Sermon Series: Philippians, Part 23
Philippians 3:15-21
The Way
of the Cross Leads Home,
Part 3 (3:20–21)
Heavenly
Conversation and the Great Change
15
Let us therefore, as many as be
perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall
reveal even this unto you. 16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already
attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. 17 Brethren,
be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an
ensample. 18 (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: 19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is
their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly
things.) 20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we
look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our
vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to
the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
Outline:
I. The Same Rule, The Same Mind (3:15-16)
II. Following and Marking (3:17-19)
III. The Heavenly Conversation and the Great Change (3:20-21)
III.
Heavenly Conversation and the Great Change (3:20-21)
20
For our conversation is in heaven; from
whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who
shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious
body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things
unto himself.
The content of the final two verses in this chapter of the epistle
must be seen as in direct contrast and opposition to what preceded these words
in the immediate context regarding the enemies of the cross of Christ. This is
found in the parenthetical verses 18-19. The present and future realities
presented in verses 20-21 are what makes the difference between those enemies
we are to mark, and the exemplars we are commanded by the Apostle to follow in
verses 15-17.
1. Our Heavenly Conversation (3:20)
2. The Great Change (3:21)
1. Our Heavenly Conversation (3:20)
For
our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the
Lord Jesus Christ:
Some may sneeringly refer to this as “pie in the sky by and by,”
but we might triumphantly reply, “This ain’t no pie, and it’s way beyond the
sky!”
In this verse the future is directly linked to the present. We
might speak of this as “Living with the last things in view.” We may also
conclude from this that living the Christian life is an “eschatological
enterprise”! Eschatology is defined as “the study of the eschaton,” which is
the end times, or the last things. However, to the believer in Jesus Christ, this
study is not about things, but about a Person. This is not about academic
enterprises, curiosity about the future, or the construction of charts. Living
the Christian life “eschatologically” is a realistic anticipation of His
imminent appearance that is life altering.
1) Identification: For our conversation is in heaven
2) Expectation: from whence also we look for the Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ
1) Identification:
For our conversation is in heaven
To speak of it this way requires us to consider just what is meant
by “our conversation is in heaven.” We may well ask, “How is it that “our
conversation is in heaven” when we are not actually yet in heaven? If we
rightly understand what is meant by “conversation” here, and face the reality
that we are not there, but yet on this earth, then the question is a good one.
What is it about heaven that might explain this? What might we
speak of concerning heaven that might adequately answer these questions?
Where are you from? You are a stranger. You are an alien. If you
are Irish you may speak of the homeland of your ancestors as the “Old Sod.” If
we check out our Ancestry.com in the Scriptures we learn that heaven is our
“Old Sod.” Heaven is our homeland. No Christian can be at home in this world.
It is not possible. “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the
friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a
friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4:4)
This is what has been done:
Eph. 2:6, 19 — And hath raised us up together, and made us sit
together in
heavenly places in Christ Jesus:…. Now therefore ye are no more
strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the
household of God;
This is where we have come:
Heb. 12:22-24 — 22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and
unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable
company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the
firstborn, which
are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the
spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant,
and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
This is what we should seek:
Col. 3:1 — If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are
above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2) Expectation:
from whence also we look for the Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ [1]
All that matters, all that we care about, all that has any eternal
value is there. That is where believers look. We are looking for not a
something from heaven, but a Someone. We live with an eschatological
expectation. We anticipate the fulfillment of all things, every promise, and
every prophecy, in the appearing of our Savior, who is none other than the Lord
Jesus Christ. Many years ago (37!) my wife and I heard Dr. Eric Alexander
preach at the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology (1980). His message
was titled, “Glorification: Attaining
the Goal.” [2] I have a vivid memory of him preaching this sermon on Romans 8, and in the
middle of it (23:39) describing from verse 19 the entire creation in eager
anticipation of the coming redemption. “It’s the picture of a man standing on
tiptoe.”
I preached on the five words, “we look
for the Saviour,” on 21 APR 2013 as Part Fourteen in the series, Five Words
You Must Understand.
(1) This is a Corporate Look! This is not a lonely look. WE look for the Savior!
(2) This is a Hopeful Look! This is not a hopeless look. We EAGERLY AWAIT the return of the
Savior!
(3) This is a Personal Look! This is not an impersonal look. We look for THE SAVIOR!
(1)
This is a Corporate Look!
This is not a lonely look. WE
look for the Savior!
You are not alone or isolated in this activity of looking
for the Savior. This is not something
that sets you apart as an individual believer.
You are part of His Bride, the Body of Christ! Every member of the Body does this. This is a corporate look! We do this together. We are united with all other believers in
this activity. This is something that
all of God's people unite in doing. This
is what defines us as the Bride of Christ!
