Pressing on the Upward Way

And there was much rejoicing. I told you two weeks ago that
I am not to be compared with John Calvin, but this morning,
ironically, I feel a little bit like John Calvin may have felt
on a particular occasion. Returning now to Philippians
chapter three. For those of you that are familiar
with church history, John Calvin, in some of his varietal attempts
to reform the church, one of the hot buttons for him was excommunication from the church
in cases of necessity. In cases of severe sin, John
Calvin believed that we must remove sinners from our midst
if they are unrepentant. In our day, that sounds reasonable
and normal, a biblical position. First Corinthians and many other
passages. But in John Calvin’s day, the political
winds were such that this was radical. And Calvin kept pressing
the issue and pressing the issue and ultimately, in a twist of
irony, John Calvin was essentially excommunicated. He was removed
and chased almost literally out of the city and was gone for
some years. And it was upon his return, the
winds had changed. People began to embrace the Reformation. And it was upon return to Geneva
that I begin this morning to empathize with him. What they
were expecting that morning from John Calvin was some kind of
a victory speech, some kind of a take-off on all that had transpired
during the months and years that he was absent. But it is recorded
that when he returned from his banishment, He considered him
a mere interruption. And when he resumed, pardon me,
when he resumed his preaching on the Sunday following his return,
instead of a sensational discourse, which his hearers eagerly expected,
he spoke not a word about the recent past, but began rather
his exposition of the Scriptures at the passage with which he
had closed the day he was banished. So in that sense, I feel a little
bit like John Calvin, because I have been exiled, as it were,
to a lonely island called Second Corinthians. It was funny, too. I went looking for my notes where
I left off and I kept seeing files dated 2008. I said, those
can’t be them. I got to find more recent files. It was last August that we left
off in the Book of Philippians. I don’t even know what the date
is on my Luke notes, but we will find those as well. If you would
turn to Philippians chapter three, Philippians chapter three. It’s a great passage, and I will
review a great portion of this. And as is my habit, a lot of
times I will take a running course at the passage that will be considering
verses 15 through 16. But I want to take you all the
way back to the beginning of chapter 3. And you just be thankful
I didn’t go back to chapter 1, verse 1. Chapter 3, verse 1. Finally, my brethren, rejoice
in the Lord. To write the same things again
is no trouble to me and is a safeguard for you. Beware of the dogs. Beware of the evil workers. Beware
of the false circumcision. For we are the true circumcision,
who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus
and put no confidence in the flesh. Although I myself might
have confidence even in the flesh, if anyone else has a mind to
put confidence in the flesh, I far more. Circumcised the eighth
day of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew
of Hebrews, as to the law of Pharisee, as to zeal, a persecutor
of the church, as to the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.
But whatever things were gained to me, those things I have counted
as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things
to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus
my Lord. for whom I have suffered the
loss of all things, and count them but rubbish, in order that
I may gain Christ and may be found in Him. Not having a righteousness
of my own derived from a law, but having that which is through
faith in Christ. The righteousness which comes
from God on the basis of faith. That I may know Him and the power
of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings being conformed
to His death in order that I may attain to the resurrection from
the dead. Not that I have already obtained
it or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that
I may lay hold of that for which I was also laid hold of by Christ
Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself
as having laid hold of it yet, but one thing I do, forgetting
what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I
press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call
of God in Christ Jesus. Let us, therefore, as many as
are perfect, have this attitude, and if anything, If in anything
you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to
you. However, let us keep living by
that same standard to which we have attained. Paul had spoken
of his personal desires, his conviction about the need of
progress, about the need for an increase of spiritual wisdom,
an increase of strength, Olaf Paul’s desires and longings and
struggles to make progress are recorded there in chapter 3.
