Alright, that text that we're
going to read is Philippians 3 and verse 17 down through verse
21. And again, in this you'll run
across what we will have for our text today, our heavenly
citizenship or our heavenly commonwealth or city. Verse 17, Paul begins
to exhort them, Brethren, be followers together of me. and mark them which walk so as
ye have us for an example. For many walk, of whom I have
told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are
the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose
God is their belly, and whose glory is their shame, who mind
earthly things. For our conversation is in heaven,
from which also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
who shall change our vile body, that it might be fashioned like
unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is
able even to subdue all things unto Himself." Now in the 20th
verse, Look at the words, for our conversation is in heaven. Now, it is obvious that in but
a single study, we can only consider a small portion of this epistle. And it seems that we likely need
to consider some individual words that are found in our text, particularly
in our title, that we might better understand their meaning. That
would be the word, conversation. But first, let us consider the
sovereign providence of God that directed Paul in such an irresistible
way that the gospel came to Philippi, and out of that a church, a gospel
church, was raised up there in that city. Now, the account of
Philippi you will find in the 16th chapter of the book of Acts,
verse 6 through verse 12, on Paul's second missionary journey. Paul had in his mind to go one
way, over into Asia. He had it in his mind to preach
the gospel over into Asia. But in Acts 16 and verse 6, He
was forbidden by the Holy Spirit to do so. In some way, the Spirit
hindered or cut off or blocked up His way. And in verse 7, He
tried then, or the word is endeavored, to enter into the area of Bithynia. But again, the Holy Spirit of
God would not allow Paul to go in that direction. And when he
had come to the place called Troas, it was there that Paul
saw in a vision a man of Macedonia. And that man of Macedonia calling
for help, come over and help us. And by such God's will, was
clearly revealed and made known unto Paul. And in verse 10, the
last part of Acts chapter 16, he was able to conclude, and
that with great assurance and confidence that God had called
them to evangelize Macedonia. And that, my brothers and sisters,
is how the providence of God ordered his step so that he came
to preach the gospel in Philippi. And in Acts chapter 16 and verse
12, it calls the city, the chief city, or the margin has it, the
first city of that area. It was a leading city. Perhaps
one of the earliest established in the area of Macedonia. And you might remember from reading
through the 16th chapter of the book of Acts, an incident that
occurred soon after his arrival. And that was that down by the
riverside where prayer was wont to be made, the first convert,
Lydia, a woman selling a purple, whose heart the Lord opened and
she attended or listened or was obedient to the preaching of
Paul. The Lord opened her heart and
she gave heed to the things that were being heard. In fact, my
brethren, we read of three great and amazing conversions in the
city of Philippi as Paul was there preaching the gospel. The
first one I have mentioned is the woman Lydia. a cellar of
dyes, or of dyed material, and the providence of God had brought
her there. She was a worshipper of God already,
but had not yet heard the gospel of Christ our Lord. And the Scripture
said the Lord opened her heart, and she believed on the Lord,
and she was baptized and was most hospitable unto Paul and
unto his company, inviting them in for food and lodging. Now the second conversion in
Philippi was a maiden that was possessed with a spirit of divination. A spirit of Python is how most
people choose to render that. And she made a lot of money for
her masters by telling fortunes and telling the future and practicing
soothsaying and the like. And as Paul would pass by, she
would cry out and mock him, these servants of the Most High God. Finally, Paul cast the demon
out of her. She lost her ability or art of
soothsaying, and the hope of her master's gain was gone, and
they lit up on Paul and Silas and threw them in the jail. Now the third great and significant
conversion was the Philippian jailer in chapter 16, verse 25
through verse 31. The Philippian jailer was converted
as Paul and Silas sang and prayed at midnight and the doors were
flung open. And the jailer believed, and
he washed Paul's and Silas' wounds and brought them into his house,
and therefore was very hospitable unto them. So you can see by
these three examples that the gospel came to Philippi and made
a great impact upon some in the city. Paul had not tarried long. in that particular place. He
did not found the church that is there, but he was an instrument
of God to raise up people believing and the church established. Now,
the main reason for Paul writing this Philippian epistle back
to the church there was because the church at Philippi had taken
up an offering to help the Apostle Paul And they sent that offering
to him in prison at Rome by the hand of Ephroditus, one of the
brothers that were there. You'll see that in chapter 4
and verses 10-18 of the book of Philippians. And that brother
who had brought the offering unto Paul, and then Paul pens
this epistle and he sends it back to the church by that same
brother, Ephroditus. Now this is the epistle, Philippians,
that contains one of the outstanding passages anywhere in the New
Testament. It is Philippians, the second
chapter, that has that great passage on the kenosis. Chapter 2, verse 5 through verse
11. Paul writes this to make it a
model or an example to motivate the saints of God there to humility,
