Aren’t you glad the political campaigns and phone calls are finally over?!
•Every candidate was telling us how great their agenda, their plan was.
•It made it almost impossible to know what they believed or promoted.
•You had to look very closely at the facts and their history to get the real truth.
Did you know Christianity is much the same way?
•There are lots of professing believers out there trying to convince us their way, their church, their doctrine is best.
•It makes it very difficult to discern the truth from the sweet lies.
Just as it’s imperative we sort out the truth concerning our elected officials, we need to sort out the truth concerning Christ.
•That’s what Paul addresses in Phil. 3:1-3. Turn there with me please.
Apparently, the Philippians were facing some so-called “Christian politicians” who were trying desperately to convince them to change their vote/beliefs.
•In reality, the Philippians were being persecuted and tested in their faith.
•They were being challenged to really know what they believed.
Paul has already encouraged them in Ch. 1 to stand strong in the midst of trials.
Here, he makes a direct attack, a negative campaign ad, against these false teachers.
Prayer
Notice once again, even in the midst of persecution, he reminds them to rejoice!
3:1FINALLY, MY BROTHERS, REJOICE IN THE LORD!
Remember, one of Paul’s themes throughout this Book has been encouragement/joy.
•He mentions joy/rejoicing 13x in this Book. We’ll look more at this later in the series.
How does rejoicing in v. 1 relate to Paul’s warning in vv. 2-3?
He then makes three key points.
PAUL’S FIRST POINT: REMEMBER THE TRUE GOSPEL!
IT IS NO TROUBLE FOR ME TO WRITE THE SAME THINGS TO YOU AGAIN, AND IT IS A SAFEGUARD FOR YOU.
He needs to warn them again of false doctrines/teachers as well as the true Gospel.
•You can’t repeat that enough.
Gal. 1:9 AS WE HAVE ALREADY SAID, SO NOW I SAY AGAIN: IF ANYBODY IS PREACHING TO YOU A GOSPEL OTHER THAN WHAT YOU ACCEPTED, LET HIM BE ETERNALLY CONDEMNED!
It’s too easy for believers to get caught up in service and doctrine and church life and forget just why we’re here in the first place.
•We must never do that. Don’t forget the basics! Remember the True Gospel.
Contrary to all the campaign ads, we must never get tired of hearing the Gospel.
It is a safeguard for us. The word literally means “to keep from tripping”.
Illus. One requirement that public buildings have is that their steps are well marked.
•We have yellow paint along the front edge to tell you where the edge is.
•That yellow line is a safeguard to keep us from tripping/falling.
•The simple, true Gospel is a safeguard to keep us from tripping/falling spiritually.
Paul now changes his tone drastically in this letter in order to make a very serious point.
What is the true Gospel? How is it a safeguard?
PAUL’S SECOND POINT: BEWARE OF FALSE TEACHERS!
2WATCH OUT FOR THOSE DOGS, THOSE MEN WHO DO EVIL, THOSE MUTILATORS OF THE FLESH.
(NAS) BEWARE OF THE DOGS, BEWARE OF THE EVIL WORKERS, BEWARE OF THE FALSE CIRCUMCISION.
This is very harsh language. Paul doesn’t pull any punches here against his opponents.
Mt. 3:7 (John B. at the Pharisees/Sadducees) YOU BROOD OF VIPERS! WHO WARNED YOU TO FLEE FROM THE COMING WRATH?
Why is Paul so harsh in v. 2?
Paul becomes harsh because this is a very serious matter. Beware of false teachers!
There are three things we can learn about false teachers here.
1. False Teachers can destroy us.
Dogs in Bible times were often wild scavengers, like wolves and wild dogs.
They preyed upon the weak or injured. False teachers do the same thing today.
•They prey upon those weak in the faith/spiritually immature.
•Many cults today are highly successful because they target the immature/ignorant.
2. False Teachers are evil.
They come across as being good and righteous but their hidden heart is only evil.
2 Cor. 11:14 AND NO WONDER, FOR SATAN HIMSELF MASQUERADES AS AN ANGEL OF LIGHT.
People who do good things aren’t necessarily good people.
The reason false teachers are evil dogs is because…
3. False Teachers pervert the Gospel.
In this case, the false teachers are Judaizers who claim that the only way to be saved is to be circumcised and follow the Jewish Law.
Now let’s try to understand what circumcision is all about. (Turn to Gen. 17).
Circumcision was first of all instituted as a symbol of a covenant between God and man.