This is what distinguishes us from the world!
This look is not unique to you. It did not and does not begin and end with
you. In this activity of looking for the
Savior you stand in a long line believers throughout all ages who have gone before
you.
Jn. 12:20-21 - 20 And there were certain Greeks among them
that came up to worship at the feast: 21 The same came therefore to
Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we
would see Jesus.
(2)
This is a Hopeful Look!
This is not a hopeless look. We EAGERLY
AWAIT the return of the Savior!
In the verse where these five words set they constitute a
clause which is part of the sentence.
However, these five words by themselves may be expressed as a complete
sentence. You will notice that the verb
in this clause has been translated fairly consistently in modern versions of
the Bible as “eagerly wait” or “eagerly await.”
They are doing this, i.e., using two English words to render one word in
the original language, in an attempt to communicate something of the force of
this compounded verb. Two prepositions
are prefixed to this verb, and one of them is a duplication of a preposition
already present in the full clause in the sentence. What all of this
grammatical information does for us is to alert us to the emphasis that is
inherent in this word, the force that is implicit in this verb. When we are
aware of this we can appreciate what the translators are striving to bring
out. This verb is the emphatic portion
of this expression, “We look for the Savior.”
Gal. 5:5 - For we
through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
Another “3:20”!!! 1 Pet. 3:20 - 18 For Christ also
hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to
God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited
in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight
souls were saved by water.
Most usages in one
chapter!!! Rom. 8:19, 23, 25 - 17 And if children, then heirs;
heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified
together. 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19
For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the
sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not
willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also
shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of
the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth
and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have
the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting
for the adoption, to wit, the
redemption of our body. 24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that
is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 25
But if we hope for that we see not, then
do we with patience wait for it.
The two most closely related usages to Phil.
3:20 in the New Testament are:
1 Co. 1:7 - So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the
coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:
(cp. 1:1-9)
Heb. 9:28 - So
Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the
second time without sin unto salvation.
The same root
word with a different prepositional prefix is found in Tit. 2:11-14 - 11
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12
Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that
blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus
Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem
us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of
good works.
This is not “Waiting
for Godot”!
“Waiting for Godot...is an absurdist play by Samuel Beckett, in which two characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait endlessly and in vain for the
arrival of someone named Godot. Godot's absence, as well as numerous other
aspects of the play, have led to many different interpretations since the
play's premiere. It was voted “the most significant English language play of
the 20th century”. Waiting for
Godot is Beckett's translation of his own
original French version, En attendant Godot, and is subtitled (in
English only) “a tragicomedy in two acts”.”
“Waiting for
Godot follows a pair of men who divert
themselves while waiting expectantly, vainly for someone named Godot to arrive.
They claim he's an acquaintance but in fact hardly know him, admitting that
they would not recognize him when they do see him. To occupy the time they eat,
sleep, converse, argue, sing, play games, exercise, swap hats, and contemplate
suicide – anything “to hold the terrible silence at bay”.” [3]
Becket wrote in his introduction:
“I
don't know who Godot is. I don't even know (above all don't know) if he exists.
And I don't know if they believe in him or not – those two who are waiting for
him.” [4]
This play has been often performed since it first
appeared in 1952 in various languages and countries, on stage, in several
prisons, on television, and in film.
Performances continue this year.
In the United States it has been performed at the Coconut Grove
Playhouse (Coconut Grove, FL: 1956), the John Golden Theater (New York, 1956),
at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (Brooklyn, NY: 1978), Lincoln Center (New
York, 1988), and the Roudabout Theater (New York, 2009).
We are not Becket's characters Vladimir and Estragon, and
we are not “waiting for Godot”! We are
not vainly waiting for someone who does not arrive, and there is no “terrible
silence” for us to hold “at bay”. I say
again, we are not “waiting for Godot”!
Let the rest of the world in its unbelief continue to despair in the
face of silence concerning its expectation of someone they do not know who
never arrives. We look for the Savior!
You are not doubting or despairing in this activity of
looking for the Savior. He is coming,
and He is coming soon, just as He said He would. We can't wait, but we must wait, and so we
eagerly wait! Our waiting moments are
moments filled with anticipation. We who
wait for the Savior must live life on tiptoe!
His call, the sound of the trumpet, the voice of the archangel, any
moment! Houston, we have a launch! Off we go!
This is not like waiting for class to be dismissed, or
for a bus to come, or a red light to change.
This is an anticipation that embraces the entirety of our being, our
thinking, our believing, and our living.
