Monthly Archives: June 2025

Bible, Blood, Cross, Enemies, Grace, Scripture

ENEMIES OF THE CROSS

PHILIPPIANS 3:18

“For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I weep, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ,”

I was watching the news yesterday about the riots in Los Angeles because of the deportation efforts being led by I.C.E. and other law enforcement groups. The word “enemies” entered my mind when I saw the burning of cars and tires in the middle of the streets. Whatever side of the immigration discussion you are on, you have to admit that violent protests do nothing but make each side more entrenched and become more volatile enemies of each other.

Paul knew what real enemies were like. He had faced them his whole ministry. From the very beginning when he had to flee Damascus due to a threat on his life to where he was when he wrote the letter to the Philippians, he had fought against these powers of darkness. The word “enemies” means someone who is hateful, hostile and aggressive. They are intentionally against you and will do whatever is necessary to try to stop you. Paul knew this far too well.

APPLICATION

I want you to take a look at what these people were enemies of, according to Paul. They were “enemies of the cross of Christ.” You see, these enemies were those who tried to diminish the sole sufficiency of the cross with the need to keep the Jewish law. Christ’s substitutionary death on that cross wasn’t enough to save you, according to these enemies. You needed more.

Paul will go on to further describe these enemies in the next verse, which we will see tomorrow. Needless to say, Paul didn’t mince words when it came to those who tried to negate the power of the cross. I am reminded of Galatians 2:21 in Paul’s confrontation with Peter on this very issue of adding to grace. “‘I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.’”

All we need is Jesus. Nothing else. If anyone tells you anything different, they are an enemy of the cross. They don’t believe in the power of the cross. They don’t believe in the power of the blood. The third verse of “Nothing But the Blood of Jesus” says it all:

Nothing can my sin erase
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!
Naught of works, ’tis all of grace—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Thank You, Father, for the sufficiency of the Cross of Christ.

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Bible, Christ, Imitation, Reflection, Scripture

IMITATE ME

PHILIPPIANS 3:17

“Brothers and sisters, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”

Didn’t you hate it when your were little and your brother or sister would walk around imitating everything you did or said? There were four of us Willis children in the household, so this was easy to do. It might be cute at first, but the novelty wears off after the first hour or so. I would get so mad if that happened to me. But I gave back as quick as I received, lol.

Paul is inviting the Philippians (and us) to “join in following my example.” The Greek literally reads, “imitators together of me be.” The Greek word for “imitators together” is summimétés. This word only occurs in this verse. It means to be a fellow-imitator. It comes “from a presumed compound of sun and mimeomai; a co-imitator, i.e. Fellow votary – follower together.” (Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance).

APPLICATION

The question you have to ask yourself is, “Is my life worth imitating?” Paul could ask this question because his life was dedicated to following Christ. He had made that decision after his Damascus Road experience. He had answered the call of Christ to go and reach the Gentiles with the Gospel. He was confident that his life was worth imitating.

That did not mean Paul was perfect. Far from it. In Romans 7:18 Paul writes, “For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.” (For a look at Paul’s full discourse on this, read Romans 7:14-25.) Despite his battle with his flesh, Paul was confident in his invitation to imitate because it would be Christ they were imitating, not him.

Can you say the same? Could you invite someone to imitate you? When our children are little, they will play dress up and pretend to be mommy or daddy. Will they still want to imitate you when they see you interact with a rude clerk or in rush hour traffic? Our lives have to be a reflection of Jesus. That will draw people to imitate Christ in us.

O Lord, let me decrease so that You can increase. Let others only see Jesus in me.

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Bible, Distractions, Flesh, Holy Spirit, Scripture, Walking

KEEP STRAIGHT

PHILIPPIANS 3:16

“however, let’s keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.”

You may have heard the expression “It’s not how high you jump. It’s how straight you walk when you come down.” What in the world does that mean? Well, many in the Christian world focus so much on the emotional aspects of worship. They can jump around, dance, raise their hands and do all other sorts of highly charged things in the name of Christ. Now, I am not going to judge whether those individuals are truly in the Spirit or not. What is important is how straight they walk the rest of the time.

Paul uses a word in this verse that is not fully illustrated by the English words. The phrase “let’s keep living” is the Greek word stoichein. Literally, it can be translated as “to walk straight.” HELPS Word studies defines it this way, “(from stoixos, ‘a row, line, or rank’) – properly, walk in line, in strict accordance to a particular pace (‘stride’); walk in cadence, ‘keep in step.’” Get the picture?

APPLICATION

In Acts 21:24, this word is translated as “walk orderly.” In Romans 4:12, Paul uses it again to say, “…who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.” Then in Galatians 5:25, right after the discourse about the deeds of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit, Paul says, “If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow the Spirit as well.” You see, it’s not just living in the Spirit. We also have to follow Him, walk straight with Him.

