Which one of the two groups of scriptures is a correct way to spiritually live?
Philippians 3:18-19- 18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.
OR
Philippians 3:20-21 – 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will
transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
Seems like a silly question, right?
Which one of the two groups of scriptures is how we have been taught to live towards our goal of the American way?
I can vouch that my whole life, my age group, was never taught to look for Christ and deny the flesh. We were told of opportunity, education, establishment, dare to be rich, have a life that experiences the finer things. That’s the first couple of scriptures. The mind is on earthly things.
Growing up in America makes it hard not to want both. But scriptures never indicate you can chase successfully after both. They will love one and despise the other. Their glory is their shame it says above. God tells us not to worry about what we will eat and drink (not too many more guilty than I have been on that one in the past) but that He knows we need those things.
The Bible is God’s living Word. Look around you. We see this very struggle more in our time period than probably in the history of the earth. A Christian nation that became prosperous. Amazing that the more prosperous it became, the further away from God we have slipped away.
Clint Bridges
January 23, 2012 at 10:59 am
Pat, thanks. You called it right here and it isn’t a popular view.
“I can vouch that my whole life, my age group, was never taught to look for Christ and deny the flesh. We were told of opportunity, education, establishment, dare to be rich, have a life that experiences the finer things. That’s the first couple of scriptures. The mind is on earthly things.
Growing up in America makes it hard not to want both. But scriptures never indicate you can chase successfully after both. They will love one and despise the other. ”
I think the failure in America is that we somehow have no found Christ Jesus, Himself. as the apple of the Father’s eye and as the apple of our eye. We have been subverted by religious structure and trappings and a form of Godliness that appeals to the carnal man. Otherwise I doubt seriously that we, America, would be driven to build bigger and bigger buildings involving more and more debt. For some reason, Americans associate evangelism and ministry primarily with material structures and numerical superiority. The Sunday morning church “worship service” has all too often become a substitute for literally being, quoting Pastors Skip and Gale, “Jesus with skin on” only I would add, “Jesus with skin on in the everyday world.” Brother, you started a good thing with this BLOG of yours and I appreciate it. Keep going. Your thoughtful and steady exploration and sharing of Scripture and your daily walk with Christ is a blessing. Thanks!