to deny themselves and serve one another. And the greatest
example that He can bring before them is that of the Lord Jesus
Christ, who though being in the form of God, was made in the
form of a servant. So you can see that this epistle
is rich in theology and in practical things. But our focus today is
upon the passage and a few words in Philippians 3 and verse 20. And here is where the word study
comes into play or into focus. Paul's use, or rather the translation
of the word conversation here in our King James Version, our
conversation is in heaven. is how the word is translated
in the authorized version. This word might be called, and
is, an archaic word, which has pretty much fallen out of use
over time, so that when we hear the word conversation in our
day, we are apt to automatically think of Our speech, our conversing,
our words, our oral speaking, of talking back and forth, of
exchanging ideas one with another. And though the word is used some
18 or 20 times in the New Testament, listen to this, brethren, it
never refers to speech or to talk. And this word, 18 or 20
times scattered throughout the Scripture, never has the meaning
of speaking, or talking, or conversing. The most common way that the
word is used in the New Testament, and again, in the King James
Version, is the word that means conduct, or behavior, or manner
of life, and that would be the word anastrophe, and this is
the word and the meaning in such text as Ephesians 2 and verse
3, in which we all had our conversation. Again, it's not talking about
speech, but our manner of life, or our conduct, or our behavior
in time past. 2 Corinthians 1 and verse 12. And by Paul again in Galatians
1 and verse 13. He said, you have heard of my
conversation in time past in the Jews' religion." He means
his conduct, or his behavior, or manner of life in the Jews'
religion. But Paul uses a different word
in the verse that we have this morning. He uses it in two forms
right here in the Philippian epistle. Now the word is poitima. And it has to do with citizenship. In chapter 3 and verse 20, it
means citizenship. In Philippians 1.27, it refers
to behavior or conduct of one who is a citizen. And in 3.20,
reference to the heavenly status of the children of God. And so,
the word conversation, you might see this very word rendered colony,
you might see it rendered commonwealth, you might see it rendered city,
or you might see it rendered as citizenship. Now, in our text,
let's draw back, take a look at the larger context that we
read this morning, and see what moves Paul to mention their heavenly
citizenship, or their heavenly city, and how it is pertinent
to the apostles' flow of thought in this chapter of the Word. Now, the apostles open the chapter
by giving them a warning against false teachers, who he refers
to as slashers. They want to slash and cut in
circumcision. You see that in verse 2 through
verse 7. Then, in the same chapter, chapter
3, In v. 8-11, there is put up here a
contrast between two things. The righteousness of faith and
the righteousness of the law. Then in v. 12-14, Paul's humble
scribing after the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus
Christ. He speaks of, finally in verse
15 and 16, He exhorts them to Christian unity and to be of
one mind and purpose and such like. Then, in verse 17 and to
the end of the chapter, He is making a contrast between the
true children of God and false professors. We notice that the
translators of the King James have put verse 18 and 19 in brackets
or parentheses so that we could go from verse 17 straight to
verse 20 and have an understandable flow of thought of the Apostle
as seen here, which I will demonstrate. Verse 17, Brethren, be followers,
or literally, be imitators of me, and mark them which walk. So as you have us for an example. Then verse 20, For our conversation
is in heaven, from which we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus
Christ. So that would make a complete
thought. But he has in mind those who
profess Christ here imitate them and walk in their way because
our colony is in heaven. His mind, however, thinks of
another class of people, a large class of people that populate
the world. And he uses them as an exhortive
example to enforce his premise which is, the imitators of me,
and mark others who so walk. For, or because, or since, there
are many who are the enemies of the cross of Christ. Many
in this world are such. Please note Paul's urgency. There are many of whom I have
told you. I have told you this And I have
told you often. I have told you repeatedly of
this. And now I tell you even weeping
that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ our Lord. So when Paul speaks of the cross,
he means the way of redemption or of salvation through the death
of Christ who died upon the cross. And the entire preaching of the
gospel of Christ is drawn together in this matter of the cross. But also, they disliked the offense
of the cross. They did not like the offense
that it gave. They avoided such strong association
with the gospel as would bring them under any kind of persecution. And that it did to those who
were in the Lord. In large part, their enmity,
that other group, that enmity against the cross and the gospel
way of salvation was because of their ignorance of the true
nature and the design of the suffering and death of our Lord
and Savior. And it was because Also, they
had no true sense of their own sin and their need of a Savior
and a redemption. Thus, in verse 19, their end
will be dreadful. It will be fearful. They mind
earthly things. Their God is their belly. They
are apostate. They know not Christ. They satisfy
their lusts, and to top it off, What they count to be their glory
actually turns out to be their shame. They, in their ignorance
and wickedness, gloried in their own shame. Many do that. And