Here he begins to apply his desires and longings to others. And in
doing so, he emphasizes for us what kind of life we all are
called to. Even as you look at verse 15,
that therefore hinges on everything that has been stated in chapter
3 and even beyond. I want to look this morning at
this brief little passage, verses 15-16, where Paul gives us some
principles. I’ve called them spotlights,
if you will, on the pathway to sanctification, and that is what
is in view. It is our sanctification that
is Paul’s focus, his desire. And what Paul wants to do is
provide for us principles, principles in the course of this sanctification
that we all will encounter in time. And it’s a good thing that
we will encounter these because God has in view our sanctification. God has in view our Christ likeness. Spotlights, as I called them,
on the pathway to sanctification. For those who are in pursuit
of Christ, and even more accurately, Christ-likeness, we shall first
of all cultivate a mature mindset. We are called to cultivate a
mature mindset. Look at verse 15. Paul says,
therefore, let us, therefore, as many as are perfect, have
this attitude. Now, I know wives, there is this
tendency to put your husband in his place and to remind him
that he is not perfect. And you might be eager to do
so at this occasion, but I’m here to tell you that they are
perfect being one of them. But I have better news for you
that in a very real sense, In a very real sense, we are all
perfect. Those of us who are in Christ.
And so you can crow just a little bit, at least for a moment. There’s an apparent discrepancy,
and that’s part of the reason I wanted to read the entirety
of chapter three, at least where we’ve been, because at least
on the face of it, there’s a contradiction. Critics of Scripture love these.
Because they’ll say, see here in verse 12, he says he is not
perfect. And then a mere three verses
later, he says, those of us who are perfect. It’s evidently and
it’s a very similar word just used in a different sense, and
so a critic might have an open door here. But there’s obviously
something different about verse 12. than there is about verse
13, something that Paul is teaching and indicating there in verse
12 that’s different from what he’s saying here in verse 15. Here, the word is an adjective
there in verse 12, it’s a verb, and that’s somewhat helpful.
But in verse 12, Paul there is describing what we might call
absolute perfection. He’s saying that none of us have
arrived. None of us have achieved any
kind of perfection in God’s eyes, perfect holiness, perfect righteousness,
a perfection that would really free anyone from any continuing
pursuit of holiness. There would be no need if you
have arrived. But here in verse 15, he’s talking
about something quite different. What one termed relative perfection. Relative perfection is, as one
said, the ideal condition ascribed to those who are by their profession
committed to Christ as the ideal. As another described it, you’ve
got to differentiate here, he says, between the principle of
perfection which all believers in Christ possess and the ethical
perfection to which we’re all in pursuit. We’re all striving
for that. We’re all striving for holiness.
We all want to be like Christ. The difference here is one of
subtlety, and really, if you look at the nature of the word,
you begin to receive some clarification. The word often refers to being
full grown as opposed to immature, an infant, a child. Hebrews 5
uses it that way. Everyone who partakes only of
milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he
is an infant. But solid food is for the mature. 1 Corinthians 2 uses it in a
similar fashion. Chapter 2, verse 6. We speak
wisdom among those who are mature. Ephesians 4 uses it in a very
same manner, that we are to be about the equipping of the saints
for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ
until we all attain to the unity of the faith and the knowledge
of the Son of God to a mature man, until we are all mature. And so what Paul is referring
to is not absolute perfection. He doesn’t say, and here, ladies,
you can sharpen your elbows, Here, he doesn’t say that we
are absolutely perfect. We have not arrived. What he’s
referring to is maturity, spiritual maturity, a knowledge of the
Scriptures and an application of that knowledge to such a degree
that we can be said to be mature or perfect. There is a ripeness. said one, or a richness of knowledge
or character or both, such as might be supposed to mark the
full-grown man in contrast to the babe in Christ.” That’s what’s
in view here. It is an actual perfection, but
it is maturity. It is growth in Christ to such
an extent that we can be said to be mature in Him. So who exactly
are these perfect ones? They are maturing Christians,
growing solid saints in the faith of God. Those who embrace the
mindset that Paul expressed in chapter three, as we have just
read, which we’ll review momentarily. As one listed out, those who
are perfect are those who have burst the fetters of intellectual
and spiritual bondage. who have made some advancement
in the divine life, who are acquainted with higher forms of truth, who
are no strangers to the impulses and powers of divine grace, who
by the Spirit worship God, who are conscious of union, oneness
with Christ, possessing righteousness through faith in Him and in some
measure conformity to Him, and who cherish through him the hope
of a happy resurrection. Those are the ones who he says
are mature. Those are the ones who are perfect
in that sense. And you can come to somewhat
of a surmise, and one commentator did, that those who are imperfect
then are those that are on the outside, as it were, looking
in. He said the imperfect ones are those whose minds have not
been fully able to rise above all confidence in the flesh.
