Philippians 3:1-8
October 7, 01
vbc
How is your counting?
The key word in our text in the small word "count" found in verses 7 and 8. The word means to evaluate and to assess. "The unexamined life is not worth living," Socrates once said.
The third chapter of Philippians is Paul’s personal testimony as he examines his own pre-conversion religious life, the life before he met the Lord on the road to Damascus. As Paul recalls it you cannot help but notice that is filled with a rich heritage of religion that he enjoyed and experienced as a Jew, and he writes it off as dead loss. It was worthless. Paul knew personally the futility of trying to attain salvation by means of good works.
In this autobiographical section, Paul examines his own life. He becomes an auditor who opens the books to see what wealth he has, and then he declares that he was bankrupt without Christ.
In verse 1 he offers an apology for his reiteration. However, to him the repetition is not irksome, and to them it was not unnecessary. What cannot be over learned cannot be over taught. Paul recognized that some people would make the same mistake he had made for so many years, and as a result, he felt the need to reiterate the truth that we are PLACE no confidence in the flesh.
The list of the activities of the flesh which may deceive a person came from Paul’s own life. No man could accuse Paul of despising or counting as worthless that which he did not himself possess. He knew firsthand what he was talking about.
Paul considered the activities of the flesh as worthless. Don’t place any confidence in them because they will fail you!
I. Worthless is your RITUAL (5)
"circumcised the eight day"
Paul was not a proselyte, Gentile who embraced the religion of the Jews, who was circumcised at his reception into the Jewish church; nor an Ishmaelite, circumcised, like Ishmael at the age of thirteen. Paul was a true Jew. Circumcision on the eight day was the exclusive privilege of one of pure blood
Circumcision was an extremely important rite to the Jews. It was a rite in which they boasted and bragged off.
Very close to baptism today. People like the comfort derived from rites. There is no rite, ritual, or observance that can bring salvation. Circumcision and baptism are worthless and meaningless without Christ.
Baptism at any time without repentance and faith in Christ is just a rite that is worthless.
II. Worthless is your RACE (5)
"of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews"
"of the stock of Israel" - His parents were not proselytes; he was by descent an Israelite. There were races that traced their lineage back to Abraham, but the pure Jew, the Israelite traced his lineage back not so much to Abraham as to Jacob who was called Israel which meant "Prince with God."
"of the tribe of Benjamin" -- He was from the tribe of Benjamin. He came from the tribe which gave Israel their first king, which never swerved in its allegiance to the house of David. Royal blood flowed in Paul’s veins. The tribe of Benjamin always occupied a foremost post of honor in the army. Paul did not belong to any mere renegade tribe. He was from the tribe that had the holy city Jerusalem within its boundaries.
He was a "Hebrew of the Hebrews." Both his parents were Hebrews. He was pure and of unmixed descent. During the dispersion of the Jews before New Testament times, many forgot their language and racial identity. Not so with Paul’s ancestors. They remained true to their Hebrew tongue and traditions. Paul was well born and well bred, but that was worthless without Christ.
Some today live as if they think that being born into a Baptist family or having a good home church going folks was a sure sign of salvation. NOT SO!
Race without Christ is worthless with regards to salvation.
III. Worthless is your RELIGION (5)
"as touching the law, a Pharisee"
This was his religious adherence, and he would be very strict in all the daily observance of the law, with all the Scribal additions attached. The Pharisees were some of the most meticulous sect of that day. To the Jews of Paul’s day, a Pharisee had reached the very summit of religious experience, the highest ideal a Jew could ever hope to attain. If anybody was going to heaven, it was the Pharisee.
He had a religion. He was among the best of citizens. He was a highly educated and deeply religious Jew. Observe Luke 18: 9-14. Paul did everything a good law keeping Pharisee could! Paul was a good pharisee not only in regard to the written law of God, but the traditions of the elders. "And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers." (Galatians 1:14).
There are those today who try this means of salvation. They live a good life.....moral......clean......attend church regularly...... preach .......teach .......sing in the choir.
See Matthew 7:21! Worthless is religion without Christ.
IV. Worthless is your RECORD (6)
"concerning zeal, persecuting the church"
Paul was not only deeply religious, he was fanatical. It was a well-known fact that Paul was the ringleader of the persecution of the church from the death of Stephen until the moment of his conversion. Paul singlehanded attempted to stamp out the remembrance of Jesus of Nazareth and every disciple and believer. "For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:" (Galatians 1:13). Paul attempted to utterly root out and destroy the Christian religion. Paul carried out his religious convictions with such zeal that he persecuted all who differed from him. WHICH IS WORSE - ENTHUSIASM IN A BAD CAUSE OR LAZY PROFESSION IN A GOOD ONE?
Acts 8:3 states that Paul "made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling man and women committed them to prison." Ananias said to the Lord of Paul, "I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem." Paul had a record. Paul later recounting his testimony stated that he was "exceedingly mad against them." He had gone well beyond the zeal of others. Paul persecuted the believers unmercilessly. Paul had a record for his religious zeal.
Some are trusting their record. They have been a member of the church for 35 years and have not missed a service in who knows when. They are a member of every organization in town. People are aware of all their activities. They have a pin or a certificate from the church denoting their efforts and zeal.
Worthless is your record without Christ.
V. Worthless is your RIGHTEOUSNESS (6)
"touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless"
Minute duties were meticulously performed, and no Pharisee, however strict, could have blamed him for laxity. Paul was a religious do-gooder. As to that plan of justification, which justification the Jews say was obtained by an observance of the law, Paul had done every thing so conscientiously from his youth up, that in this respect he was blameless; and could, with more confidence than most of them; expect that justification which the law appears to promise. He neglected no duty that he understood the law to command. He was not guilty of deliberately violating it. He led a moral and strictly upright life, and no one had occasion to "blame" or to accuse him as a violator of the law of God. There is every reason to believe that Paul, before his conversion, was a young man of correct deportment, of upright life, of entire integrity; and that he was free from the indulgences of vice and passion, into which young men often fall. Paul kept the letter of the law so as to be blameless in the eyes of his fellow_Jews. Paul knew and practiced all the rules of the rabbis.
Isaiah 64:6 "But we are as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnessess are as filthy rags."
See Matthew 5:20. Absolutely no unregenerate man, however religious and righteous he may be in his own eyes or however impressive his reputation as a holy man may be, can produce the kind of righteousness demanded by God.
Conclusion:
There it all is - what treasures it all once seemed to Paul. When Paul looked at others, he looked good. BUT one day on the road to Damascus, he saw himself as compared to Jesus Christ. It was then and there that he changed his evaluations and values and abandoned works for the faith in Christ.
The scribes of the day looked upon Paul as one of the most promising of their coming leaders; he would be held in high esteem by all who recognized the values belonging to the this upright Jewish man. NOW Paul viewed it as nothing. Christ was everything! Anything which shuts out Christ from us, it matters not what it may be, should be counted as worthless. Anything that eclipses Christ should be considered worthless.
Acts 4:12
