Philippians 3:14-17 English Standard Version

¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. ¹⁶ Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

¹⁷ Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.

Here Paul admits to another one of our human natures, that of attention. He not only admits it but wishes to instill in us a desire to pay attention to others.

In large gatherings we will often find that there are some within the group that gather to themselves people who just want to be close to them, to talk to them, to pay attention to them. With some of the better known and more popular there can be a long list of people waiting for an audience with celebrities.

It is our human nature to create celebrities. We look up to success and admire it. We might even imitate behaviors in order to be more like those individuals. Imitation is sincere flattery.

What is misleading about the terminology of imitate is the human nature of looking at the superficial things and not seeing the deeper and more intimate things. We do not have intimate relationships with celebrities, we might not know the inner being. It would be better understood if we looked at that comment in the context of a walk to Emmaus.

Jesus walked with two men on the walk to Emmaus and revealed Himself in the scriptures. Now these men did not recognize this was Jesus. This was their first encounter with Him after His resurrection. It was not until they invited Him to stay with them and break bread that they realized He is Christ.

Do we see Christ in others? That is the main attraction.

Ephesians 4:20-23 English Standard Version

²⁰ But that is not the way you learned Christ!— ²¹ assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, ²² to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, ²³ and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,

We have been talking about human nature and how it still exists in us after we are reborn. Today let us look to just one aspect of human nature that we might find in “deceitful desires”. This one is associated with self-worth. We had a sense of self-worth in our former life and it is right to discover self-worth in this newness of life but an old lie resides in the nature we have.

“I have to do this.”

Our sense of self-worth in our old life is centered on efforts and achievements. Having failed at that most of us turned to Christ because of how we felt about our former life. Why would we think that our personal efforts in this new life should provide results that differed from the past? This lie tells us that to succeed in kingdom living we need to do something to change ourselves.

Hebrews 12:2 English Standard Version (ESV) looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

It is Jesus Christ who rules and reigns that perfects our faith and it is a life of faith we live. That faith we have put in Christ and He has not relinquished possession of our faith. Our faith is in Him and He abides in us.

Galatians 2:20 English Standard Version (ESV) I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.