Most mornings I take a walk around my neighborhood. About half of my route includes sidewalks, which I like because it keeps me off the streets and out of the way of cars. Undoubtedly, every morning there will be two or three places where cars have parked across the sidewalk, so I have to veer off course to get around the vehicle. But I am quick to get back on the sidewalk as soon as possible. I just feel safer there.

Hmmm, that could apply here, couldn’t it? There will be times when you or I veer off course for one reason or the other. The flesh is strong and will work against us all the time. We have to be quick to recognize this waywardness and get back on the safe path, the path with Jesus. Keep straight on the narrow path, my friends.

Father God, You are the beacon which lights my path. Help me be quick to see when I am off course.

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Attitude, Bible, Completeness, Humility, Maturity, Scripture

CHECK YOUR ATTITUDE

PHILIPPIANS 3:15

Therefore, all who are mature, let’s have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that to you as well;”

Watch your attitude, young man. I probably heard that more than once while I was growing up. I did have a little chip on my shoulder as a teenager. I thought I had something to prove. I could get a little cocky and arrogant. Teachers and coaches would call me on it, thank the Lord. I was never allowed to get way out of line. I had that healthy fear of my dad. I didn’t want to disappoint him.

I could have used this verse back then. Paul tells us to check our attitude. He says, “all who are mature.” If you understand the Scriptures, if you are trying to live for the Lord, have this attitude. The Greek word for “attitude” is phroneó, which means “1. to exercise the mind, i.e. entertain or have a sentiment or opinion 2. (by implication) to be (mentally) disposed (more or less earnestly in a certain direction) 3. (intensively) to interest oneself in (with concern or obedience). (Lexicon). The word is used 26 times in the New Testament, 23 times by Paul. It’s used 10 times in Philippians alone.

APPLICATION

We have already seen Paul use phroneó four times in this letter to Philippi and will see it used four more times. Obviously, Paul was addressing an attitude problem, lol. No, I don’t want to imply the Philippians had a problem with their attitude. But any church faces the danger of this. Perhaps, some in the church had become proud because of all they had done to support Paul. Paul’s motive, though, is to point them to the right attitude which can only be found in Christ.

Romans 12:16 is a perfect illustration of what Paul is talking about. “Be of the same mind  toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.” What’s Paul talking about? Humility! We saw that in Jesus. We see that in Paul. We should have the same attitude, the same mindset.

So, today I ask you (as I am asking myself) to check your attitude. Our minds need to be focused on how to please our Lord. If others aren’t happy about that, we cannot be concerned about that. Our loyalty, our obedience is to Jesus. Have His mind, as Paul said back in Philippians 2:5-8. Reread that if you need to. Get your attitude in line with His.

Father, help me check my attitude today so that I will be in line with all You teach.

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Bible, Heaven, Prize, Race, Running, Scripture

THE PRIZE

PHILIPPIANS 3:14

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

When I was in high school, I accumulated some trophies for weightlifting and football. Man, I was proud of those trophies and carted them around with me for several years. Those trophies meant I had succeeded in something, that I was chosen as the best for that award. As time passed however, I realized those trophies really had no value and should be either packed up for good or just discarded. I chose the latter. And you know what – I haven’t missed them one bit.

Paul says he is seeking a prize, a trophy in today’s verse. The verb for “press on” can also mean to pursue, persecute, chase after. This isn’t a casual jog. No, it’s a pursuit. The word “prize” is the same word used to describe the prize awarded in the public games. Paul uses this same word in his first letter to the Corinthians. In 9:24 he writes, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.”

APPLICATION

The beauty of our race, though, is there is not only one winner. All who run the race will receive the prize. It doesn’t matter how fast or slow you run; you will get there one day. Paul is obviously talking about his heavenly reward which he will receive one day. In his letter to the Colossians, he said in 3:23-24, “23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people, 24 knowing that it is from the Lord that you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

How’s your pace? This is really not a sprint. It’s a marathon. Now, I have never run a marathon, but I know people who have. They establish their pace early in the race to allow themselves to finish the course. Months and months of training go into these marathons. No one wants to burn out in the first three miles. Our spiritual journey is the same. We need to find our rhythm. There may be moments of sprinting or even standing still. But we need a steady pace to ensure we are running this race with the Lord and not by ourselves.

One day when you get to heaven and receive your heavenly prize, you will turn around and lay it at the feet of Jesus. Everything you do down here should be for Him. Any rewards or prizes belong to Him. So, run and press on for the prize. But remember, that prize truly belongs to Him for all He has done.

I love prizes, Lord, and can’t wait to receive the best prize ever.

