Philippians 3:1-6
Warnings About Salvation
Introduction
The gospel message is a wonderful message isn’t it? God is in control of all things: He has brought us together today and has done so because He has a great message for us. If you are already saved, the message of salvation excites you and inspires you. The gospel message is one that the child of God should never tire of hearing. However, if you are not a child of God the gospel message is the “power of God unto salvation.” If you have never trusted Christ as your personal Savior today your greatest need is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
There are two kinds of religion in the world today. They have always existed and will until Jesus returns. They are the religions of faith and flesh. What does that mean? It means that you have two options concerning heaven and salvation. Flesh religion is that religion that says your getting into heaven is dependent on you and what you can do and how faithfully you can do it. Faith religion on the other hand isn’t really religion at all. It is a relationship that is dependent on a decision you make concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ.
In our text, Paul points out that he is a child of God and that his relation to Christ has nothing to do with his flesh. As Paul wrote, he knew that the legalistic Jews of his day were zealously trying to keep the people under the law, and even believers were returning to that way of life. They held God’s favor and judgment for wrongdoing over the people, and set themselves up as the standard by which all other people would be measured.
Paul saw right through all of that, so he warned the Philippians against these men we call Judaizers. In the verses we are considering, Paul assumes a role that he once lived. He recognized that in spite of his warnings about the wrong positions of the religious leaders of the day, there would still be those who would make the same wrong decisions he had made.
There is only one way to heaven. There is only one way to be made right with God, to have peace with Him, to have a relationship with God the Father, and today I want you to know that way. As we think about it, I want to give you five warnings about salvation from Paul’s as mentioned in Philippians 3:1-6.
“Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous but for you it is safe. Beware of the dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other think that he hath reasons for which he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.”
Don’t Trust In A Rite
Paul said that he had been “circumcised the eighth day…” The rite of circumcision was the sign of a special relation to God. It dated all the way back to God’s covenant with Abraham, when God had given the instruction that all the men in Israel were to be circumcised, and then as each male child was born, he too was circumcised on the eighth day of his life. This rite was extremely important to the Jews, and it became a rite to boast about.
Paul had many arguments with the Jews over this rite of circumcision. The Jews really believed that because they had observed this rite at some point in their lives they had good standing with God, but they were wrong. This rite and any other one was simply an outward act that was supposed to mark an inward relationship, but it didn’t. In the second chapter of Romans, Paul argued the point like this,
“For circumcision is a good thing, if you keep the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision is made uncircumcision, your good standing with God is messed up. Therefore, if the uncircumcision, or the uncircumcised ones obey the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for righteousness? And shall not uncircumcision, which is by nature, if it fulfills the law, judge you, who by the letter and circumcision does transgress the law? For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God.”
Now what does all that mean? It simply means that if they were going to base their standing with God on this outward act, then all the rest of their outward acts had to be considered. What good was it to be circumcised when they lived like lost people?
You see, circumcision is only a rite, a ritual that people then and people today trust to get them in good standing with God. Baptism can be a rite. Infant baptism is a rite. Confirmation is a rite, dedications and christening services are all rites, and none of them will get a person into heaven.
There’s no reason to try to name a list of rites – you search your hearts and know this: that baptism or any other rite performed without repentance of your sins and faith in Christ is just a rite. There will be some people who stand before the Lord Jesus one day when He asks, “Why should I let you enter my heaven?” and they will answer, “I’ve been baptized.”
Paul could have done this. He was circumcised on the eighth day just like a good Jew, but he knew it couldn’t help him gain eternal life with God because salvation has nothing to do with outward acts. It is an inward decision that we make.
Don’t Trust In A Race
Verse 5 continues by saying that Paul was…
“…of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews…”
Not only did the Jews place their faith in the rite of circumcision for salvation, they also had come to believe that being born a Jew meant a special relationship with God. The Jews took this seriously. To know you were a Jew virtually insured you a position in heaven. Paul said, “I’m not just a Jew, I know exactly where I came from because my blood line is as pure as it can be.”
