We will now turn to Phil. 3:1717Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (Philippians 3:17)—21: “Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.” Paul had been attracted to Christ in heavenly glory. He longed for the resurrection from among the dead, when he knew he should be perfect; that is, conformed to the glorified Christ. All else was as dung to him. He calls on the whole assembly at Philippi to be thus minded, and be followers of him. (“For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ; whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame; who mind earthly things.”) He does not say. There are many such amongst you, the assembly, at Philippi, but with weeping he tells of such as had already come in amongst the general professors of Christianity. Neither do these seem to have been guilty of such sins as would have subjected them to discipline. What had they done? By their walk, minding (setting their hearts on) earthly things, they had denied all real identification with the cross of Christ. Now this minding earthly things, proved they were not Christians at all; for their end is destruction—yea, they are enemies of the cross of Christ.
What a searching word for our hearts. One man may say, “May I not set this aside, and mind earthly things, and possess as much of the world as I can get?” No; remember it is written, “whose end is destruction.” Others may say, “May we not mind earthly things, and sit in the world’s parliament?” And professors may say, “May we not mind earthly things, and take part in the world’s politics? Are we not members of its commonwealth?” And thousands more may sky, “May we not set our hearts on the acquisition of wealth?” God tells us all such are the enemies of the cross of Christ. “Whose end is destruction.” Do we believe God? And if we do not, will that alter the fact, “whose end is destruction?”
If such be the case, (and can any deny it?) then what is the mark of true holiness? And what marks those who really are true Christians? Let us hear the apostle: “For our conversation [commonwealth] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” It is a remarkable fact, that, not until the sanctifying hope of the Lord’s return had been practically lost—yea, for the first three centuries—there is not a single fact on record to show that true Christians ever took part in earthly politics. All true Christians acted on this principle of heavenly citizenship.
Failure there was, but the true heavenly character of the Christian was not denied as now. And it is no less remarkable, that the revival of the great and blessed truth of the coming of the Lord in these days, has been accompanied with the felt need of holy separation from the world. Beloved reader, if that hope is lost to your soul, you are sinking into minding earthly things. Remember, the end of this path is destruction.
No man can serve two masters. Our commonwealth is in heaven, the world’s commonwealth is on earth. The world, having killed the Prince of life, is ever expecting in vain that a better day is coming to them. True Christians look for the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior—that very Jesus, Savior, whom the world still rejects and hates. Are you quite sure that when He comes, He will come as your Savior? Are you waiting for Him from heaven? Can you say you are not of the world, even as He is not of the world? When the soul is first awakened to wait for the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, he is lifted out of politics and minding earthly things, like a man when lie is drawn out of a pit.
What a test these few verses are to every one of us. Though the apostle was perfect in Christ as to his acceptance in Him, yet, in this epistle, the eye of faith is fixed on that perfection we shall have in complete conformity to Christ at His coming. Who shall change (or transform) this vile body, or our body of humiliation, into conformity to His body of glory, &c. For the present our commonwealth is in heaven. We wait for the Lord Jesus as Savior. Then we shall be like Him, transformed into conformity to His body in glory. Oh, the separating, sanctifying, holy influence of this blessed hope!
If we turn now to another scripture, we shall see the same effect of this blessed hope, not only as to earthly politics, and minding earthly things, but as to lust and sins in general. But first mark, in the scripture we have been considering, it is not looking for the Judge, or the Lord, to judge us for our sins, that has this sanctifying effect, but looking for the Lord as Savior.
It may be solemnly taken for granted, that of those who deceive themselves by mere profession, whilst, by their worldly walk, they deny the cross of Christ, and mind earthly things, their end is not to wait for the Savior, but destruction. The minding of earthly things is not a fall, or the failure of a true Christian in the hour of temptation—the thing which he abhors, and deeply repents of; but minding of earthly things characterizes a man—it is willful—he delights in it—he defends it. It thus proves he has not been born of God. He is not a new creature, and delights only in the ways of the old nature. And, as to being dead with Christ, he is an enemy to such a thought. May the Lord awaken thousands of such, who are hastening on to eternal woe.
Now, will you turn to Col. 3:1-51If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 5Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: (Colossians 3:1‑5). Here is the same truth more widely applied. With real Christians all is absolute certainty. As to themselves, they are “ buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him, through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” (Chap. 2:12.) They are quickened with Him—all trespasses forgiven. (Chap. ii. 13.) They are dead with Christ. They need no ritualism to improve what is dead. (Chap. 2:20.) Yes, as to all thought of improvement of the flesh, they are dead with Christ. But not only so, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection [or, mind] on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.”
What a contrast this is to the enmity against the cross of Christ, by minding earthly things. But surely true Christians, being dead with Christ, and risen with Christ, and their commonwealth being in heaven, they will delight to mind, to set their mind and heart on, things above. And then, mark the still further divine certainty: “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” Have you, beloved reader, this blessed certainty? When Christ shall appear in glory, will you be one of the glorified saints that shall appear, or be manifested, with Him? Is this divinely certain? We know some would say, Such a certainty would lead you to be careless as to holiness of walk—yea, would be license to sin. How differently the Holy Spirit uses this very certainty at the appearing of the Lord. Yes, note, He is not speaking to a backslider in a low condition of soul, but to you and the writer, if dead with Christ, and risen with Him; and because we have this blessed divine certainty of appearing with Christ in glory, He says, “Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” Yes, the most advanced Christian, complete in Christ, holy and beloved (ver. 12), has these members, or tendencies, in himself, and needs to mortify them; for, if not walking in holy dependence on the Spirit of God, there is not one of these sins, or those named afterward in this chapter, into which he may not fall. But if the believer, though, as to his standing in Christ, dead and risen with Christ, has not still this evil nature to contend with, or, as scripture expresses it, these members on earth, then there would be no meaning in the exhortation to mortify them. If that sinful nature be either made good and holy, or eradicated, then there would be no such members of evil to mortify. Instead, then, of false views of perfection, the coming of the Lord, and the absolute certainty that when He appears, every true Christian will appear with Him in glory, is made the very basis of exhortations to holiness, every one of which exhortations would have no meaning, if the believer had not in himself the tendency to do these very things.
Before looking at other scriptures on this subject, we would press the reader to well examine these facts. If you know that you are identified with Christ in death, dead with Him; and more, if you be risen with Christ; and further, if you have the certainty that when He shall appear, you will certainly appear with Him in glory; then remember that this is the very reason why you should mortify every evil desire that may arise. And surely there cannot be a greater motive for holiness.