Lesson Notes:  Philippians 3:18-21 (NIV based)

READ:  Philippians 3:18-21, with vv.13-17 for context

v.18
Why do we believers need to be told the same spiritual things over and over, repeatedly?

Why the "tears"?

Without disclosing the identities of specific persons, what categories of people can you identify who "live as enemies of the cross of Christ"?  What categories of these people live in your neighborhood?  For each category, is their opposition to the cross of Christ overt or covert, mostly passive or aggressively hostile?  And why - what is it that makes them react to the cross of Christ the way that they do?  Analyze their perspective and behavioral reactions to the cross of Christ.

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v.19
What "destiny" is their destruction?  In the next life in judgment?  Or if also in this life, then in what ways?

What is "their god is their stomach"?
- - Their appetites, spiritually speaking, dictate their lives.
- - Their devotion is to themselves - self indulgence, self desires, self ambitions, self exaltation, self domination, etc., i.e. self worship.

How can "their glory be in their shame"?
- - They find cause to glory in things of which they ought to be ashamed.
- - Their sense of values justifies as allowable things that ought to be condemned.
- - Their moral standards are upside down.

Why is it wrong to have one's "mind on earthly things"?  How does this differ from having our mind on "heavenly" things?  (v.20)

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v.20
Exactly and precisely who gets "citizenship in heaven"?  Who determines that and how, on what specific bases?  Hint: A clue for the answer to these questions is in verse 20, "a Savior... the Lord Jesus Christ".

As a point of curiosity and pondering, if the Lord Jesus Christ is in heaven right now, then what is He doing?

Why do "we eagerly await a Savior from [heaven]"?  Summarize why His coming from heaven will be significant.

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v.21
Summarize how the Lord Jesus Christ will "bring everything under His control". 

Explain what is meant by this reference that the Lord Jesus Christ will use His power to "transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body".

How do the contents of verses 20-21 affect our present thinking and behaviors - having our mind on these heavenly things?

According to the Scriptures, will unbelievers be put back in their resurrected bodies?  And if so, is that something they should eagerly await (v.20)?  Explain.

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MAIN POINT:  What would you say is the main point in these verses?

IMPORTANT SUB-POINTS:  What are some other important points God is making here in these verses?

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APPLICATIONS:  What applications can you think of for how we should respond to the concepts in these verses? 

PERSONALIZED APPLICATIONS:  From these verses, what do you think God wants you to learn, or know, or remember, or put into effect in your life?  How are you going to do that?

Whom or what do you serve, do you worship in a sense?

Be brutally honest with yourself, what is your destiny?  Destruction?  Or heaven?  Are you sure?

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Works Cited:
Bible. “The Holy Bible: New International Version.” The Bible Library CD-ROM. Oklahoma City, OK: Ellis Enterprises, 1988.
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Copyrights:
Scriptures taken from Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®
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Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Copyright © 2014 Mel W. Coddington, and permission is hereby granted that this document may be used, copied, and distributed non-commercially to non-profit organizations, individuals, churches, ministries, and schools worldwide, provided the copies are distributed at no charge and retain this sources documentation as supplied herein. This document is not for sale, resale, or for use as a gift or premium to be offered in connection with solicitations or contributions.
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File name: Philippians3_18-21-LessonNotes.___ (.htm, .doc, .pdf)
Translation used: NIV, quoted or referred to in various places within this document
Source: www.BelieverAssist.com
Updated: December 13, 2016