Confidence in Christ
Philippians chapter 3:1-3:11
Introduction-
Turn to Philippians chapter 3:1-3:11
The series “Living for Christ” That has been our focus for the last several weeks.
Built up in Christ
Christ dwelling in us.
Christ empowering us for service.
Today, putting our confidence in Christ.
If you haven’t noticed, we have been working our way through the book of Philippians as we are looking at series.
There been several Scriptures worth memorizing and remembering.
“For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.”
“Whatever happens, conduct yourself in a manner worthy of the gospel.”
Christ changed Paul’s life from self-centered to Christ-centered.
He took an interest in God’s people and how he lived his life.
Philippians chapter 3:1-3:11
I want you to keep in mind a few things as we hear the words of the apostle Paul.
(1) His transition to faith, the difference between true and false confidence.
(2) His Jewish pedigree and what he thought of it.
(3) The value he placed on knowing Christ.
Now remember what Paul was up against, and remember that he has settled his faith issues and remember he has a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Apostle Paul was not always the Apostle Paul.
Before his conversion to Christ, he was a Pharisee (Saul) and a persecutor of the church and God’s people.
He killed Christians believing that God was pleased by his actions.
He describes that as false confidence, false teachings, and a false way of pleasing God.
Some of you who are old enough to remember Paul Harvey
He was known for “telling the rest of the story.”
He would take popular topics and dig into the truth.
He was not happy until he had uncovered the facts.
That is what Paul was doing for the church. He was telling the rest of the story so they could get all the facts.
Chapter 3:1- He says “Finally my brothers” then speaks for another 2 ½ chapters.
Remind you of anyone? Maybe someone that says they are going to close and then go’s and speaks for 10 more minutes.
I. His warning to believers
Like I said, Paul was not always the faithful apostle Paul.
He was transformed by an encounter with Christ on Damascus Road.
He transitioned to faith by grasping God’s truth and applying it to his life.
He tells us that there are some real joy suckers out there.
They will rob you of every ounce of joy if you let them.
Your joy is not based upon life’s situations and circumstances but on the risen savior Jesus.
(2) “Watch out for those dogs”
Other versions say Beware of the dogs, consider the dogs, and take notice of those dogs.
By definition, dogs to the Jews were opponents of the faith.
The lowest people of all, the Gentiles.
To Paul dogs were opponents of the gospel.
Dogs in ancient cites at the time were anything but man’s best friend. They were unclean scavengers that prowled the streets begging for food, feeding on filth and garbage. They were not pets. It was a negative term to describe the lowest of the lowest.
(2) “Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.”
Paul is painting a picture of those false teachers
Those polluters of the gospel that were making it hard for Gentiles to come to faith.
Those evil doers (those enemies of the faith)
He is showing opposition for those aggressive against the gospel and their serious error and the destruction they were creating.
Those that were telling new converts that they had to be circumcised like the Jews.
That the false teachers had distorted the truth so bad that it had become nothing more than the useless cutting of the body.
They were putting their confidence in the flesh. Putting trust in their actions rather than in Christ.
The false teachers were pulling them away from Christ and looking at what they did instead of what Christ did for us.
Paul doesn’t call them believers, he calls them mutilators.
We have to be careful that we do not let false teachings pull us away from Christ, and our confidence is not in our actions but on Christ.
Don’t get me wrong, we will answer for our actions and our beliefs, but they were putting their confidence in themselves and not in the faith and strength of Christ.
He counteracts the opposition- (v3) “For 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.”
He warns it is not those who mutilate their bodies, but those who worship God in Spirit and who are circumcised by the Spirit of God in our hearts.
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 1:18
“The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved; it is the power of God.”
“But to those whom God has called both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”
“The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God; we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God.”
“No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”
Our confidence is in Christ- not ourselves.
II. Paul’s Jewish heritage and what He thought of it.
Philippians 3:4-
“If anyone else thinks he has reason to put confidence in the flesh, I have more- circumcised on the eighth day, of the people Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, in regard to the law, a Pharisee, as for zeal, persecuting the church, as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.”
This guy had the resume’ that doesn’t quit. To the Jews, he was the man!
Paul’s pre-Christian confidence was rooted in his Jewish tradition, his education, privileges as a Pharisee.
In his conviction, language, attitude, his lifestyle; in his fleshly attempt to meet God’s approval he was faultless.
(7) “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.”
I am 57 years old; I have been living on this earth roughly 21,000 days and anything that I could accomplish in that time compared to the value of knowing Christ is worthless in comparison. I didn’t say it had no value, but when compared to Christ, it doesn’t measure up.
We need to seize the moments, live life to the fullest.
Every one of us has purpose. Our purpose is to do the will of God and let Christ shine in our lives. Not to build empires and flash all of our accomplishments around.
I picture Paul up in age, in prison, in the midst of writing a letter to people he loved, a remembrance how and why he became a Christian. All of his earthly rewards won’t matter in eternity unless it was used for kingdom building.
Paul realized and we need to come to that realization that if you have all the things of the world, but you don’t have Christ, you are poor.
Nothing wrong with degrees, education, success, but in comparison, it will be lacking and if it is all you have it will be void in time.
III. The value Paul placed on knowing Christ
“But whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.”
Paul’s fleshly advantages and achievements, what use to be on the positive (gain) side is now on the other side of the balance sheet.
The value of Christ is rising and the value of stuff is decreasing. Paul has submitted to the Lordship of Christ over his own life.
His loyalty goes back to the Damascus road experience when he made Christ Lord.
Paul knew Christ as Savior. His gain is daily as he gets to know Jesus better and as he journeys with Him.
Everyone loves Jesus when everything is going well.
All praise the Lord in good times.
Paul realized in good times or hard times, he wanted to be found in Christ.
He was to be united with Christ through sharing in his sufferings.
He was found in fellowship and conformed to His likeness.
Paul throws the word righteousness around in two ways in these verses.
Righteousness was found in his upright behavior, his accomplishments, and his heritage.
This one he abandons and embraces the new form of righteousness which comes from God and is by faith.
One by works, which is temporal
One by being in a right relationship with Christ.
Wrap this up,
“That I may know him in the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings.”
To know Christ is not knowledge about Jesus, but a relationship with Jesus.
He is talking about transformation. God transforming us into His image and His way. That is where we put our confidence for eternity.
Christians- living out their lives in the confidence that He (God) has started, and will complete until the day of Jesus Christ.
Amen.
