Know Christ Deeply - Avoid False Teaching Strongly - Philippians 3-4

 Philippians 3:17-19 (ESV)

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.

Paul is closing out his letter to the church at Philippi.   He has been expressing to them his own personal walk with God and is imploring them to join him in this type of walk.  He has told them that his greatest desire is to know Christ.  Yet, on this side of heaven he can’t fully know the Savior.   He is pressing on, however, into a higher and upward call.  He tells them to hold true to these teachings because there are some among them that want to lead them to another form of belief.  A form that is not according to what they were taught by him.   In the above passage he tells them:

1. Imitate me and my walk.  Imagine how dangerous that is to say to others.  But Paul was not ashamed of his walk.  He was bold to tell them his walk was the following of Jesus.   He tells them that they should follow his steps because his feet were stepping in the footprints of Jesus.  

2.  He warns them that there are many who walk as enemies to the cross of Christ.   He wants them to know that in their midst there are those who point to their own philosophy, psychology and theology.  Their teaching is opposed to what Paul has just taught them.   It is not in accord with the cross of Christ.   The cross of Christ is the doctrine of Christ laying His life down for us and the reason of the hope that is in us.  Paul wants them to know that they should not follow a salad of man-made philosophy and psychology tossed into a bowl with a dressing of false theology.  

3. Those who teach contrary to the cross of Christ will end in destruction.   Since their real god is their belly (a desire to simply satisfy their own desires through this false teaching). And their glory is their shame (they do not want to glorify Christ, but only their own interests ... which will result in their shame). And, finally, their minds are set on earthly things.  They teach doing things to earn salvation, not by faith engaging in knowing Christ. 

Paul wants us to follow Christ.   He warns us to know Christ and that means to follow Christ and to avoid false teaching.   The more we know Christ the easier it is to identify false teaching and avoid its (their) certain destruction.