their mind is upon earthly things. But now in verse 20, our conversation,
he said, our commonwealth, our citizenship, our city is in heaven. The other day in Louisiana, I
used part of this text for the funeral, but I did not have time
to get into this that I wanted to really look at this morning,
that is, our heavenly citizenship. Suffice it to say, the Christian
holds a dual citizenship. The Christian is a citizen of
two countries, if you will. By their natural birth, they
are citizens of an earthly nation or country. They are a citizen. They are a townsman. They are
what we call a native. This is the result of natural
birth, of being born of a certain parent in a certain place. We, by birth, are resident citizens
of our parents' nation and country or town. Paul, you remember,
held citizenship in the Roman Empire in Acts 16, 37, Acts 22,
25 through verse 30, and he used it to his advantage when he was
in great trouble, that he was a citizen of that great empire
or kingdom. But on the other hand, the Christian
is also a citizen of another world or of another kingdom,
of another city. And that is because of Christ,
and because of His redemptive work, and because of the new
birth and our regeneration. This world is not the final home
of the child of God. They are citizens in waiting. of a new and a better world or
country? How did the saints come to have
citizenship in the celestial city of God? How is it that Paul
can say, your conversation is yonder in heaven? How was their
heavenly citizenship established and validated so that it was
indeed valid? How is it secure and safe in
our absence. Now, Paul gives the fact, but
not the means in Philippians 3 and verse 20. He just makes
the contrast, the whole of many minor earthly things. Our commonwealth or citizenship
or city is in heaven. It is not earthly, it is heavenly. to get at this, let's remember
that the Christian life, well, the Christian not only has dual
citizenship, but the Christian life actually has two parts,
if I may put it in that way, if this is the right way to say
it. By which we mean that the Christian lives for a time as
a Christian in this world and upon this earth. And he lives
in a fleshly body. And he lives here, or she, among
the enemies of the cross and haters of God. They are in the
world, Christians are, but they are not of the world. They, like
Abraham, are looking for a city which has foundations, whose
builder and maker is God. The Christian lives in the world,
or upon the earth, and he does so for a time, and that is till
the body dies. And then, the next part of the
Christian life is lived in the city, where their citizenship
has been established, and a dwelling place has been prepared for them
by the Lord Jesus Christ. But let us remember that all,
even the elect, even those now in Christ, once walked according
to the course of this world, according to the Prince of the
power of the air, the Spirit that now works in disobedient
children. They walked in the lust of the
flesh, fulfilling the desire of the flesh and of the mind. But at the time appointed, God,
by the Holy Spirit of God, quickened them who were before dead in
trespasses and in sin. And just hear what Paul says
about that event over in Ephesians 2 and verse 6, "...and has raised
us up together, and caused our mates to sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus." Or literally, in the heavenlies, has made us
or caused us to sit together in the heavenly. Such are spiritually
raised. Together is a word there, and
I do not take that word together to mean Jew or Gentile together,
or even to mean one saint with all others together. But as Goodwin
wrote, the together refers to our mutual union with the Lord
Jesus Christ. We are raised up together with
Christ to sit in heavenly places. You remember that Paul, in Galatians
2.20, declared himself to be co-crucified with Christ. He said, I am crucified with
Christ nevertheless, I live." And we died with Him. We died
in Him to sin and to the world. Even so, he tells the Ephesians,
we have been raised together with the Lord and made to sit
together in heavenly places. Now Paul's doctrine is God has
raised up Christ and has sent Him at His own right hand in
the heavenlies above principalities and powers and all powers that
are known. Ephesians 1, verse 20 and 21. And, says Paul, God has raised
us up together to sit in the heavenlies that in the ages to
come He might show by us or in us the exceeding riches of His
grace through Jesus Christ. You see that in Ephesians 2,
verse 6 and verse 7. Now to sum up, God raised Christ
from the dead and He quickened us from our deadness in trespasses
and in sin. I'm making the point because
regeneration is that that spans the great divide from dead to
alive in Christ. from dead in sin to alive in
Him. For without regeneration, or
before regeneration, there can be no life in Christ or fellowship
with Him at all. Job wants to ask an interesting
question. Job chapter 14, If a man die,
shall he live again? So then we ask, if a soul be
dead in trespasses and in sin, shall it be made alive? If a
body be dead, shall it be made alive again? If a soul be dead,
shall it be made alive again? Yes, by the same power that raised
up Jesus Christ from the grave. Consider another passage from
Paul. This one is found in Colossians 1 and verse 13 where he makes
another statement of the great change that salvation has wrought
or made in the life. In speaking of what benefits
we have from Christ, you know that closely parallels the Ephesian
epistle. In speaking of those benefits
that we have from Christ, he says, who has delivered us from
the power or the authority of darkness, and has translated,
or has transferred us into the kingdom of His dear Son." Look
at that great transfer. Delivered us, rescued us, took
us out of the kingdom of darkness, and transferred us into the kingdom