Remember, that’s what’s in view. And Paul said that there were
many who were embracing a confidence in the flesh according to the
law. Who still thought circumcision
might not be completely without value. would hold back from considering
all those things completely dead and valueless. In short, the
perfect one will be the one who knows he’s not perfect, if that
makes any sense to you this morning. A mature man, a mature one, is
one who has enough of God’s mindset to know that he must press on. He must constantly press on.
to Christ-likeness. A mature man is not one who feels
like he’s plateaued. Not one who’s ready to take some
kind of a spiritual vacation. Not one who’s ready to coast,
as it were, into the gates of heaven. That is not a mature
man, Paul says. Christian perfection, said one,
consists in a constant striving for perfection. In other words,
we are perfectly incomplete and we know it. We have in Scripture an analogy
in the word holy, right? We cannot possibly think this
morning, those of us who are reasonable at all, we cannot
possibly think that we, like our Lord Jesus Christ, are perfectly
holy. We know that we’re called to
be, but we know the truth. We know our hearts. We know our
lives. We know the truth. And the truth
is, the truth be told, that we are anything but perfectly holy.
And yet we are called saints, holy ones, those set apart to
God Himself. And so we don’t need to bristle
or fear the fact that we are called mature or perfect Just
like, as one said, a little child is a perfect human being that
is far from perfect in his development as a man. And just like that,
a child of God, far from perfect, is still perfectly a child of
God. Paul says, let us, therefore, as many as are perfect. And he
says such to most of us in the room. As many as are perfect,
let us have this attitude. I told you at the outset of our
study, the book of Philippians, about what I call the Froneo
factor in the book of Philippians. Froneo is the word that just
speaks of thinking or a mindset, if you will. It is our mind that
Paul is concerned with because Paul knew that if he could change
the mind of the Philippians, their actions would follow. Philippians
1.7 says, it’s only right for me to feel this way about you
all. I have this mindset about you
that changes how I treat you. Philippians 2.2 uses it again
when he says, make my joy complete by being of the same mind. Have the same mind towards one
another, the same love united in spirit, intent on one purpose.
When our mind is changed, our behaviors will follow. Philippians
2.5 says, have this attitude in yourselves, which was also
in Christ Jesus. And if you’re familiar with the
passage, he doesn’t immediately even indicate what mindset he’s
talking about. Ultimately, it’s humility, humility
of mind. But Paul said, look, if you have
a humble mindset, then humble actions, humility of behavior
is going to follow. And here again in this chapter,
or in this book rather, Paul says, look, I want to address
your mindset. I want to go after your mind.
And he says, let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have
this attitude. Have this mindset. The word had
a wide range of meanings. Often it was to the action of
the affections of the heart. What do you love? Because what
you love is going to affect how you live and what you do. Here,
what Paul is saying, he’s talking more about the convictions, your
mindset about truth. Paul points back here to v. 13.
Forgetting what lies behind. Straining forward, as he said
there, to what lies ahead in a humble mindset. that acknowledges we are not
there yet. Paul says, have this attitude. Do you want to be perfect? You
think you’re perfect? Have this attitude, an attitude
that says, I’m not there yet. I haven’t already obtained it.
I haven’t become perfect. I do not regard myself as having
laid hold of it yet. But one thing I do, forgetting
what lies behind. And if you can remember back
that far, Ten months? I said this is one of the most
abused passages in Scripture. I’ve heard this preached so many
ways. Forgetting what lies behind. Forgetting my horrid, sinful
life. That’s not what Paul was talking about at all. Paul wasn’t
talking about his sinful life that he wanted to forget about.
Paul was talking about his trophy case. Remember? Paul was talking
about everything that God, by His grace, had allowed him to
accomplish in Christ. Paul said, I want to forget it.
