“Only let us hold true to what we have attained.” (Philippians 3:16, ESV)
As the Apostle Paul traveled from area to area in ancient Greece, he crossed paths with many people. He preached the gospel, taught about Christ Jesus, and founded churches. For a number of years, he kept in touch with church leaders, missionaries, elders, and deacons. He prayed for the unsaved, encouraged the faint-hearted, and laid hands on many for healing or the reception of the Holy Spirit. Being in close contact with so many in ancient Greece, Paul saw some who grew closer and closer to God in Christ. He saw the faith of others falter and give out. He also saw some who turned violent against Almighty God, even to the point of splitting their church!
Among those who were saved, Paul had little respect for back-sliders. Those whose faith waned with time were seen by Paul as rejecting Jesus. Hoping to stop any in the church in Philippi from backsliding in their faith, Paul wrote the scripture for today as both a word of encouragement and a warning: “let us hold true to what we have attained.” (Philippians 3:16). Not wanting any of the faithful to regress back into sinful ways, Paul offered these words to the Philippian Christians. He hoped and prayed they would never revert to their former godless living. Paul saw no hope for those who chose to follow God only to give up on that faith a while later. Even John of Patmos, who wrote Revelation, wrote that it was better for a man to have never believed than to let his faith grow cold (Revelation 3:1-3). Both Paul and John believed Christians who slid back into permanently sinful ways were lost souls.
Max Lucado hated cleaning closets. Before he was married, he shoved all too many things in his closets. When a guest was coming over, the threw dirty clothes into his closet. When he didn’t feel like cleaning, he would throw the mess into the closet, promising himself to get to it later. He never really got back to cleaning his closets. Then, he got married. His wife, Denalyn, urged him to keep the closets clean. She encouraged him to use the closets for storage and not as a repository for messes!
While joking about his messiness with closets, Lucado wrote the following humorous tidbit: “Most of my life I’ve been a closet slob.… Then I got married.… I enrolled in a twelve-step program for slobs. (“My name is Max, I hate to vacuum.”) A physical therapist helped me rediscover the muscles used for hanging shirts.… My nose was reintroduced to the fragrance of Pine Sol.…
Then came the moment of truth. Denalyn went out of town for a week. Initially I reverted to the old man. I figured I’d be a slob for six days and clean on the seventh. But something strange happened, a curious discomfort. I couldn’t relax with dirty dishes in the sink.
What had happened to me? Simple. I’d been exposed to a higher standard.
Isn’t that what has happened with us? … Before Christ, our lives were out of control, sloppy, and indulgent. We didn’t even know we were slobs until we met him.… Suddenly we find ourselves wanting to do good. Go back to the old mess? Are you kidding?” (p. 153, Grace for the Moment).
Be careful that you do not fall back into old sinful habits after becoming close to Christ. When life gets messy, don’t fall back on sinful ways. When you don’t get your way, don’t revert into a self-defeating mentality. If you fail at something, don’t sink back into that old depression that gripped you so tightly in the past. When you are faced with an old temptation, don’t let yourself fall under its spell.
“Hold true to what you have attained.” (Philippians 3:16). Keep faithful to God. Keep your eyes on the Heavenly prize. Let your focus remain on Christ. You were called to a higher standard. Let your life exhibit your deep love of Christ!
Among those who were saved, Paul had little respect for back-sliders. Those whose faith waned with time were seen by Paul as rejecting Jesus. Hoping to stop any in the church in Philippi from backsliding in their faith, Paul wrote the scripture for today as both a word of encouragement and a warning: “let us hold true to what we have attained.” (Philippians 3:16). Not wanting any of the faithful to regress back into sinful ways, Paul offered these words to the Philippian Christians. He hoped and prayed they would never revert to their former godless living. Paul saw no hope for those who chose to follow God only to give up on that faith a while later. Even John of Patmos, who wrote Revelation, wrote that it was better for a man to have never believed than to let his faith grow cold (Revelation 3:1-3). Both Paul and John believed Christians who slid back into permanently sinful ways were lost souls.
Max Lucado hated cleaning closets. Before he was married, he shoved all too many things in his closets. When a guest was coming over, the threw dirty clothes into his closet. When he didn’t feel like cleaning, he would throw the mess into the closet, promising himself to get to it later. He never really got back to cleaning his closets. Then, he got married. His wife, Denalyn, urged him to keep the closets clean. She encouraged him to use the closets for storage and not as a repository for messes!
While joking about his messiness with closets, Lucado wrote the following humorous tidbit: “Most of my life I’ve been a closet slob.… Then I got married.… I enrolled in a twelve-step program for slobs. (“My name is Max, I hate to vacuum.”) A physical therapist helped me rediscover the muscles used for hanging shirts.… My nose was reintroduced to the fragrance of Pine Sol.…
Then came the moment of truth. Denalyn went out of town for a week. Initially I reverted to the old man. I figured I’d be a slob for six days and clean on the seventh. But something strange happened, a curious discomfort. I couldn’t relax with dirty dishes in the sink.
What had happened to me? Simple. I’d been exposed to a higher standard.
Isn’t that what has happened with us? … Before Christ, our lives were out of control, sloppy, and indulgent. We didn’t even know we were slobs until we met him.… Suddenly we find ourselves wanting to do good. Go back to the old mess? Are you kidding?” (p. 153, Grace for the Moment).
Be careful that you do not fall back into old sinful habits after becoming close to Christ. When life gets messy, don’t fall back on sinful ways. When you don’t get your way, don’t revert into a self-defeating mentality. If you fail at something, don’t sink back into that old depression that gripped you so tightly in the past. When you are faced with an old temptation, don’t let yourself fall under its spell.
“Hold true to what you have attained.” (Philippians 3:16). Keep faithful to God. Keep your eyes on the Heavenly prize. Let your focus remain on Christ. You were called to a higher standard. Let your life exhibit your deep love of Christ!