Philippians 3:18-19
18 For
many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they
are enemies of the cross of Christ,
19 whose end is
destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is
in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.
This is a passage I almost hate to talk about. You have to remember, Paul is speaking here
to the CHURCH at
There are many believers living today who have actually become enemies of the cross of Christ, and have some shame to look forward to. There will come a time when each one of us must stand before God, and either receive rewards for all of eternity or see the rewards we COULD have had forever!
Romans 14:10-12
10 But
you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your
brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
11 For it is written,
"AS I LIVE, SAYS
THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME,
AND EVERY TONGUE
SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD." (This is when all believers will recognize
what God has done for us)
12 So then (after the previous verse) each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
Shame is defined as a painful feeling (an emotion) originating from the consciousness of something dishonorable, wrong, sinful, or something that causes terrible regret. Is this the way you want to feel when you stand before God and give an account of your life?
1 John 2:28
28 Now, little
children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not
shrink away from Him in shame at His coming.
Or do you want to be the believer who, at the end of his life, can say what Paul did:
2 Timothy 4:6-8
6 For
I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure
has come. (He’s about to die!)
7 I have fought the
good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept
the faith;
8 in the future there
is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous
Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who
have loved His appearing.
For many believers, there will be a time of embarrassment for failing to fulfill God’s plan for their life, because everyone has the same chance to do the will of God. Don’t think that this is talking about sins, because you will never have to answer to God for your sins. It’s talking about answering to God related to what you did with the time, gifts, and opportunities He gave you.
What is the most important thing to you? Is it your family, your social status, your financial situation, your lifestyle? If the most important thing to you is not your relationship with Jesus Christ, then you will have shame at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Luke 14:26
26 "If anyone
comes to Me, and does not hate (hate is the word MISEO, and it means to
love less than something else) his
own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and
even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.
What’s more important to you? What God thinks, or what your friends and family think?
John 12:43
43 for they loved the
approval of men rather than the approval of God.
It’s also very important to note that this shame is a TEMPORARY shame, for there is no sorrow in the eternal state. The point is, don’t wait until it’s too late! There is always time for you to put the Word of God first, and live your life for Him.
John 3:30
30 "He must
increase, but I must decrease.
There are always going to be times when we fail to live up to God’s plan for our lives. Face it – we’re not perfect! But the worst thing you can do is have regrets about the past. Regret is an appalling waste of energy! Simply make the decision to make God and His Word your first priority from this point forward, and you can have that same attitude that Paul had: I have fought the good fight.