I want to seal off the trophy room. I don’t want to rest on
my laurels. I don’t want to sit and stand
pat on what God has allowed me to accomplish. I want to press
on to new and greater things, to greater levels of godliness,
to greater levels of usefulness, to greater glory in Christ reaching
forward, he says, to what lies ahead. Not resting on what I’ve
already accomplished. Paul says we can’t be characterized
as Christians. We cannot be characterized by
self-satisfaction. We cannot be characterized by
sitting in our rocking chair and waiting for Jesus to come
back. But we have to be disciplined.
We have to be purposeful. We have to be looking and yearning
and stretching forward towards Christ and towards Christlikeness. He points back. to verses 13
and 14, he points back to those principles and truths and in
essence says, beware. Beware, Christian, of thinking
that what you’ve accomplished is enough to make any further
striving unnecessary. Beware of that mindset. Instead,
we should cherish a humble self estimate that says, you know
what, look, When I’ve done all, it’s still not enough. By and
by, I wish I had given Christ more. That’s the song of the
Christian heart. But I want you to look back again
and hear the echo of chapter three. When Paul says it’s not
enough and that we have to have a different mindset, we have
to remember that, as he says in verse one, everything that
we do is in the Lord. It’s in Christ Jesus. It isn’t
us anymore. It isn’t us. We are the vine.
We cannot be separated from the greater vine. We cannot be separated
as so many branches cut off to sprout as new shoots. We must
remain attached to Christ Himself, who is the true vine. We are
those who worship in the Spirit of God. We are those who glory
in Christ Jesus. We are those who put no confidence
in the flesh. That is to be our mindset. Paul
says we are to be totally and completely focused on making
the maximum effort, everything in us in pursuing Christ. One
said it this way, he said, let this be our mindset, not to sit
down satisfied with past progress, not focused upon it and feeling
as if nothing else were done until, pardon me, but rather
feeling as if nothing else were done until all is done. To so
think of the past and to throw ourselves onto the future, one
must be found in Christ and filled with the ardent desire to know
Him and the power of His resurrection. To have such a view of ourselves
and to have such a view of the greatness of the future, that
one day we will be glorified and every day is to be a step
towards that glory. Not waiting for it as something
to be bestowed, but something for which we labor for every
day. One said it this way, forget
the past. To have such a sense of the magnitude
of the prize is to be constantly dissatisfied with any former
attainments, to be ever pressing on to something higher, to have
such an ideal of Christ as to make one constantly feel his
own littleness and insufficiency. This implies knowing Christ,
being found in Christ, casting aside human righteousness and
such knowledge of the eternal possibilities of life in Christ
as can be obtained only through oneness in Him. We are in Christ. There’s a second principle, a
second light on our path in the course of this righteousness.
In our hot pursuit of sanctification, Paul says, we shall not only
cultivate a mature mindset, but we shall receive a divine corrective. And that’s good news. That’s
good news. Paul says, let us therefore,
as many as are perfect, have this attitude. Be mature, he
says. And I love this. As a pastor,
I love this as a child of God. And if anything, you have a different
attitude. God will reveal that to you. Sometimes, As a pastor, you have
this tendency to think that you’ve got to be the one that fixes
everybody. Paul himself didn’t even take that attitude. The
greatest pastor the church has ever known outside of Christ.
Paul said, you know what? I’m going to teach what I can.
I’m going to show you what I can. Ultimately, you’re in God’s hands
and they’re good hands. And if there’s any discrepancy,
if there’s any error in your attitude, if there’s any thing
that needs adjustment, God’s going to fix that. In this, I
hear an echo of a conversation that I had with college young
people one night. I’ve shared it before in various
contexts. I had a young person tell me
in hearing of three or four others, I only learn lessons the hard
way. And I replied from much personal
and painful experience, that’s unfortunate. Because God has
the resources to teach you the hard way every time. That’s what
he’s talking about here. God will rise to the occasion.
If you think that maybe you don’t have to be as energetic as you
need to be. If you don’t have to study in
the Scriptures. If you don’t have to cultivate
a life of prayer. If you don’t have to do those
things. If your mindset is different. If you’re not as zealous as Paul.
