"Enemies of the Cross or Citizens of Heaven?"

“Enemies of the Cross or Citizens of Heaven?”

 

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 our citizenship is in Heaven.  And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.

Philippians 3:18-21

 

The Apostle Paul’s concern for the TRUE BELIEVERS in Philippi was that they FOLLOW his example, because MANY were living as ENEMIES of the CROSS of CHRIST.  And he did NOT want anyone to be led astray.  So he tells them about the DESTINY and the ATTRIBUTES of those who may PROFESS to be Christians, but they don’t POSSESS the SALVATION, which makes them a TRUE BELIEVER, or a TRUE CHILD of God.

 

Notice that the FIRST thing Paul says concerns their DESTINY, which is DESTRUCTION, not total annihilation, but RUINATION of their FALSE BELIEF SYSTEM and an ETERNAL SEPARATION from ALL that is GOOD, and from GOD also. 

 

Then Paul tells them WHY they are ENEMIES of the CROSS of CHRIST.  He says their god is their stomach, their mind set is on their OWN fleshly desires and their gluttony, their GLORY is in their SHAME, they practice SELF-GLORIFICATION of their WORLDLY, FLESHLY, SINFUL deeds, the very things they SHOULD be ASHAMED of.  Their MIND-SET is on EARTHLY things, UNGODLY things that they thought would bring them merit with God.    Do YOU fit into this category?

 

Now, Paul changes the conversation over to the OUTCOME for a TRUE BELIEVER.  He says, our CITIZENSHIP is in HEAVEN.  Because we are NOT TRULY at HOME on this wretched, sinful, depraved, lost world, but our ETERNAL HOME awaits our arrival.  And we EAGERLY await a SAVIOR, who will come and escort us to our TRUE FOREVER HOME.  And He will, by His SUPERNATURAL POWER, TRANSFORM our LOWLY BODIES, into GLORIOUS BODIES, just like His.  What a DAY that will be!!  EVEN SO, COME QUICKLY, LORD JESUS!!   Is this YOUR DESTINY?

 

It can be, it you will give your HEART and LIFE to GOD, by coming to Him with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, TURNING AWAY from your sinful lifestyle and TURNING TO God, CONFESSING your sins to Him, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and ESCAPE an ETERNITY in Hell, and gain your CITIZENSHIP into HEAVEN.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!