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Bible, Goals, Reaching, Scripture, Stretching

REACHING FORWARD

PHILIPPIANS 3:13

“Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,”

As I was playing cars with my little 11 month old grandson, I watched as he stretched to reach this one little car that is his favorite. We have this building complete with ramps and tunnels and his little car had gotten stuck in the tunnel. He reached and stretched. While I was tempted to jump in and rescue the car for him, instead, I watched. He kept reaching and straining to grab that car until finally…he did. Boy, his face just lit up to say, “Look what I got!” He was so proud.

The word Paul uses in today’s verse for “reaching forward” is only used right here in the New Testament. It means “to stretch out, to extend, to reach forth, to strain after, to stretch forward.” That’s exactly what my grandson did and that is what Paul says he was doing. He was straining to reach his heavenly reward. Aren’t we all doing the same?

APPLICATION

Just like my grandson who had to do the stretching and reaching himself to grasp that car, Paul says we have to do this ourselves. The word is a Present Participle in the Middle Voice. This word is tied to the action verb which is found in the next verse (we’ll see that tomorrow). But you need to know that the Middle Voice is an action you must do yourself. Paul had to reach and strain himself. So do we.

We will also see tomorrow what Paul was straining for exactly. As followers of Christ who seek to obey Him, our goal should be the same. Instead, we get distracted and start reaching for all the wrong things. We grab at careers and houses and material possessions. We strain to get friends or business partners or that special date for Friday night.

What are you straining to reach? Is it Christ? Is it His Word? Or are you stuck in the perpetual stretch for stuff this world can offer? And it can offer a lot, most of which distract us from the real prize. They say you can look at your calendar and your bank account to see where your true priorities are. You might just want to take a gander at those this week. It may surprise you.

O Lord, help me stretch to reach You and only You. The other things are so easy to grab and distract.

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Bible, Heaven, Jesus, Journey, Perfection, Scripture

I HAVEN’T ARRIVED

PHILIPPIANS 3:12

“Not that I have already grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus.”

I have some ministry colleagues who are leaving today for a trip to East Africa (Kenya and Uganda). I have made that trip more than a dozen times, so I know the grueling nature of it. It’s not just the plane rides and subsequent jetlag. It’s the layovers and delays. It’s the lost luggage and all the little things that can go wrong on the trip. So, when they reach their final destination tomorrow, I know they will be thrilled.

What has that got to do with today’s verse? Well, the word Paul uses for “become perfect” can mean “reach a final destination.” Some scholars believe that is more to what Paul is saying than claiming he isn’t perfect. No one can claim that, no matter how pious and holy they are. We can’t deny Paul’s spiritual dedication. He lived a life we should all strive for. But Paul knew he hadn’t arrived. He still had a long way to go to be like Jesus.

APPLICATION

It is true that the older we get and the more time we spend in the Word, the more we realize that we are still a work in progress. Our spouses don’t have to remind us of that. We know it. In Acts 20:24, Paul says this to the Asian believers he had called together, “‘But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of God’s grace.’” The word “finish” is the same word used in today’s verse for “become perfect.”

When you reach the end of your course, your journey with Christ, then and only then will you be perfect. You will have fully matured. You will have accomplished the task. Being perfect here is our goal for which to strive. Even though we won’t achieve it, we keep striving, knowing that with each passing day we are being perfected until that glorious day when we see Jesus face to face.

In the meantime, how close do you say you are to that perfection, to having arrived? Most days I don’t feel too close. Other days I could claim a little more. The only one worthy of judging my perfection is the only One who knows true perfection. He is my judge, not you. Nor am I your judge. Only Jesus sees our “Perfection level.” Only He can make us more like Him as we submit more and more of ourselves to Him.

Father, I want to become more like the Perfect One each day. Give me the hunger to know You more.

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Bible, Heaven, Jesus, Journey, Rapture, Resurrection, Scripture

FACE-TO-FACE

PHILIPPIANS 3:11

“if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

I do a lot of Zoom calls with men around the world. I say often that I wish I had invested in Zoom before Covid hit in 2020. I could have retired by now, lol. Zoom is great when you can’t meet face to face, but I still prefer that physical meeting. You can hide a lot of your body language in Zoom. Heck, you can even hide yourself by just cutting off the video. Or you can mute yourself. You can’t do those things if you are meeting in the same room.

Why am I talking about Zoom? Well, the word Paul uses in today’s verse for “may attain” (katantao) comes from two Greek words, kata and antao. It literally means to come face-to-face, to reach a destination. Paul desires to arrive at this point in his life. He is in prison. He is perhaps tired and weary. His spirit yearns for his heavenly home. I want to give you an explanation of this verse from Albert Barnes. I believe he explains it well. “Paul believed that all the dead would be raised (Acts 24:15; Acts 26:6-8); and in this respect he would certainly attain to the resurrection of the dead, in common with all mankind.”

