All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things.  Philippians 3:15

In today’s verse, Paul is summarizing his previous statements and setting the stage for what he’s about to say…and it’s all about maturity. The entire context is hard to describe in a short meditation. You’ll have to read the chapter for yourself.  But I want to emphasize one thing that keeps reappearing in this passage in various forms: Realness.

Mature Christians are real. They aren’t playing the game. They’re genuinely, 24/7 into their relationship with Jesus.

“Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven.” (vv. 19,20)

Many Christians are into fake. They’re far too busy obsessing over fake people, winning fake championships, and conquering fake territory, to be intimate with a very real Jesus and find themselves in Him. Having shunned what is real, their minds are set on earthly things…silly things…irrelevant things.

They don’t live like their real citizenship is in heaven. They don’t know that we’re all just a bunch of aliens while our real home is with Jesus. They think that’s only someday in the sweet by-and-by. They don’t know it’s now, so how can they live like it’s now?

“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (vv 10,11)

Now don’t get all nervous. Real means knowing Jesus—not some superficial knowledge either. But by experience, to know the power of His resurrection. To have found Him faithful in suffering, to be crucified with Him, buried and raised again with Him (Rom 6:3-11). This is real knowing Him” “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God” (Gal 2:20).

“I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.” (v. 8)

Nobody likes to lose. Just watch sports fans when their team falls short. But maturity considers everything a loss because having Jesus is just too valuable. They don’t fall down before the alter of the pompous…those considered “winners” by the world’s standards…the braggadocios (or those who insulate themselves in a group of devotees do their bragging for them).

Often that spirit invades church cultures…with disastrous results.

Mature Christians are ever pursuing the real thing…Jesus.