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Walking the Walk (Philippians 3:17-19)
I don't know about you but I often feel uncomfortable
whenever someone starts talking about 'the pattern of Christian living'.
"Brethren, are you one thing in the pulpit but something quite different
in your daily life?" Of course, such discomfort seems proper and timely
because such challenges are meant to make us reflect on our daily walk.
Paul himself urged Corinthian believers:
"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in
the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realise that Christ Jesus is in
you - unless, of course, you fail the test?" (2 Cor.13:5)
When we do examine ourselves of course that is when the discomfort rises
as we realise that we are not all that we should be. We are not alone
in feeling this way. The Catholic mystic Thomas Merton was often concerned
that his writing expressed a confidence that didn't reflect the doubts
and insecurities he experienced in real life and Philip Yancey observes
that it is easier to edit words than to edit life. He laments that fact
that the better his writing the less it represents his personal experience.
That is because writing is aspirational while life is a daily struggle
to meet daily demands in a fallen world. Don't we find it is easier to
talk the talk than to walk the walk? Paul struggled with the same problem,
as we have already seen. Lest they misunderstand his own writing he has
already told the Philippians:
"Not that I have already obtained all this,
or have already been made perfect, but I press on..." (Philip.3:12)
Paul knew that it was easy to look good and he qualified his writing in
this way. He then identified completely with our own struggles by referring
to his readers as 'brothers' (vv 13,17,4:1). There is no doubt that we
are all in this together and Paul stands with us. He doesn't leave us
struggling with these things, however, but spurs us on to action, encouraging
discernment and sound judgement.
Join with others: Fellowship is so very important in our Christian
walk and being in fellowship is like being in a family. We can't and shouldn't
try to hide our struggles from each other but should comfort and encourage
one another. The writer of Hebrews charges us, "Let
us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds.
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing,
but let us encourage one another." (Heb.10:24-25)
Follow the pattern: It has been said that the Bible is full of
examples and warnings. Some people's lives act as examples and we need
to follow these examples. We should, "take
note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you". Whose
life and example inspires you? What godly virtues do you see in others
and would like to emulate? To whom do we set the pattern and who would
we like to influence with our own lives?
Heed the warning: Paul reminds us that, while some people's lives
are an example, others' are a warning. 'Don't be like these people!' says
Paul. There are people in this world whose destiny is destruction because
they live as enemies of Christ:
· They
are controlled by their own appetites and are self-serving
· They even
boast about those things in their lives of which they should rightly be
ashamed, their dishonesty, immorality and godlessness
· They live entirely
in the here and now, are totally caught up in the things of this world
and are spiritually blind, deaf and dead
We know these people, we recognise the god they worship, the things in
which they take the greatest satisfaction and the mindset that distracts
them from the things of God. Paul urges us to discern, to decide and to
determine to follow better examples, to urge one another on in these things
and to imitate the best because we are Christ's and he is coming.
Let us this week look for opportunities to encourage one another in these
things. As we witness to the lost let's remember that they see our lives
as well as hear our words. Knowing, like Paul, that we have no already
attained all these things let us, nevertheless, live up to what we already
have and walk the walk.