demanding that we blindly follow him or others who are in positions of church authority. Notice it’s an invitation to carefully examine the lives of those around you  – “join in…keep your eyes on…” Paul presents a contrast; two different types of people that can capture our attention: Examples of Christ and Enemies of Christ.  So, let’s briefly consider the differences…

• • Examples do what’s peculiar vs. Enemies do what’s popular. 
    • The examples Paul likely had in mind here were himself (“imitate me”), Timothy, Epaphroditus, Lydia. Consider some of the peculiar things they did: Paul devoted his life to touring the Mediterranean not for great selfies on the beach, but to proclaim the gospel and build up churches; Timothy was young, inexperienced & anxiety ridden but courageously stepped up to lead when no one else would; Epaphroditus might not have been most popular/liked (Paul had to encourage Phil to embrace him) but he used his vacation time to get resources to Paul ; Lydia leveraged her influence as a successful business woman to attract others to this new church being hosted in her home. 
    • But then you have these enemies of Christ who Paul says, their end is destruction. This word ‘destruction’ is the same word Jesus used in  Matt 7:13 Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. In other words, it’s easy and popular to reject the ways of Christ but hard and peculiar to follow the ways of Christ. 

• Suffer for doing good vs. suffer for feeling good. 

• • Consider some of the suffering: Paul was persecuted multiple times for preaching Christ; Timothy faced ridicule and criticism; Epaphroditus nearly lost his life to bring Paul a donation from the Philippians; Lydia may have risked her reputation & business deals for hosting a church. Clearly these were people willing to suffer in the here and now because they were holding onto something better. 
  • Then you have the enemies whose ‘god is their belly.’ In other words, their lives are ruled by their appetites and whatever feels good they’re willing to suffer for it. Illus.  Hot dog eating contest, 15x winner Joey Chestnut, gorging self with 63 hot dogs, training self to shut off gag reflex for a moment of popularity. Silly example, but oh how easy it is for our attention to be captivated by what feels good. As Thomas Cranmer, author of the first book of common prayer once said, “Whatever the heart loves, the mind justifies, and will chooses.” 
• Examples give attention to God vs. Enemies crave attention for self. 
  • Someone recently pointed out to me that if you look at how Paul introduces himself in his letters, that he moves from identifying himself as Paul the apostle to Paul the bondservant of Christ.  Here was a guy who held more and more to his heavenly identity so he could loosen his hold on his earthly identity. Less attention from himself & more attention to God.
  • Opposed to the enemies who “glory in their shame.” We don’t know exactly what they were doing, but we can assume that their behavior would have been culturally taboo.  In other words, they crave attention so much that they’re willing to do even what is shameful. 

Friends, as we contrast these Godly examples with Godly enemies, it’s easy to fall into the trap of ‘us’ vs. ‘them’; to cultivate a false righteousness by finding ways that I’m not like those people. But notice that Paul gives us this description with “tears” in his eyes. Why, because these were real people just like you and I, desperately searching for life apart from a Savior. These aren’t people we need to avoid, but people who need Godly examples to show them the peculiar ways of God’s Kingdom by serving them and drawing their attention to Christ. 

You & I we’re no different. Consider right now, the examples in your life who showed you the way of Christ. Who are the people who have reoriented your attention to your Heavenly identity and spurred you on to live that out? Before the end of the day, give them a call or send them a text to thank them for being a living example for you. 

Paul ends this section of the letter in 4:1 with the encouragement to stand firm in the Lord. But if all we have are earthly examples, what do we do when we fall short of those examples?  Or even worse, what do we do when those we hold up as examples fall short?  We need more than living examples, we need living power. Our eyes should not remain fixed on the exemplary person, but on the power behind the person. 

The second way Paul gives us to stand firm as citizens of Heaven is to keep our feet on living power. Look at 3:20-21…

3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. 

Paul clarifies for us here what makes these living examples so exemplary by drawing our attention to the power behind their exemplary lives. It’s not that they just outworked everyone else or had more credentials or privilege than the rest of us – Paul settled that in the earlier part of chapter 3. But what made their lives worthy of imitating is the power that lived in them; the power that lives in you Christian. The power of a risen and returning King. 

Last week, my 12 year old son was giddy about shooting fireworks and failed to recognize their power. In same way, we too can forget the power that gives us our identity as citizens of Heaven. Like my son, we often need to be awakened to the living power of Christ. And this is what Paul does here. The Greek word “citizen” occurs only one other time in NT and it’s in this letter, 1:27 where the phrase “manner of life worthy of the gospel” is actually the verb form of “citizen.” And it’s from this citizenship that we await a Savior who has power to transform what is lowly to be glorious. In other words, we stand in a living power with living implications. 

When we’re not peculiar, He is perfect – Jesus’ death and resurrection paid for my sin and offered me new life. IMPLICATION: My end is not ‘destruction’ or condemnation but fullness of life and justification. God no longer sees me as an enemy, but as His son or daughter. 

When we’re suffering, He suffers with us – Jesus was fully human and experienced every form of suffering and temptation the world has known, yet did not sin. IMPLICATION:  Everytime you’re changing those diapers and no one notices, Jesus knows what it’s like to be looked over for doing good. Every time you battle that temptation that feels impossible to bear, Jesus

When we fail to give full attention to God, He will return as King – Jesus will return as He’s promised to transform our broken bodies to be like his glorious body; to restore all that is broken and unjust. IMPLICATION: That vengeance I want for the one who did me harm, I can release to a God who is perfectly just and merciful who will set all things right. That weariness I feel for serving, giving and pouring out, is seen and will be rewarded with lasting joy.  

I’ll end with this quote from Charles Spurgeon commenting on the power of standing firm in Christ from this passage…

• “This expression is very short, but very full. “In Christ.” Does it not mean that we are in Christ as the birds are in the air which buoys them up, and enables them to fly? Are we not in Christ as the fish are in the sea? Our Lord has become our element, vital, and all surrounding. In him we live, and move, and have our being. He is in us, and we are in him. We are filled with all the fullness of God, because in Christ doth all fullness dwell, and we dwell in him. Christ to us is all; he is in all; and he is all in all! Jesus to us is everything in everything. Without him we can do nothing, and we are nothing. Thus are we emphatically in him. If you have reached this point, “stand fast” in it.” 

May we be a people who stand in this living power of Christ so that we might be living examples to one another and the world around us.