Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. (18) For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and not tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the costs of Christ: (19) whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose is in their shame – who set their mind on earthly things. (20) For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (21) who 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.
4:1 Therefore,my beloved and longed for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved.
The apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians. Philippi was a Roman colony at the time Paul founded the Christian church there and many veterans of the Roman army retired there. It was an outpost of Roman life and enjoyed great privileges of that Roman world.
In our verses today Paul is warning his readers of corruption – of drifting – and he is telling them they have a higher calling and that is to be citizens of heaven rather than citizens of this world. Paul points to himself as example of how to live in this world the right way. Paul was not being arrogant – he was aware that while still a sinful man he took care to live with integrity. Apparently there were among the Philippians certain false Christians, people who decide freedom from the law meant freedom from Gods moral law. Paul writes – in tears – of their end which was destruction. Those of this world live for the things of this world. God is not the center of their pleasure and pleasure itself is a god.
Deeds, or fruit, are certain evidence of people’s conviction. We behave as we believe and the point of our verses today is we Christians are not to live as citizens of this world. We are not to deny the reality of the truth revealed in the gospel. All things will be subject to Christ and we should live accordingly so we will meet our savior, not our judge. So we will not hear the words of the Lord as recorded in matthew 7:23: And then I will declare to them “I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!”