**Gen. 17:1-14 2“I WILL CONFIRM MY COVENANT BETWEEN ME AND YOU AND WILL GREATLY INCREASE YOUR NUMBERS… 7I WILL ESTABLISH MY COVENANT AS AN EVERLASTING COVENANT BETWEEN ME AND YOU AND YOUR DESCENDANTS AFTER YOU FOR THE GENERATIONS TO COME, TO BE YOUR GOD AND THE GOD OF YOUR DESCENDANTS AFTER YOU…. 10THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH YOU AND YOUR DESCENDANTS AFTER YOU, THE COVENANT YOU ARE TO KEEP: EVERY MALE AMONG YOU SHALL BE CIRCUMCISED…. 14ANY UNCIRCUMCISED MALE, WHO HAS NOT BEEN CIRCUMCISED IN THE FLESH, WILL BE CUT OFF FROM HIS PEOPLE; HE HAS BROKEN MY COVENANT.”
Circumcision was the people’s part of the covenant between them and God.
•It was an outward sign of their relationship to God (cf. wedding ring).
We look at baptism the same way; an outward demonstration of an inward decision.
The problem was, the Jews eventually based their whole relationship to God on it.
•The only thing that mattered was circumcision and following the Law.
•Even Gentiles who converted to Judaism were required to be circumcised.
Many people today believe the same about baptism; that it’s the only thing that counts.
How does circumcision relate to or differ from baptism?
Illus. Sad to say, there’s a lot of confusion regarding circumcision today as well.
•When I was growing up, I believed that I was a Christian because I was circumcised.
•I had a real tough time understanding Acts 15, Rom. 2, Gal. 5 (we’ll look at later).
What made it worse for the early church was when the Gospel spread to the Gentiles.
That was the whole reason behind the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 (turn there).
**Acts 15:1-11 SOME MEN CAME DOWN FROM JUDEA TO ANTIOCH AND WERE TEACHING THE (Gentile) BROTHERS: “UNLESS YOU ARE CIRCUMCISED, ACCORDING TO THE CUSTOM TAUGHT BY MOSES, YOU CANNOT BE SAVED.” 2THIS BROUGHT PAUL AND BARNABAS INTO SHARP DISPUTE AND DEBATE WITH THEM. SO PAUL AND BARNABAS WERE APPOINTED, ALONG WITH SOME OTHER BELIEVERS, TO GO UP TO JERUSALEM TO SEE THE APOSTLES AND ELDERS ABOUT THIS QUESTION… 7AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION, PETER GOT UP AND ADDRESSED THEM: “BROTHERS, YOU KNOW THAT SOME TIME AGO GOD MADE A CHOICE AMONG YOU THAT THE GENTILES MIGHT HEAR FROM MY LIPS THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL AND BELIEVE (Acts 10). 8GOD, WHO KNOWS THE HEART, SHOWED THAT HE ACCEPTED THEM BY GIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT TO THEM, JUST AS HE DID TO US. 9HE MADE NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN US AND THEM, FOR HE PURIFIED THEIR HEARTS BY FAITH. 10NOW THEN, WHY DO YOU TRY TO TEST GOD BY PUTTING ON THE NECKS OF THE DISCIPLES A YOKE THAT NEITHER WE NOR OUR FATHERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BEAR? 11NO! WE BELIEVE IT IS THROUGH THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS THAT WE ARE SAVED, JUST AS THEY ARE.”
Paul reiterates this again in Rom. 2.
Rom. 2:28-29 28A MAN IS NOT A JEW IF HE IS ONLY ONE OUTWARDLY, NOR IS CIRCUMCISION MERELY OUTWARD AND PHYSICAL. 29NO, A MAN IS A JEW IF HE IS ONE INWARDLY; AND CIRCUMCISION IS CIRCUMCISION OF THE HEART, BY THE SPIRIT, NOT BY THE WRITTEN CODE. SUCH A MAN’S PRAISE IS NOT FROM MEN, BUT FROM GOD.
Paul becomes even more adamant about this when he addresses the Gentile Galatians.
Gal. 5:1-3,12 IT IS FOR FREEDOM THAT CHRIST HAS SET US FREE. STAND FIRM, THEN, AND DO NOT LET YOURSELVES BE BURDENED AGAIN BY A YOKE OF SLAVERY (following the Law). 2MARK MY WORDS! I, PAUL, TELL YOU THAT IF YOU LET YOURSELVES BE CIRCUMCISED, CHRIST WILL BE OF NO VALUE TO YOU AT ALL. 3AGAIN I DECLARE TO EVERY MAN WHO LETS HIMSELF BE CIRCUMCISED THAT HE IS OBLIGATED TO OBEY THE WHOLE LAW… 12AS FOR THOSE AGITATORS, I WISH THEY WOULD GO THE WHOLE WAY AND EMASCULATE THEMSELVES!
Why was circumcision such a stumbling block?
The false teachers were preaching that circumcision was necessary for salvation.
Paul says remember the true Gospel and beware of false teachers who pervert it.
PAUL’S THIRD POINT: BELIEVE IN CHRIST ALONE!