Paul says, you know what? God will fix that. We have need
of wisdom. Because as young people, we know
everything, right? No, we don’t. We think we do. But God will fix what needs fixing
in time. It’s already established. It’s
an established fact from the previous section that we are
far from perfect. We are holy ones, yet we are
far from actual holiness. Likewise, our thinking is far
from perfect, isn’t it? Those saints of God that have
walked the longest with God know that the best, don’t they? And
those that are in that process and have begun to figure some
things out and begun to have God bring us to our knees and
to teach us a few things, to teach us wisdom, We have begun
to know that enough to look to younger people and plead with
them. And yet, ultimately, they must
learn God’s way, don’t they? Our thinking is far from perfect.
Our doctrine, our attitudes, our mindset is always in need
of further sanctification itself, isn’t it? What Paul refers to
here is not heresy of doctrine, not false teaching, but really
incomplete Maybe misdirected passions, maybe absent passions,
maybe impure motives, a faulty mindset. That’s what Paul’s after.
One described it this way, the phrase signifies a general disposition
of mind rather than the actual specific act and thought. The
apostle is not dealing particularly with differences of opinion.
In other words, Paul is so graciously here. It’s not that he’s saying,
boy, God will fix you and correct you and bring you into line with
my teaching. That’s not at all what he’s saying. But rather dispositions which
underlie the spiritual life, indolence, sloth. The differences concern form,
he goes on to say, a point of emphasis, the extent of an application
rather than substance or subject matter. In other words, what
Paul is saying here is that, look, every saint of God is going
to need these corrections. Every saint is going to need
to be called before God and chastised and corrected and to have our
mind constantly schooled, aren’t we? The point of comparison here
is that we are to have a humble self estimate. And I don’t you
hopefully like me always bristle when somebody refers to you as
humble, you’re so humble. Not yet. As soon as somebody
calls you that, you know, you’re not that yet. We’re constantly
be striving towards a humble self-estimate. We’re constantly
to be striving in earnest towards Christ likeness, towards gaining
that mindset. And God is constantly teaching,
isn’t he? He’s talking about these minor
characteristics of Christian life. I don’t believe he’s talking
about heresy here, although God will fix that, too. As one pointed out, John Eady,
the great preacher, he said he is not pointing to any essential
points of doctrine. God will. That’s the very great
purpose why Paul wrote those pastoral epistles. But he’s here
talking about our mindset, our attitudes. He goes on to say
they might not see those relations of truth as clearly as Paul.
You know what? That’s what frees me up as a
pastor. That’s what frees you up as one who is discipling another.
That’s what frees you up as someone older in the Lord, looking to
those and becoming frustrated, don’t we? And you know what? It frees us up even with regards
to ourselves and being frustrated with ourselves. God will adjust
our attitude. God will adjust theirs as well.
Ultimately, we are in the hand of God. Perhaps others convictions aren’t
as intense as ours. Maybe their progress isn’t as
has been as rapid as ours. Their rise to Christian scholarship
hasn’t met the pace that ours took on. God will fix them. God will minister to them. One said it this way, the difference
of view is not some willful and wicked misperception, some wretched
prejudice. adhered to with inveterate or
malignant obstinacy. I love the Puritans. It was rather
some truth not fully seen in all of its bearings. Doesn’t
this sound like a young person or a young person in Christ?
They don’t know what’s at stake. God will fix it. He goes on to
say some principle not so perceived as to be carried out in all its
details and consequences. Some department of duty which
they might apprehend rather than merely appreciate. I love that. Some state of mind which they
admire in others, but do not own for themselves. Don’t you
look about and you see other Christians and you admire their
graciousness. You admire some grace at work
in their life. But to admire it is not to own
it and possess it. And that’s what Paul’s talking
about here. God will adjust your attitude. God will fix it in
time. And on the path of sanctification,
that’s one of the happy spotlights that shines so brightly for the
saints. We can yearn for it all that
we want, but there are attitudes and behaviors that we are utterly
blind to. That God will uncover in time.
