Philippians 3:18

“For many walk, of whom I have told you often and now tell you even with weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ.”

1. Those who are enemies of the cross have a way of life and thinking in opposition to the work that the LORD Jesus Christ came to accomplish by the cross for the salvation of sinners. “For many walk…’ To walk in scripture describes a pathway or life-style. Here described is one of religious professors whose steps are in a path of utter opposition to the Christ of the cross, and the means by which God the Father has ordained the justification of wretched, condemned sinners that He chose from eternity unto salvation. They are those described by the apostle Paul in Romans 10:1-3 who have a zeal for God but not according to knowledge, and who being ignorant [willfully so] of God’s righteousness [Christ and Him crucified], are ‘going about’ [walking about] to establish their own righteousness, and have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. To be an enemy of the cross of Christ is to stand opposed to the sacrifice of the LORD Jesus Christ as the only means of being declared righteous before a holy God.

2. Those who are enemies of the cross are they that find the person and work of the LORD Jesus as the Substitute for sinners to be odious and hateful. It isn’t that men and women ignore who He is and what He accomplished, but are at enmity with Him, by their supposed thoughts, words, and deeds by their own religious works.. They disdain any doctrine that would consider their best works as filthy rags [Isaiah 64:6]. They hate one who determines whether sinners are saved or condemned by His sovereign choice, rather than leaving it up to their supposed ‘free will,’ [Romans 9:11-16].

3. Those who are enemies of the cross oppose any who do, by God’s grace, give ALL the glory to the LORD Jesus Christ in salvation. Such opposition to Christ was a cause of great sorrow for the apostle Paul, but also is for any of us whom the LORD has taught by His Gracious Spirit. Paul addressed the Philippians ‘with weeping.’ In Romans 10:1 he wrote of his heart’s desire and prayer to God for his brethren according to the flesh. Much like elder Stephen in Acts 6:8-15 whom the religious Jews opposed to his face and ultimately stoned him to death. For what cause? Stephen was not a mean spirited, harsh man. Rather, it was because his doctrine was that of giving the LORD Jesus all the glory as the fulfillment of the Old Testament law. They, being jealous and zealous for their customs and traditions preferred that he should die rather than that they should repent.

Such opposition to Christ and His people is to be expected [Matthew 10:16-23]. Yet, as taught by the Spirit of the Sovereign Savior and Substitute, we glory in the cross of the LORD Jesus. As wretched sinners, the Spirit of grace has shown us our lost estate and caused us to see that the very object of disdain of those who are left to themselves is ALL the glory of the Father, and therefore ALL our glory, come what may. [Galatians 6:14]. We can and do sing with the hymn writer, “In the cross, in the cross, be my glory ever, till my raptured [ransomed] soul shall find Rest, beyond the river.”