How Do We Get There?

Many of us can tell stories of friends who aren’t believers anymore. Maybe they walked with us as friends on the pilgrim road toward Heaven’s gates for years. Then, it all unraveled one day, or maybe over several weeks, as a pattern of sin, a lack of repentance, a confession of unbelief, or an outright denial of Christ leaked out in tragic detail.

If we’re honest, moments like that can provoke many righteous responses. Grief is a common and wholly appropriate reaction. Often, such a reversal lands on our hearts like betrayal, and we’re hurt. Still, if we think hard enough, we come to realize what a great insult this is to our God, and that can produce more grief, even anger.

We don’t know exactly which emotions formed the tears on Paul’s cheeks, but the original autograph of Philippians may well have had tear stains as Paul wrote:

“For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.” (Philippians 3:18, ESV)

What Happened?

Paul shows us at least four things that go on when a soul turns from Christ. First, they now face judgment and wrath, “Their end is destruction.” Second, they worship themselves with ritual service to their appetites, “their god is their belly.” They don’t care what you think about their sins, third, flaunting their disobedience and mocking righteousness as “they glory in their shame.” Because they can’t see beyond the tip of their nose to grasp an eternal and heavenly perspective. “With minds set on earthly things,” fourth, all they can think about is the next fix, the next vacation, the next promotion, the next party, the next boyfriend, and they laugh at you for not joining them in the obsession.

It’s sad, really, like an oaf who trades his birthright for a bowl of soup, a woman who scorns a loving husband for the attention of a crowd, or a child who prefers making mud pies to a holiday at sea. Men and women the world over exchange the glory of the immortal God for… rubbish (Philippians 3:8).

What Should We Do?

Honest Christians see this pattern in themselves (Romans 7:21-25) and tremble. For, we are not much better. We sin against God’s holiness in a glory-snubbing trade-off daily. We snap at our children because we serve our appetite for scrolling the internet in reverent stillness. Our eyes and hearts wander lustfully over food, bodies, money, status, bigger homes, and curated images of lavish globetrotting. We course-correct, of course, as the Spirit rebukes our consciences and we turn back in confident petition (Hebrews 4:6).

But what if someday… we don’t? Heaven is a long way off, after all; how can we have any hope of getting there?

Paul gives us two things in one: forget the past and strain for the future. Think not of the pleasures of Egypt you once knew, and fix your mind on the promised land across Heaven’s Jordan. Paul combines those two things into one compact verb: “I press on.” The verb is used often in the New Testament, and two out of three times (30 of 45), it’s translated as “I persecute.”

Let that sink in, persecute the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. **

Paul, the former persecutor, says, forget what’s behind and focus on what’s ahead, and persecute… the upward call of Christ. The effect is this: apply the same zeal you used to give to your sinful passions towards making progress towards heaven and stop worrying about falling away.

Keep your eyes on heaven and the Savior who dwells there, and those earthly things will slowly fade from your mind.

It’s really that simple: just keep your chin up. When your sin makes you look at your dirty shoes dejectedly as they scuffle along the path, “lift your eyes,” remember you’ve been forgiven, and keep going… press on.

“Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.” (Philippians 4:1)