Have Pride In Jesus Christ
Greetings in the name of Jesus, our Lord.
We have just come through the national and local elections. We know it really does not matter who wins, there will be changes which will affect us in both negative and positive ways. There have been many who have placed all their hopes and dreams for the future on who the new president or new mayor will be. We have seemingly placed all our eggs in one basket, and we are waiting to see if they will all be broken. Paul writes today about what is to be our confidence and it is not to be placed in the flesh! By this he means trusting in ourselves or even in other people!
Listen to what he says concerning boasting in the flesh and pay special attention to the warnings he issues.
Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; 3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and take pride in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh, 4 although I myself could boast as having confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he is confident in the flesh, I have more reason: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. Philippians 3:2-6
Those who have been seeking to pervert the Gospel are everywhere! This was certainly true in Paul’s day and there has never been a day when the enemies of the Gospel have not been at work seeking to destroy Christ’s Church. Paul begins this section with the words, Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision.
I believe this is a progression of thought on Paul’s part. We are told to beware of the dogs. But who are the dogs? The dogs are those who are evil workers! And who are the evil workers? The evil workers are those who are of the false circumcision! Who are the real culprits who are seeking to destroy the Gospel and render the Church in the world impotent? It is the Judaizers who are teaching that a person must be circumcised and keep the whole law in order to be a Christian! They have convincingly mixed the Law with the Gospel, and they are leading people away from Christ into a life of works salvation which is no salvation at all.
There was no shortage then and there is certainly no shortage now of individuals and churches who are seeking to place man in the driver’s seat of salvation. Their efforts are often very successful because they give people what inwardly each one of us desire! Their teachings place each one of us in charge of our own salvation. I am responsible, so I am in charge! The flesh loves this because our fallen human nature desires to be in control of all things in our lives.
I hope you will always remember what I have taught and preached in the past! Jesus plus anything equals nothing! We are either saved purely by the grace of God through faith in Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross and victorious resurrection, or we are not saved at all. If we add any requirements to the Gospel, we nullify it completely. Jesus plus any work on our part means we are lost.
Paul points us in the right direction when he states: for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and take pride in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh. To be the true circumcision is to be those who are circumcised of the heart, which is one of Paul’s strongest arguments when confronting the Judaizers. To have faith in Jesus is to have been declared righteous and thus all the requirements of the Law have been met in our lives by virtue of the righteous life of Christ being attributed to us. All this is accomplished through faith alone!
When Paul says we take pride in Jesus Christ, he is not speaking of sinful pride which is pride in oneself and our own abilities. He is speaking of elevating Jesus above all things and finding in Him all we need and desire! Because Jesus is our Savior, we celebrate Him! There are many Scriptures we could turn to and see this same truth, but one will suffice! In Romans Paul writes, “Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God” (15:17).
The remainder of our text is Paul declaring that if we were to put confidence in the flesh, there are few who would be able to brag more than he could about his earthly accomplishments. 4 although I myself could boast as having confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he is confident in the flesh, I have more reason: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. Yet, Paul stepped away from all that he was and everything he had accomplished in the world to cling to Christ, and boast in Him.
We know the days ahead are in many ways uncertain. There are still false teachers and false prophets who are perverting the Gospel. There is no shortage of churches and even denominations who have turned from Jesus to a different gospel which is no Gospel at all. The more we boast in Jesus and the truth of Salvation by grace through faith, - The more confidently we uphold all the truths of Scripture, especially those dealing with morality and marriage, - then the more we will feel the assault of the enemy.
Our confidence is not in the flesh, be it ourselves or others we would like to trust in. Our confidence is in Jesus and Him alone, for He is the One who stands victorious, and He is the One who reigns that we might accomplish the mission entrusted to us by faithfully following Him.
May Jesus be glorified and may we boast only in Him!
Pastor Russ
We have just come through the national and local elections. We know it really does not matter who wins, there will be changes which will affect us in both negative and positive ways. There have been many who have placed all their hopes and dreams for the future on who the new president or new mayor will be. We have seemingly placed all our eggs in one basket, and we are waiting to see if they will all be broken. Paul writes today about what is to be our confidence and it is not to be placed in the flesh! By this he means trusting in ourselves or even in other people!
Listen to what he says concerning boasting in the flesh and pay special attention to the warnings he issues.
Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision; 3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and take pride in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh, 4 although I myself could boast as having confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he is confident in the flesh, I have more reason: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. Philippians 3:2-6
Those who have been seeking to pervert the Gospel are everywhere! This was certainly true in Paul’s day and there has never been a day when the enemies of the Gospel have not been at work seeking to destroy Christ’s Church. Paul begins this section with the words, Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision.
I believe this is a progression of thought on Paul’s part. We are told to beware of the dogs. But who are the dogs? The dogs are those who are evil workers! And who are the evil workers? The evil workers are those who are of the false circumcision! Who are the real culprits who are seeking to destroy the Gospel and render the Church in the world impotent? It is the Judaizers who are teaching that a person must be circumcised and keep the whole law in order to be a Christian! They have convincingly mixed the Law with the Gospel, and they are leading people away from Christ into a life of works salvation which is no salvation at all.
There was no shortage then and there is certainly no shortage now of individuals and churches who are seeking to place man in the driver’s seat of salvation. Their efforts are often very successful because they give people what inwardly each one of us desire! Their teachings place each one of us in charge of our own salvation. I am responsible, so I am in charge! The flesh loves this because our fallen human nature desires to be in control of all things in our lives.
I hope you will always remember what I have taught and preached in the past! Jesus plus anything equals nothing! We are either saved purely by the grace of God through faith in Jesus and His sacrifice on the cross and victorious resurrection, or we are not saved at all. If we add any requirements to the Gospel, we nullify it completely. Jesus plus any work on our part means we are lost.
Paul points us in the right direction when he states: for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and take pride in Christ Jesus, and put no confidence in the flesh. To be the true circumcision is to be those who are circumcised of the heart, which is one of Paul’s strongest arguments when confronting the Judaizers. To have faith in Jesus is to have been declared righteous and thus all the requirements of the Law have been met in our lives by virtue of the righteous life of Christ being attributed to us. All this is accomplished through faith alone!
When Paul says we take pride in Jesus Christ, he is not speaking of sinful pride which is pride in oneself and our own abilities. He is speaking of elevating Jesus above all things and finding in Him all we need and desire! Because Jesus is our Savior, we celebrate Him! There are many Scriptures we could turn to and see this same truth, but one will suffice! In Romans Paul writes, “Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God” (15:17).
The remainder of our text is Paul declaring that if we were to put confidence in the flesh, there are few who would be able to brag more than he could about his earthly accomplishments. 4 although I myself could boast as having confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he is confident in the flesh, I have more reason: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. Yet, Paul stepped away from all that he was and everything he had accomplished in the world to cling to Christ, and boast in Him.
We know the days ahead are in many ways uncertain. There are still false teachers and false prophets who are perverting the Gospel. There is no shortage of churches and even denominations who have turned from Jesus to a different gospel which is no Gospel at all. The more we boast in Jesus and the truth of Salvation by grace through faith, - The more confidently we uphold all the truths of Scripture, especially those dealing with morality and marriage, - then the more we will feel the assault of the enemy.
Our confidence is not in the flesh, be it ourselves or others we would like to trust in. Our confidence is in Jesus and Him alone, for He is the One who stands victorious, and He is the One who reigns that we might accomplish the mission entrusted to us by faithfully following Him.
May Jesus be glorified and may we boast only in Him!
Pastor Russ
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