Look at the passage as it continues. If in anything you have a different
attitude, do you see the completeness of this? This is you are in full
view of God himself. And God says that if there’s
anything that’s flawed, any attitude, any mindset, any behavior that
is flawed, he’s going to fix. God will reveal that to you also. The apostle says, look, My teaching
set aside for a moment. For a moment. He says ultimately,
all of whatever enlightenment we have, the light on our path
to righteousness is ultimately shown by God Himself. It is work that is taken out
of our hands as disciples, as pastors, as mentors in the faith,
as big brothers and sisters in Christ, Ultimately, God will
fix them. The word here is a familiar one
to you. It is apocalypto. Apocalypse. The revelation. It means to unveil
something that is hidden. Giving light where there is none.
Knowledge where is lacking. God says here He will give light
to His servants. He will give insight. He will
give the divine truth. And repeatedly throughout Scripture,
we have this promise. Jesus in Matthew 11.25, I praise
you, Father, the Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden
these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed
them to infants. God is always the One. He may
use some teacher. He may use some pastor, some
scripture. He may use whatever he chooses
to use. Remember, God even used a donkey. But ultimately, it’s God. It’s
God that shines the light. It’s God that reveals truth.
It’s God that will reveal our misplaced attitudes to us. We have this promise throughout
Paul’s epistles as well. Ephesians 3.5, other generations
not made known to the sons of men. It is now been revealed. 1 Corinthians 2.10, for to us,
God revealed these things through the Spirit. It’s a great section. 1 Corinthians 2.10-16 where ultimately
we see that all, all truth, is ultimately revealed by God himself,
by whatever means is utilized. One Puritan said it this way,
Paul evidently does not mean such supernatural communications
of truth as were made to prophets and apostles and other inspired
teachers of the church. If you know that your attitude
is off, if you’re indolent and lazy, spiritually speaking, don’t
go home and lay down your head and wish for some kind of a divine
dream, a vision. That’s not at all what we can
expect. He goes on and says, for this
statement refers to Christians generally. In other words, he
says that you can expect one of these divine adjustments just
as readily as the next. We all will receive them. He
means by it that guidance into all needed truth, which the divine
spirit, by means of the seriousness of candor and inquiry, in other
words, how badly do you want it? And spiritual sensibility, how
does it come? Do we have to wait for a vision?
Do we light a candle and hope for some kind of a divine dream?
No. Says it is by his divine spirit,
by blessing the believers study of the Bible, by conversations
with fellow Christians, by observation of men and things around the
Christian, having asked for direction of the Holy Spirit, knows that
he has received it. And all his progress in spiritual
wisdom, he ascribes to the glory of God. When it’s all said and
done, it’s God who imparts to us this wisdom. And that’s what
is the issue here. It is spiritual wisdom that we
lack. It is an attitude that needs
fixing. And God will do it. God will
do it. God will correct those who need
it. And we all need correction at
some point. God will correct through His
Word, through His Spirit, through chastening. You know, one of
my favorite chapters in the Confession, one of my favorite paragraphs,
rather, is this one. Listen. The most wise, righteous
and gracious God oftentimes leaves for a season His own children.
And you say that’s heresy. Just patience. Doesn’t mean that
He leaves them all together. He leaves them to manifold temptations. What? He leaves them to the corruptions
of their own hearts. You’re kidding me. He leaves
them to chastise them for their former sins or to reveal to them
the hidden strength of corruption. We don’t know how bad sin is.
God does. And He wants to teach us. He
will lead them to the deceitfulness of their hearts that they may
be humbled. He will lead them to raise them to a more close
and constant dependent for their support upon himself. They don’t
love Christ like they should. They don’t depend upon him as
they ought. And to lead them to make them more watchful against
all future occasions of sin and for any other just and holy ends. So that whatever befalls any
of his elect is by his appointment for his glory. And they’re good. God will change our hearts. That’s
the very purpose that God sent the helper into the world, right?
When he, John 16, the spirit of truth comes, he will guide
you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his
own initiative, but whatever he hears, he will speak and he
will disclose to you what is to come. John 16, 8, when he
comes, he will convict the world of sin and righteousness and
judgment. We can expect the light of God’s
countenance to shine on this path of righteousness, we will
be corrected. And what a glorious thing that
is. Thirdly, the third spotlight, if you will, on the path of sanctification,
the third principle in view is that as those in pursuit of Christ
and Christ’s likeness, Christ’s likeness, we shall cultivate
a mature mindset We shall receive a divine corrective and we shall
walk by an established standard. Look at verse 15 and 16 again.
Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude.
And if anything, you have a different attitude. God will reveal that
also to you. However, let us keep living by
that same standard to which we have attained. What you have
here is a warning a severe warning. Because he has just said, look,
if there’s anything that needs fixing, God will do it. And the
tendency might be to lean back and to say, well, if God’s going
to fix it, I’ll just wait for God to fix it. Right? In fact,
I can even coast if necessary. I can even shift it back into
reverse. God’s in control. I’m in the elect. God will fix
me. Right? Paul says, however, Let
us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. You
know what this warning reminds me of? It reminds me of Romans
14. In Romans 14, you have this whole
great, big, long discussion of Christian freedoms, right? Christian
liberties. And Paul basically summarizes
it in these simple words. He says, the faith which you
have, have as your own conviction. And they all scattered separate
ways to go exercise their Christian liberty. Right? But not before
he could give out this solemn warning. The faith which you
have, have as your own conviction before God. Happy is he. Oh, how very happy is he who
does not condemn himself in what he approves. And they all paused. Paul says, if you have a different
attitude, God will fix it. But let us keep living by that
same standard to which we have attained. There can be no falling
back. There can be no setting aside.
Whatever you know now, you know. Whatever you have before you,
you are responsible for. Whatever level of Christian instruction
you have gained already, you are already responsible for.
There can be no backtracking. There can be no scurrying back
down the mountain. There are things where we need
further revelation, but the condition of receiving that further revelation
is faithfulness. Faithfulness to what we already
have and living according to that. The apostle speaks of a
future enlightening. The Apostle says that we’re going
to gain further instruction from the Lord. But meanwhile, he talks
here of what we already know. And he says that there is a duty
that is incumbent upon all Christians that are in possession of that
knowledge to live according to it. As one said, the revelation
of which Paul speaks may contain new information. That’s what
revelation is, right? But it is additional information. It presupposes a present level
of knowledge, and the apostle insists upon its use even prior
to the reception of insight, which God’s illumination would
bring. Do you hear what he’s saying?
Don’t go home today and wish for some zap from heaven that’s
going to make you more faithful. Be faithful with what you know
today. And perhaps tomorrow God will
grant you that new view, that new perspective. This word here,
the same standard, it refers to a row. It refers to a row
in a garden. I love driving past cornfields
in the summer. Isn’t it interesting to look
over there and just see them go by rapid fire? All in a perfect
row. That’s the image here that he
has. It originally meant in military,
it meant to march in battle order, one right after the other. In
other words, Paul says you got in line. Don’t get out of line. You placed yourself or were placed
better by God’s grace on the path of righteousness. Don’t
get off that path. You know what’s right. You know
what’s good. You know what’s proper. Do it.
And don’t quit doing it. What he’s talking about here
is the basics of Christianity, the minimum Christian standard.
Whatever you know now, live according to what you know. Regardless of whatever differences
of opinion, whatever you may not know, which God has already
purposed and promised that he will correct. There is a measure
of revealed truth that you already own. You know that you are supposed
to follow hard after Christ. You know that you are supposed
to pursue Christ and His righteousness. There is to be no retreat. There
is to be no regression. There is to be no backsliding,
to use the old Baptist word. The level or degree of Christianity
to which any have already attained is the bare minimum. It’s onward
and upwards. And we press on in Christ and
all along the way, God in His glory will be shining the beacon
of light as we press on ever onwards towards Christ and Christ
likeness. Let’s go before him in prayer.
Our merciful God, we thank you that we are not left to our own
devices. We thank you, Father, that you
have corrected our thinking, that you have made us mature
in Christ. And Father, we know, having already
been corrected countless times as seasoned saints, we know that
you will correct anything that is deficient in our thinking,
in our attitudes, in our passion. Father, grant us the grace to
be faithful in the here and now with the things that You’ve already
called us to, lest we slip and therefore slide. We thank You
and praise You. It’s in Jesus’ name that we pray. Amen. Thank you.