Devotions: Two Ways to Walk

Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

Philippians 3:17-19 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

These verses compare our options in how we walk, two different ways and we must choose who to follow; Paul or enemies of Christ. The unfortunate thing is that the enemies of Christ Paul references are not atheists or persecutors of the church, but people who used to be fellow believers. They were people who once did (and possibly continued to) call themselves Christians, but they ceased to follow Christ and walk as He walked and their end was destruction. They were false teachers, deceiving apostles, disguised workers, and many followed them away. There are three characteristics that not only defined them, but led them away from the path of truth. First, their god was their appetite. They worshipped and followed what they craved and desired rather than curbing their desires and cravings to honor God. This would be seen in their priorities and motives. Second, they gloried in things that actually brought them shame. They gloried in their sin, possibly even bragged about it. They praised what God hated. This may seem outrageous, but it happens in our church today by those who champion the causes of abortion, sex outside of marriage, and distortions of sexuality and marriage. Those are just a few examples. Lastly, they set their minds on earthly things. Instead of focusing on eternity, being motivated by Christ and desiring the things of God, they focused on the things of this life, were motivated by greed and lust, and desired the things of the world. This was their downfall. They wanted the world, and they got it along with its consequences. Paul wept at the thought of their lost state and encouraged the rest to not be like that, but instead to walk as he did. The same choice belongs to us. We can choose to walk as Paul did and follow the example of Christ, or to be led away by worldly desires to our destruction. What aspects of the fallen believers do you resemble? In what ways do you desire the world above the things of God? What do you need to do to change that?

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