What will He find you doing when He comes? What would you prefer? The phrase that precedes this one should make
clear to us how this looking works out in our living. Our
conversation is in heaven. So long
as whatever you are engaged in involves eagerly anticipating His coming from
heaven for you it is consistent with the fact spelled out here that our manner
of life must be heavenly. When we walk
on this earth as citizens of heaven, when we live here and move through this
life as strangers and pilgrims, then our lives will be lives of looking for the
Savior, of eagerly waiting for His soon return.
(3)
This is a Personal Look!
This is not an impersonal look.
We look for THE SAVIOR!
You are not staring into space, hoping for something
vague and intangible. We look for a
Person, the greatest Person who ever walked this earth. We look for the Savior, the Savior who is the
Son of God who came here from glory to seek and to save that which was
lost. We look for the One who finished
His Work, and then returned to glory to prepare a place for us. The entire focus of our eschatological
attention, the totality of our hope for the future, centers on Him, on the Lord Jesus Christ. The last phrase of the sentence that these
five words sets in defines the identity of our Savior. He is the
Lord Jesus Christ! He is both Savior
and Lord! He is the Messiah, the
Anointed One, the Christ, and Immanuel, Jesus, the salvation of God
personified!
How would you answer the following questions?
What is it with you Christians? We look
for the Saviour!
What makes you Christians so different? We look
for the Saviour!
What “drives you” Christians? We look
for the Saviour!
What “turns you on” as a Christian? We look
for the Saviour!
What “floats your boat” as a Christian? We look
for the Saviour!
What is Christianity all about? We look
for the Saviour!
What does it mean to be a Christian? We look
for the Saviour!
1 Th. 1:10 - And to wait for his Son
from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come. (cp. 1:6-10)
2 Pet. 3:11–14 - 11
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12
Looking for and
hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being
on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13
Nevertheless we,
according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein
dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for
such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot,
and blameless.
2 Tim. 4:8 - Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day:
and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. (cp. 4:7)
This
does not make us cloud-gazers:
Acts 1:11 — Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye
gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven,
shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
This does make us Gospel-livers:
Phil. 1:27 — Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ:
that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs,
that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith
of the gospel;
2. The Great Change (3:21)
Who
shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious
body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things
unto himself.
1) Transformation: What is He going to do? Who shall
change our vile body
2) Glorification: Why is He
going to do this? that it may be
fashioned like unto his glorious body
3) Subjugation: How is He going
to do this? according to the working
whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself
1) Transformation:
What is He going to do? Who
shall change our vile body
Why are we looking for Him?
How are we to understand the vileness of our bodies?
What is “vile” about our bodies?
Notice how modern translations opt for words like “lowly” (NKJV,
ESV, NIV) or “humble” (NASB, HCSB) here.
YLT: the body of our humiliation
The NLT employs two adjectives to bring out the force of this word
as the translators’ understood ifthe weak mortal bodies
However, when contrasted with “glorious” in the next clause what
translators must deal with are antonyms for that word, the opposite of
“glorious,” i.e., “inglorious.”
Included in such a list would be words like: horrible, ugly, dark, awful,
contemptible, disgraceful, shameful, miserable, horrid, despicable,
embarrassing, dishonorable, pathetic, unworthy, tawdry, squalid, sinful,
unholy, loathsome, earthly, fallen, evil, cursed, wretched, etc. (for just two
dozen examples!).
Dictionary definitions for the adjective “vile” include: of little
value, held in little esteem, worthless, poor (James 2:2); morally base or
impure, depraved, wicked, abject, villainous; etc.
The word is only used two other times in the King James
translation in the New Testament, and each time it is for a different Greek
word. Though this obscures these differences in the original language, the
other two usages do give the sense of this word in the history of the English language.
Rom. 1:26 — For this cause God gave them up unto vile [5] affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is
against nature:
Jas. 2:2 — For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold
ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile [6] raiment;
There are four examples of this word group in Philippians, three
besides the one in our verse:
2:3 — Let nothing be done through
strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better
than themselves.
2:8 — And being found in fashion as
a man, he humbled
himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
4:12 — I know both how to be abased,
and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to
be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
This particular word from this word group is only found in the New
Testament in:
Lk. 1:48 — For he hath regarded the
low
estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall
call me blessed.
Ac. 8:33 — In his humiliation
his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life
is taken from the earth.
Jas. 1:10 — But the rich, in that
he is made low:
because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.
Perhaps the most important thing to
understand about why our present body is “vile” is something that Paul wrote
elsewhere:
1 Cor. 15:54 — So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and
this mortal
shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is
written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
When we look back from glory, when we really understand the full
and final effect of the resurrection, we will have absolutely no problem
whatsoever using the adjective “vile” to describe this body. The other
translations are not wrong, and the words that they opted for are definitely to
be found in lists of antonyms for “glorious.” However, there is something to be
said for the force of “vile.”
