Philippians #056 - Learn the Bible Broadcast - Philippians 3:15-16
Pastor Andrew B. Ray

Antioch Baptist Church
5709 North Broadway
Knoxville, TN 37918
http://www.LearntheBible.org

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Philippians #056 - Learn the Bible Broadcast
Philippians 3:15-16 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

III. THE CONFLICT OF PAUL’S EXHORTATION (Philippians 3:15-21)

A. The Responsibility of the Believer (Philippians 3:15-16)

1. The possible recipients of Paul’s epistle (Philippians 3:15)
a. The mature believer
(1) As many as be perfect; Note: This in no way means those who are without sin (see 1 Corinthians 13:10; Galatians 3:3; Ephesians 4:13; Colossians 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:10; 2 Timothy 3:17; James 1:4).
(2) Those who were thus minded; Note: This refers back to Philippians 3:13-14.
a) Forgetting things which were behind (Philippians 3:13)
b) Reaching forth unto those things before (Philippians 3:13)
c) Pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14)
d) Note that Paul included himself…“Let us therefore, as many as be perfect”
b. The otherwise minded—“If in any thing ye be otherwise minded”
2. The correction of the Lord (Philippians 3:15)
a. The possibilities for error
(1) The detailed nature of the Christian life—If in “any thing”
a) The Christian life is not about being overall good.
b) The Christian life requires attention to every detail.
c) The concept of forgetting past things and reaching forth to what was ahead is to be applied to each aspect of life.
(2) The narrowness of the Christian life—being “otherwise” minded
a) Anything other than right is wrong.
b) Any other mindset than the one presented by Paul was to be otherwise minded, and to be otherwise minded was wrong (Galatians 5:10).
b. The grace of God
(1) God shall reveal.
a) To reveal means to remove the veil.
b) God will not leave the believer in suspense as to any wrongdoing (Psalm 26:2; Psalm 139:23-24).
(2) Even “this” unto you; When God reveals sin, He reveals the specifics. He does not just point out that you have sin, but points out exactly what that sin is (see Revelation 2:4, 6, 14, 20; Revelation 3:15-18).
3. The believer’s responsibility (Philippians 3:16)
a. The level of his responsibility—“whereto we have already attained”; Accountability is based upon available knowledge (Luke 12:48; also see John 13:17; John 15:22; James 3:1).
b. The extent of his responsibility (see James 4:17)
(1) Let us walk by the same rule.
(2) Let us mind the same thing.