Once again I please God to help
us as we turn to meditate in the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians
and chapter 3 and this evening we'll read verses 15, 16 and
17. Philippians chapter 3 verses 15 to 17. Let us therefore as
many as be perfect be thus minded. And if in anything
ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have
already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind
the same thing. Brethren, be followers together
of me, and mark them which walk, so as ye have us for an example. So as the Apostle continues his
letter to the Philippians, he says, let us therefore, and of
course he's referring to what he's already stated, in the earlier
verses. Let us therefore as many as be
perfect. Well, he doesn't mean of course
absolute perfection, but what he really means is this, to be
complete. And not as children, but as those
who are grown up and those who therefore have a greater spiritual
knowledge through the grace of God. And so we should be thankful
for what the Apostle is able to state in such a case as this. Let us therefore as many as be
perfect, remember those who are growing in grace, be thus minded. What he's referring to is that
which he's spoken of as Before, therefore, and as you may remember,
he's directed us very clearly in the importance of recognizing
and knowing the great blessing of being in Christ and knowing
Christ. And the seventh verse tells us,
but what things were gained to me, those I counted lost for
Christ. Remember he's saying here, to
be thus minded, so it's good if we consider what things were
gained to us, we count loss for Christ, and then he says, yea,
doubtless, and I count all things but loss, for the excellency
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered
the loss of all things, and do countenance but done, that I
may win Christ and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of
Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may
know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship
of his sufferings, be made conformable unto his death, if by any means
I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Well that which
I just read is just one sentence and it is a very important and
it's a very wonderful sentence that the Apostle was able to
set before the Philippians and to set before us here tonight. And what a mercy for us if God
has blessed us with such a spirit, such desires, indeed to know
the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified above everything that
this vain world has to offer because it's all fading and it's
all passing away. But those things which are in
Christ, the Apostle outlines it so clearly, and be found in
Him not having our own righteousness. And as I'm sure you know, we're
told it is as filthy rags, but here the righteousness of Christ,
of course, is pure and holy and spotless. And what a wonderful
blessing if we therefore not look into ourselves, our own
righteousness, which he says, which is of the law. And our
righteousness therefore in ourselves is depending upon keeping the
law, which we cannot do and therefore is really of no value. But he says then, but that which
is through the faith of Christ, the faith given to us by Christ,
to believe in Christ, the righteousness which is of God, by faith. And then he gives us this wonderful
statement, and I may know him, and the power is resurrection. It is resurrection power which
of course gives us spiritual life. When the apostle says,
and you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and in
sins, he means spiritually we have been dead and what a mercy
therefore we've been made spiritually alive and therefore if we have
been it's the power of his resurrection. Power to raise the dead naturally,
power to raise the dead spiritually. What a blessing for us tonight. And then he says, and the fellowship
of his sufferings be made conformable unto his death. Naturally speaking,
we probably recoil at fellowship with his sufferings, but it doesn't
mean that we might think in a physical sense. It may be a physical sense,
but there are many things of course that the Saviour suffered
in his life in all the accusations, all the difficulties that he
had to face and to realize that the Apostle says fellowship with
his sufferings because it does bring us into that blessed condition
of union, union with Christ, being made conformable unto his
death if by any means, whatever the cost, whatever it might take,
I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead, spiritually and
naturally. And so he says, let us therefore,
as many as be perfect, be thus minded. And if in anything ye
be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. The Lord looks at our hearts
and he sees whether perhaps we're not thinking clearly and plainly,
and the Lord will If we are amongst those who have been made spiritually
alive, the Lord will reveal his great truths unto us, and what
a mercy that is. And so he says then, nevertheless,
whereunto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule,
let us mind the same things. You see, to those who are spiritually
alive, There have been some attainments, not because of what they've done,
but because of their own ability. It's by the grace of God. And that's why the grace of God
becomes very glorious and very precious. Because it's through
that, through His grace, that we do attain to a knowledge of
the Blessed Saviour in His life and in His death. He tells us
then, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. In this epistle to the Philippians,
the Apostle sets before us so many good things, as he did to
them in those days, and we need the same direction today. And then he says in verse 17,
brethren, be followers together. If we are truly born again, we
are brethren, one toward another. And he says, brethren, be followers
together of me. He wasn't boasting of his great
and glorious personal life. He tells us what he'd been in
the earlier part of this chapter, how bad he'd been. And yet you
see, by the grace of God, he was what he was. And therefore
he tells us, brethren, be followers together of me. Well, we have
this example, we have this testimony, and what a mercy it is to be
a true follower. Being in samples, as the Apostle
says, when he wrote to Timothy, He said, let no man despise thy
youth, but be thou an example of the believers in word, in
conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. It's a high standard, isn't it?
What a blessing it is that the Lord gives us such gracious words
to encourage us and also When the Apostle Peter wrote, he said,
neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples
to the flock. What a mercy then, if that is
what we desire to be. Brethren, be followers together
of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. A great deal of instruction,
very precious and glorious instruction really, in the Epistle of Paul
to the Philippians. And let us not think, well, that
was the Apostle Paul, I can never attain unto that. May the Lord
give us that grace to a desire to be found following such an
example. And of course his example followed
the wonderful example of the Saviour himself.