Living Up or Down?
Philippians 1-4
“Only let us live up to what we have already attained….Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…”
Philippians 3:16, 19, 20
Are we living up or living down?
Is our discipleship walk growing in Christlikeness, purity, and surrender to the Spirit’s leading, or are we drifting away from our first love for Christ?
At the close of Paul’s life, while he awaited his trial in Rome, his anticipation for heaven was growing. Paul was living up. His citizenship was in heaven. When our citizenship is in heaven, we, too, can face the authorities on earth with a clear testimony of the Gospel. However, when our mind is on earthly things, including the latest political drama of the day, we become distracted and live down to the level of those whose god is money, sex, and power.
Are we living up, or are we living down?
“Lord Jesus, I desire to live up to what I have already learned and applied in discipleship and mission, for your glory.”