Daily Thoughts from Philippians (18): The Good Mold – Philippians 3:17-21

I’m reading John Glenn: A Memoir and Glenn speaks eloquently about his childhood examples of how people should lead their lives and especially, for him, about how men should conduct themselves.  Just yesterday in Sunday School I heard another man talk about how his dad’s and mom’s decision to choose to serve the Lord and their focus on Christ in all his upbringing resulted in his choosing the same kind of life.  Models are powerful.  They are like molds to which we can conform.  Paul exalts the value of imitation.

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. (Philippians 3:17-21, ESV)

We need holy patterns in our lives, people who set the example for us of how we should walk.  Because there are too many bad patterns, too many enemies of the cross, who, if we let them, will lead us astray, we need good examples.  Paul sees this as so important it brings him to tears, as he weeps for the destruction the bad examples have caused.

The contrast between good patterns and bad is this: the bad will end up being destroyed because, as in the case of the false teachers Paul has already described, they are focused idolatrously on food issues (their god is their belly), what is clean versus what is unclean ritually, and they glory in their circumcision, focused on their shame (their genitalia), all of which is an earthly focus.

Paul does not hesitate to call himself a good example, one deserving of imitating.  And those who have imitated him can also be looked to for paradigms of behavior and belief.

The good pattern is those who live as ones whose citizenship is in heaven, who realize that their sojourn here is not their ultimate focus, and that they will be resurrected, their bodies transformed to be like Jesus’ resurrected body, through the mighty power he wields to bring about his kingdom on earth.  This kills their earthly focus on self-accomplishments and earthly rules for living.  It focuses them on heavenly priorities, like the gospel and its progress.

Choose good patterns.  Spending time with people shapes you.  If you truly want to grow spiritually the very best thing you can do is spend as much time as you can with people who are living that resurrection/heavenly citizenship pattern.  They will rub off on you without your even realizing it.  You will inevitably begin imitating them.  That is really the power of the church.  We become like those we invest time in.  If we pick the right models they act like a mold into which we are poured and we come out shaped like them.

Who is acting as your mold?

Discussion Questions for Small Groups

1. Tell us about your best earthly friend.
2. How have you experienced bad models leading you in wrong directions?
3. What was the bad example these false teachers were giving?
4. What teaching have you personally experienced that led to earthly focusing and self-accomplishment?
5. How susceptible do you think you and your church are to such doctrine?
6. Who can you look to as an example of true teaching and how can you make sure you don’t follow them should they ever depart from true teaching?