APPLICATION

Katantaois used by Paul in Ephesians 4:13 where we are told, “until we all attain to the unity of the faith.” This attaining hints at our spiritual journey. It’s a journey we will be on until we are taken home to heaven. We will arrive or come face-to-face one day, but not now. Right now, we are trying to attain this unity.

Is there something you are trying to attain? Katantao can refer to a physical or spiritual journey. You may be planning a vacation or a holiday this summer. You probably have a destination in mind. As you make this trip, think about this verse and this word. You will attain your destination on this holiday, but you will always be seeking to attain your spiritual destination to the day you die.

Carl, are you telling me my spiritual journey is unattainable? In a way, yes, I am. We will not see Jesus face-to-face here on this earth. We may be one of the lucky ones who are raptured and will meet Him in the air. If not, we will meet Him the moment we die. Paul says to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Are you ready to attain that? I am! Can’t wait!

Lord, one day You will take me home. I will attain the full promises You have made to me.

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Bible, Death, Knowledge, Power, Resurrection, Scripture, Suffering

SUFFERING AND DEATH

PHILIPPIANS 3:10

“that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;”

There are a lot of people I can’t wait to get to know when I get to heaven. How exactly did it smell inside that fish, Jonah? Paul, did you write Hebrews? And Jesus, what was your childhood like? Even though I want to get to know all the saints in heaven, I do not want to experience all the trials they had here on earth. But in today’s verse, Paul says exactly that.

The word Paul uses for “know” is ginóskó. This Greek word for “know” is to know especially through personal experience. It’s the word used when Mary said she had not known a man yet. But Paul isn’t just talking about knowing Jesus and learning more about Him. He says to know “the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.” And Paul did experience his own sufferings and eventual death by beheading.

APPLICATION

If I asked you to join me in my sufferings and death for Jesus, what would you do? Probably run as fast as you could away from me. Peter tells us in 1 Peter 4:12-13, “12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though something strange were happening to you; 13  but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that at the revelation of His glory you may also rejoice and be overjoyed.”

Now, that sounds absolutely crazy, right? Rejoice in sufferings? James says the same thing in James 1:2-4. “Consider it all joy…” Have these writers of God’s Word lost it? Of course not. They are simply penning the very thoughts and words of God. God is telling us to rejoice in these sufferings. Rejoice if you are called on to give up your life for Jesus. Then you will fully know Him.

Okay Carl, I’m not planning on doing that any time soon, so how can I know Him more fully today? Die to self! Crucify your flesh! Die to every selfish desire you have and give it all to Him. When you do suffer a trial of some sort, trust Him in it and give Him praise. Do you want to really know Jesus? Then you have to join him in his suffering and death. Come to Him. Let Him show Himself to you.

Father, I will rejoice in the trials that come my way knowing that You have allowed them to purify me.

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Bible, Gifts, Jesus, Law, Righteousness, Scripture

GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS

PHILIPPIANS 3:9

“and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,”

Sorry to have to tell you this, but you are not righteous – on your own. Neither am I, not even close. My late brother-in-law who was a pastor used to tell his congregation, “If I knew you like God knows you, I wouldn’t bother to come preach to you. And if you knew me like God knows me, you wouldn’t bother to come hear me.” In other words, our flesh is wicked. If we only knew each other’s hearts, we would be horrified.

But praise be to God, He has made a way for us to become righteous. See, Paul knew the futility of the flesh. He even says in Romans 3:10, “as it is written: ‘There is no righteous person, not even on;’” This is a thought shared in the Psalms in two places, 14:1-3 and 53:1-3. They both say there is no one who does good. Paul points us to the only, truly righteous person who ever walked this earth, Jesus Christ. He is the reason God can declare us as righteous.

APPLICATION

Righteousness is a term we see all throughout Scripture. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew words tsedeq and tsedaqah are used to describe the moral and ethical standards expected by God. Topical Lexicon says, “These Hebrew terms provide the Old Testament background for the New Testament understanding of dikaiosyne, highlighting the continuity of God’s righteous standards and His provision for humanity’s right standing with Him through faith.”

Dikaiosyne which is the Greek word for “righteousness” is used almost 100 times in the New Testament. This is an important word for us to understand when it comes to our relationship with God. Take a look at Romans where Paul uses this word over 30 times. Righteousness does not come through keeping some set of rules or laws. It only comes from God as His gift to us having received His Son as our Savior and Lord.

Romans 5:17 calls righteousness a gift. I love that. A gift is something I do not obtain on my own merits. It is given freely by the gift giver. In this case, Jesus gave us the gift of salvation, thus ascribing to us His righteousness. He took on Himself the sins of the world in order for us to have the privilege of receiving this precious gift. We have to accept it. He won’t force it on us. Have you received this gift of righteousness through His Son?

Father, I know I am seen as righteous in Your eyes only because of what Your Son has done for me.

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