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Philippians 3: 17
Join with others in following my example . . . (NIV)
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Your spiritual walk has a slight limp.* |
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We’re all familiar with the “do as I say, not as I do”
principle. With or without knowledge or experience, we feel comfortable
dispensing advice on any subject. But very few of us are so confident in our
Christian walk that we can encourage others to follow our example and not just
listen to our words of wisdom. In fact, we should
be concerned about the risk of leading others astray – with our actions and our words.
What gave Paul the confidence to encourage his readers to
“do as I do”? If we take this verse out of its context in his letter, we can’t
help but think he sounds a little too cocky for his own good. But go back a bit
to verse 12: “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been
made perfect . . .” he writes. If he isn’t perfect, then why should we feel
safe in acting like he does? Because the example Paul urges us to follow is not one of doing
everything right but of pressing on. “Forgetting what is behind and
straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal . . .” (verses 13
and 14)
Paul isn’t defined by his past mistakes – his sins, that is.
Paul can’t show us how to live the life of a perfect person because he isn’t
one. Instead, he exemplifies the life of a saved person - one who loves the
Lord and who continues to get back up after every fall, graciously and
gratefully accepting the Lord’s forgiveness time after time after time after . . .
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You don’t have to be perfect to be faithful.* |
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