of His dear Son. That's why we live in this world. "...This He hath done to make
us, according to verse 12, meet, fit, or qualify to us to be partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in light." That you find in Colossians
chapter 1 also. Literally, to have part or lot
in the saints or with the saints in light. reference back to the
Old Testament when they cashed lots and things were decided
by that. So our lot is to be made partakers
of the inheritance of the saints in life. Now hear the darkness
and the light, or the contrast, in the Colossian epistle. We
were enslaved. We were in bondage. We were in
a land or a kingdom of absolute darkness or sin, and He rescued
us, He delivered us, brought us out from that bondage and
out of the power of darkness. Paul uses here an expression
from the classical Greek writers of his day and before. And it
is a very expressive picture when we see the meaning of this
word that Paul uses. It describes the transporting
of a body of people from one territory and settling or colonizing
them in another territory or colony. Lightfoot expressed the
thought this way, And He resettled them in another
territory, making them the subjects of His Son and of that kingdom. And this is how it came to be
that our city is yonder in heaven. We're citizens there. The commonwealth
of the redeemed is in heaven. And in time, we'll put off their
earthly houses and they will enter into that eternal bliss. Now, in the world, not in the
world, but not in the world are we. We're in it, but not of it. Strangers and pilgrims we are
living in a barren wilderness. We are the Jerusalem which is
above, is the mother of us all. Paul said in Galatians 4 and
verse 26, And that's why some early Christians took joyfully
the spoiling of their goods, knowing in themselves that they
had a better and enduring substance. Hebrews 10 and verse 34. Paul the writer is amazed at
how they endured and how they took that joyfully, the spoiling
of their goods, that they might have a better and an enduring
substance yonder in the world that was to come." These earthly
substances were taken away by violence and by force. The things which they subsisted
on in their earthly life, their goods, the necessities of life
were taken away. Owen said that the words imply
this, quote, things of present use, unquote, These others took
away from them by force. Not just luxuries, but things
present and things of supportment to sustain them in this life. And we've all seen interviews
with people destroyed, all that they had, tornado, flood, fire,
standing pitifully in front of their destroyed place saying,
we have lost all. Everything we have is gone. Everything
that we have worked for is gone. And these early Christians had
that idea, saying we've lost everything, but we are sustained
by the fact that we know we have a more enduring substance in
heaven, a better and an enduring one. a remaining substance and
enduring one, perhaps is the meaning of the word, is laid
up and is reserved for them and is found yonder in heaven. They know that they have right
and they have title to it by and through Jesus Christ. They
also know that it cannot be spoiled, that it cannot be taken away
by routine, They know that it is reserved for them in heaven. Paul said something that was
not boasting. Paul said, henceforth there is
laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous
judge, shall give me at His appearing, not only to me, but also those
that love His appearing. This is purchased for us by the
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. So it is not a pipe dream. It is not pie in the sky. The reality of salvation is again
set forth by Paul in Colossians 3, 1-4, saying something like
this, being risen with Christ, set your affection on things
above, not on things of this earth, where Christ sitteth on
the right hand of God. For ye are dead, and your life
is hid with Christ in God." In fact, he calls Christ there,
our life. Back to Philippians, the third
chapter, and in the passage we see the word for, f-o-r, twice
in this passage that we read. And as John Eady wrote, the double
for interweaves the thoughts together. The double for ties
all of the thoughts together so that they flow. Let's see
how. Paul said, walk so as you have
us for an example. For many walk as the enemies
of the cross. Again he said, the imitators
of me. For our city is in heaven. And both parts look back to the
exhortation in the 17th verse. Note also in verse 20, our text,
not only are we the citizens of heaven from which we look
for our Savior to appear, Jesus, for it is the truth that Jesus
is said to be in the heaven at the right hand of God in heaven
itself. He entered heaven at His ascension. And from heaven we look for Him,
Paul said, that He might come. And in coming, verse 21, change
our vile body, our body of humiliation, this lowly, weakly, fleshly,
earthly body that it might be fashioned like unto His glorious
body. How will He do this? In accordance
with the power whereby he is able to subdue all things unto
himself." Yes, says Paul, our conversation is in heaven. Our commonwealth is there. Our
city, our citizenship is there in heaven. And that by and through
Jesus Christ, so that our hope is not empty and vain, we are
assured, assured that Our citizenship is there by and through Christ,
and safe and secured in Him, the Lamb of God who died in our
stead upon the cross, and therefore entered within the veil to prepare
a place for us. We are looking for a city. Abraham
went out not knowing where he went, following God's leadership,
looking for a city which had foundations and whose builder
and maker is God. And the child of God does that. The city foursquare, our citizenship,
has been established in that great country, that great world
that is to come. Thank God for that wonder through
Christ our Lord. All right, if we might stand
together for a word of prayer.