3FOR IT IS WE WHO ARE THE CIRCUMCISION, WE WHO WORSHIP BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, WHO GLORY IN CHRIST JESUS, AND WHO PUT NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH—
Contrary to what the Judaizers are telling you, they are not God’s chosen. We are.
•We are the true believers, the true circumcision – and not because of our own efforts.
•We are God’s elect because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Here, Paul distinguishes between true believers and the “evil dogs”.
True circumcision is of the heart. (Rom. 2:29)
3FOR IT IS WE WHO ARE THE CIRCUMCISION,
Even the uncircumcised Philippians are considered “of the circumcision”.
Circumcision is a sign of the covenant between us and God.
When God calls us His own, He puts His seal on our hearts – our “circumcision”.
The truth of the matter is, circumcision today has no spiritual value whatsoever.
•It does, however, have some physical, health benefits that need to be considered.
True worship is by the Spirit of God.
WE WHO WORSHIP BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD,
The Spirit in us is our “circumcision”, our sign of the covenant.
Rom. 8:16 THE SPIRIT HIMSELF TESTIFIES WITH OUR SPIRIT THAT WE ARE GOD’S CHILDREN.
If God’s Spirit does not live in you, you cannot truly worship God.
Jn. 4:23 YET A TIME IS COMING AND HAS NOW COME WHEN THE TRUE WORSHIPERS WILL WORSHIP THE FATHER IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH, FOR THEY ARE THE KIND OF WORSHIPERS THE FATHER SEEKS.
The Judaizers thought they were favored because of their good works, incl. circumcision.
Paul says not only are they not truly circumcised, they don’t even worship the true God.
True glory goes only to Christ.
WHO GLORY (boast) IN CHRIST JESUS, AND WHO PUT NO CONFIDENCE IN THE FLESH (in our human efforts to earn God’s favor, which is precisely what the Judaizers were doing).
Here’s a key point to be made.
The Judaizers boasted in their works but true believers can only boast in Christ’s work.
We aren’t saved because we’re good people, but because Jesus is a good God.
2 Cor. 10:17-18 “LET HIM WHO BOASTS BOAST IN THE LORD.” 18FOR IT IS NOT THE ONE WHO COMMENDS HIMSELF WHO IS APPROVED, BUT THE ONE WHOM THE LORD COMMENDS.
Paul is harsh toward these false teachers because they’re perverting the Gospel by adding to it and therefore taking the credit that belongs only to God.
Paul says, “Watch out” for anyone who perverts the Gospel.
Do we have any of those people around today? You better believe it.
What are some examples of false teachers or false doctrines today?
Every other religion/cult in the world is based on works and obedience.
Sad to say, many so-called “Christians” are also guilty of perverting the Gospel.
•The Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are obvious examples. Some are more subtle.
I know of some professing believers who claim that you cannot be saved without speaking in tongues.
Illus. Witnessing in NYC subway. Met a man who knew all about the Gospel.
•I asked him how long he had been a Christian.
•He said, “Oh, I’m not a Christian because I can’t speak in tongues.”
There are others who say you cannot be saved without being baptized.
Too often, even Baptists are accused of teaching this doctrine.
Let me make this very clear. Baptism doesn’t save you. Being a Baptist doesn’t save you.
•When we all stand before God, He’s not going to ask us what our church affiliation is.
•I’m a Baptist because I believe our doctrine most closely reflects God’s Word.
Speaking in tongues/baptism/circumcision/any other work we do does not save us.
•Nothing can save us except the blood of Jesus.
That having been said, there are 2 key questions that we need to answer.
Do you know what you believe?
Do you know the Gospel of Jesus Christ…
•That He created us to have a perfect relationship with Him
•That we rejected Him in the Garden and fell into hopeless sin/separation
•That He loved us enough to come to earth to pay for our sin by dying on a cross
•That only by humbly crying out to Him and trusting Him alone to save us can we be reconciled to Him and enjoy the wonderful relationship He created us for?
If you’re not clear on your understanding of the Gospel, what are you going to do when someone comes around with a better sounding Gospel?
What are you trusting in for your salvation?
If you’re here today and you believe you’re a Christian because you come to church or because you’re a Baptist or because you’ve been baptized or because you tithe or because of anything you have done, then you have been sorely deceived!
•We can’t save ourselves. Our good looks and good works can’t save us.
•But they can prove that we truly believe.
Are you putting your confidence in yourself or Christ?
Paul reminds us again to know the true Gospel and to watch out for those who would try to convince us otherwise.
Only those who place their trust in Christ alone are the true children of God, who worship Him in Spirit and truth, and who glory in Christ alone, not themselves.
The Bottom Line: Rejoice because of what Christ has done for you and in you.
He did all the work. We simply need to believe on Him and beware of those who don’t.
Prayer/Invitation
I Commit To
Hymn Shine, Jesus, Shine
Power Point and Sermon Outlines are available by emailing the author.
