Skip to main content

Philippians 3:15-18: Me Too (without the hashtag)

Philippians 3 is a great chapter in a great book. It is, among other things a great call to perseverance. You know what perseverance is? Perseverance is the ability to get through difficult times. And you know why God gives us the ability to get through difficult times? Because He has even more difficult times for us to get through (cf. Romans 5:3,4).

There is a popular song these days by Meghan Trainor called Me Too. Its chorus repeats, ‘if I were you, I’d wanna be me too.’

Philippians is a letter Paul wrote while he was in jail awaiting execution. He voluntarily suffered so much. He didn’t need to be there but because God is most important to him he is in jail, he is on death row and instead of telling all his friends to pray for his release, his ease, or to run for the hills so this doesn’t happen to them; Paul says in essence, ‘if I were you (outside, free, and not on death row) I would want to be me too.’ Paul writes, ‘Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do’ even though it may cost you everything, even your freedom and your life.

Paul goes on to write, ‘for, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.’ But you should live as I do and you will have real freedom.
This is quite important. Do you see why Paul wishes we could be like him even though he is in jail? It is because he is there serving God. Paul's life isn't easy. Paul gave up basically all claims to an easy life when he became a Christian. That's when he began his journey towards imprisonment and death and everyone knows that. This is why Philippians is such an important letter. Philippi is a rich city. Paul, on death row here, lets us know how to really have life abundantly. Paul, who used to be every bit as privileged as the Philippians, tells them that he cries not because he is in prison; he cries because they, who are free, really are missing out on something. It is Paul who is living the free life of someone who is redeemed.

I saw an article in the National Post the other week. It was about the curse of the lottery. Maybe even more than two-thirds of big lottery winners in Canada are broke within seven years of becoming millionaires and some have new or worse drug habits and some are now in jail for those habits or for murder or for something else. Success, happiness, wholeness, life isn’t about having it easy by getting things or getting away with things. If in this life, if you have so much but do not have the love of God that produces the contentment of holiness than you have nothing. And then, no matter how wealthy you are, 'If I was you I'd wanna be me too'.

More daily blogs at
More articles, sermons, and papers at
www.sheepspeak.com 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 147:7-11: Does God Prohibit the Kilt?

  7 Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;     make music to our God on the harp.   8 He covers the sky with clouds;     he supplies the earth with rain     and makes grass grow on the hills. 9 He provides food for the cattle     and for the young ravens when they call.   10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,     nor his delight in the legs of a man [or ‘the warrior’]; 11 the Lord delights in those who fear him,     who put their hope in his unfailing love.   Psalm 147:10 : “His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man.” I thought this was an appropriate passage to look at on Robbie Burns Day. For Christmas one year Susan bought me some Bible Commentaries on Psalms. In one of these books the author, Peter C. Craigie, from Scotland, writes:   …. It was the custom in Scotland for boys to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Poor No More! Count me in! (Mt 26:11, Mk 14:7, Jn 12:8, Dt 15:11)

Matthew 26:11 (Mark 14:7, John 12:8) Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 15:11 in saying, “the poor will always be with you”   As this is the case, Ignacio Ellacuria says, in essence, the great salvific task is to evangelize the poor so that out of their poverty they may attain the spirit necessary first to escape their indulgence and oppression, second to put an end to oppressive structures, and third to be used to inaugurate a new heaven and a new earth, where sharing trumps accumulating and where there is time to hear and enjoy God’s voice in the heart of the material world and in the heart of human history. [3]   I think that is very important. We need to evangelize the poor. We know what the word evangelize means, right? It comes from the Greek word ‘euangelion’, which means ‘good message’ or ‘good news’. [4]  We need to share the good news with the poor. Jesus, as recorded in Luke 4:18, in his very early sermon in the synagogue in his very own hometown quoted the prophet Isaia...
Post a Comment
Read more

Resurrection and Frankenstein's Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17 and Revelation 21 3b-4)

 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!  We went to see Frankenstein the Ballet last night. If anyone knows that story. The beginning is like the book. Dr. Frankenstein makes a creation out of the parts of corpses who had had terrible things happen in their lives - and then he brings life to the new creation and it becomes whole - with a whole new lease on life. A new chance to live. No matter all the awful stuff that had happened before. Now - the book actually ends poorly after that but the ballet does not. The ballet includes a story of Giselle. This bride, who herself suffered a horrible fate, learned forgiveness and is resurrected. She meets Frankenstein's creation; they fall in love - and start off again, this time living a transformed life. Revelation 21:3b-4: God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or ...
Post a Comment
Read more