2) Glorification:
Why is He going to do this? that it may
be fashioned like unto his glorious body
What is the nature of this change?
The structure of this verse calls on us to contrast “vile” and
“glorious.”
Like Him!
Rom. 8:29 — For whom he did foreknow, he also did
predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might
be the firstborn among many brethren.
Col. 3:4 — When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye
also appear with him in glory.
1 Jn. 3:2 — Beloved, now are we the sons of God,
and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall
appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
3) Subjugation:
How is He going to do this? according to
the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself
The basis for He will do to us lies in His absolute power and
absolute sovereignty.
What working?
Eph. 1:17-23 — 17 That the God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom
and revelation in the knowledge of him: 18 The eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his
calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, 19
And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe,
according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in
Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in
the heavenly places,
21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion,
and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is
to come: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to
be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the
fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Phil. 3:10 — That I may know him, and the power of
his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made
conformable unto his death;
What is meant by His subduing everything to Himself?
1 Cor. 15:28 — And when all things shall be subdued unto him,
then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under
him, that God may be all in all.
“This is an amalgam quote from “A Quest for More: Living for
Something Bigger Than You” from Ch 1 pgs 17 &18 by Paul Tripp.” — Jamie,
comment on Calvinistic Cartoons.
Conclusion:
1 I
must needs go home by the way of the cross,
There's
no other way but this;
I
shall ne'er get sight of the gates of light,
If
the way of the cross I miss.
Chorus:
The
way of the cross leads home, (leads home,)
The
way of the cross leads home; (leads home;)
It
is sweet to know as I onward go,
The
way of cross leads home.
2 I
must needs go on in the blood sprinkled way,
The
path that the Savior trod,
If I
ever climb to the heights sublime,
Where
the soul is at home with God. [Chorus]
3
Then I bid farewell to the way of the world,
To
walk in it nevermore,
For
the Lord says, “Come,” and I seek my home
Where
He waits at the open door. [Chorus] [7]
[Sermon preached 11 JUN 2017 by Pastor John T. “Jack” Jeffery at
Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown, PA.]
Hymn Suggestions:
Lead On, O King Eternal
May the Mind of
Christ, My Saviour
Take My Life and Let it Be
The
Way of the Cross Leads Home
Follow on
Follow, I Will
Follow Thee
Jesus, I My Cross
Have Taken
Jesus Calls Us,
o'er the Tumult
Where He Leads I'll
Follow
Art Thou Weary, Art
Thou Troubled?
We Would See Jesus
When We See Christ
Complete
Outline:
I. The Same Rule, The Same Mind (3:15-16)
1. The Mind of the Mature (3:15)
1)
The Challenge Introduced — Let us
therefore
2)
The Challenge Qualified — as many as be
perfect
3)
The Challenge Specified — be thus minded
4) A
Consideration of Possible Exceptions — and
if in any thing ye be otherwise minded
5)
The Cure for Possible Exceptions — God
shall reveal even this unto you
2. The Union of our Walk (3:16)
1) Different Levels of Maturity — Nevertheless,
whereto we have already attained
2) One Rule — let us walk
by the same rule
3) The Same Mind — let us mind
the same thing
II. Following and Marking (3:17-19)
1. Followers of Gospel Loyalists
(3:17)
1)
Followers — Brethren, be followers
together of me
2)
Markers — and mark them which walk
3)
Exemplars — so as ye have us for an
ensample
2. The Reality of Gospel Enemies
(3:18)
1) The Sad Seriousess of
this Reality — (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you
even weeping
2) The Supernatural Substance
of this Reality — that they are the enemies of the
cross of Christ
3. The Marks of Gospel Enemies
(3:19)
1) The End of Gospel Enemies
— Whose end is destruction
2) The God of Gospel Enemies
— whose God is their belly
3) The Glory of Gospel
Enemies — and whose glory is in their
shame
4) The Mind of Gospel
Enemies — who mind earthly things
III. The Heavenly Conversation and the Great Change (3:20-21)
1. Our Heavenly Conversation (3:20)
1) Identification: For our
conversation is in heaven
2) Expectation:
from whence also we look for the Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ
(1) This is a Corporate
Look! This is not a lonely look.
WE look for the
Savior!
(2) This is a Hopeful
Look! This is not a hopeless look.
We EAGERLY AWAIT the return of the Savior!
(3) This is a Personal
Look! This is not an impersonal
look.
We look for THE SAVIOR!
2. The Great Change (3:21)
1) Transformation: What is
He going to do? Who shall change our vile body
2)
Glorification: Why is He going to do this? that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body
3)
Subjugation: How is He going to do this? according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things
unto himself
