Philippians 3:17-21 Living In The Future Tense

My commentary calls these verses “Living in the Future Tense” and we find Paul weeping for professed Christians who were living for earthly things.  He said, “Many people are living like enemies of the cross of Christ.”  Paul has been talking about Christians, so something is wrong with Christians here, he says, that will end in their destruction.

First, they are doing whatever their bodies want.

Secondly, they are proud of their shameful acts.

Also, they think only about earthly things.

They were to be spiritually minded – “looking at earth from heaven’s point of view,” seeing things as God sees them.  When we do this, “we stop being attracted by things of this world.  We make decisions on the basis of eternal values and not the passing fads of society.”

We even see today people who profess to be citizens of heaven but whose lives don’t show it – there’s no evidence that the Holy Spirit is controlling their lives.  They’re energized by the flesh and they get all the glory, my commentary said.

In contrast, a true believer crucifies the flesh and the world.  “It is the cross that is central in the life of the believer.”  We are looking for our Savior to return, and “there is tremendous energy in the present power of a future hope.  Abraham looked for a city, so he was content to live in a tent … Because of the joy set before Him, Jesus was willing to endure the cross.”  We should do the same – knowing that He’s coming back for us we should be content to obey, not living for the things of this world.  “What we do today is governed by what Christ will do in the future,” my commentary added.

Verse 21 says Christ will “subdue all things unto Himself.”  My commentary says that means “to arrange in ranks,” and that our problem today is that we don’t arrange things in their proper order.  So we waste energy on useless activities; also we allow our vision to be clouded by these things, to the point that Christ’s return isn’t our primary motivation for living.  It says we have to let Christ arrange the things in life according to their proper rank, living with eternity’s values in view.

Father, allow me to see things from Your point of view every day.  Don’t let me get my priorities out of order from Yours.  Keep me motivated to do what You want me to be doing.  I want that tremendous energy that comes from the present power of my future hope!

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford