Philippians 3:17-21 NKJV

“17Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. 18For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. 20For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”

How We Live

Our walk is how we live, the things we say and do as a matter of life practice. It includes our attitudes, our beliefs, our behaviors, our actions, and our words. It includes what is stored up in our hearts which is impacting our attitudes and our behaviors. It is how we conduct ourselves day in and day out, whether or not people are watching or listening to us. And what we believe definitely impacts how we behave, as does what is stored up in our hearts. What we hold on to (embrace) definitely does impact how we live.

Some people hold on to unforgiveness, bitterness, resentment, selfishness, pride, and idolatry. They won’t let go of the anger. They won’t forgive because they didn’t get their way. Someone didn’t play by their rules. Someone didn’t give them everything they craved and lusted after, even though their actions were totally evil. Still, they didn’t get their way, and so they took it out on whoever did not give them everything they wanted. And so they searched elsewhere to have their lustful desires fulfilled.

Enemies of the Cross

So, the people described above are enemies of the cross of Christ, even if they profess faith in Jesus Christ with their lips. Why? Because they are opposing and rejecting Christ and his gospel message in order to do what appeases their human flesh. They live by their feelings, and not by faith in Jesus Christ, and so their emotions are what control them and what lead them into sin. If it feels good, they do it, without thought or regard to how it might hurt someone else, because they like how it feels, even if it’s wrong.

This is how many extra-marital affairs get started, too, which are not just physical in nature, but which are also emotional. So, an extra-marital affair doesn’t even have to be in person with someone, but it could be via the internet and texting or phone calls or emails, etc. Or it could be in a fantasy world with a made-up person in a book or a movie or in pornography. For the heart and mind and emotions are now given over to another person who gives the adulterer (male or female) that emotional high they so long for.

Whose End is Destruction

Even if they profess faith in Jesus Christ, their end is destruction, because their god is their belly, i.e. what they crave, what they long for and lust after, i.e. what they want more than anything else. They are their own god and therefore they do not worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit. For they live by their feelings, by their emotions, by what makes them feel good even if it is absolutely wrong in the eyes of God and hateful and hurtful to those who they sin against.

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

Our Citizenship in Heaven

So, all those who are of genuine faith in Jesus Christ, who have denied self, died to sin, and who are now obeying our Lord and his commands, in practice, in the power of God, have the hope of salvation from sin and eternal life with God. This does not make us perfect in every respect, but obedience to our Lord’s commands and us no longer making sin our habit are required of God for salvation and for eternal life with God, by faith in him. For if sin is what we practice, and not obedience, we don’t have Christ.

For by God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to righteousness in walks of obedience to God’s commands. We are no longer to permit sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23).

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Make Me a Servant

By Kelly Faye Willard

Make me a servant
Humble and meek
Lord let me lift up
Those who are weak
And, Lord, may the prayer
Of my heart always be
Make me a servant
Make me a servant
Make me a servant today

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Enemies of The Cross
An Original Work / June 25, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love