One day Jesus was talking to some Jews about salvation. He had told them that they could know the truth concerning salvation, and that truth would set them free from the bondage they were in. Jesus was speaking of the spiritual bondage that a lost person is in, how they are bound and doomed, and the Jews answered Jesus by saying,
“We are Abraham’s see, and were never in bondage to any man. How sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Abraham is our father.”
They were trusting in their Jewish heritage or in their race to save them. What were they trusting for salvation and deliverance? Their family tree! What does that have to do with anything? Nothing! If that’s what salvation is all about, then a person could be the most wicked and sinful person on earth, but so long as he was a Jew, he was better off than all the rest of the world; and that’s exactly what they believed.
Some today live as if they thought that being born into a Baptist family or a good home is a sure sign of going to heaven. I met a lady from Britain who believed that God thought more favorably on her because she came from England. But this is a lie. It doesn’t matter what our grandmother or grandfather was. It doesn’t matter what our mother and father did. When you die and stand before the Lord your Christian family won’t matter. All that will matter is the decision you made for Jesus Christ.
Don’t Trust In Religion
Paul continued in verse 5 by saying,
“as touching the law, a Pharisee;”
As a young man, Paul had given his life to religious zealousness. The Pharisees were an elite group of super-Jews who knew the law and prided themselves in keeping the law. Paul’s father wanted to make sure that he had the best opportunities in life, so as a boy he got Paul into a school in Jerusalem taught by a Jew named Gamaliel.
He did everything a good law keeper should do. He observed the feasts and the fastings. He prayed to God and knew the Law. He stood for truth and righteousness and was a good man, but it was all just religion.
Again, there are those today who try this as a means of salvation. They live a good life, strive to do nothing wrong, they attend church, serve, sing, teach and tithe, all the while expecting to be saved if they do enough good. “I hope my good deeds outweigh the bad.” “I hope I go to heaven.” “I try to live a good life.”
I hope your good deeds do outweigh the bad, and I hope you do try to live a good life, but so do a lot of other people who don’t even care about God and the Bible and heaven or hell. The whole world is trying to do good deeds. The whole world is trying to live a good life. It’s not religion or religious living that’s going to matter. Yes you ought to try to be a good person, and Christianity is a good way of life, but it won’t get you to heaven.
Don’t Trust In Your Christian Service
Verse 6 beings by saying,
“Concerning zeal, persecuting the church…”
You remember in the book of Acts that this Paul is the one who was going around the countryside arresting and murdering Christians. This is the same man who hated those who followed Jesus, but he did it all in the name of God. He thought he was doing God a favor by getting ride of these people who were leading folk astray. It was his service to God to arrest and murder Christians.
The other Jews hated the Christians too, but not enough to do much about it. But not Paul. If these Christians needed to go, then he was going to be personally involved. He had gone beyond the activities of his friends, and that is the problem with religious zeal without real salvation – there is no place to draw the line.
You see, this is what happens when a person is trusting self for salvation: they become persecutors and critics of others, not because they desire to persecute, but because they are constantly trying to make you measure up to their own standing with God. They set themselves up as the standard for getting to heaven and say something like this: “I’m going to heaven because I do this and that, and I don’t do this and that thing you are doing. If you want to go to heaven, then you’ve got to be at least as good as me.”
You can do all the service for God you want to do, but God is not impressed with your service. Do you remember what Jesus said in Matthew 7?
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”
It will be a said day for many people who do much good work for God when Jesus says to them that they cannot enter heaven. How many good people there will be in hell. There are going to be preachers and teachers and deacons in hell! There are going to be many church members in hell who did great works for God, but they never repented of their sins and trusted Him to be their personal Savior.
Don’t Trust In Your Righteousness
Verse 6 concludes by saying,
“touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.”
Blameless was a perfect description. Paul had done everything he could that was possibly expected by anyone. He had spent his life trying to measure up to a very high standard of righteousness. No one could find anything in his life that didn’t look right. He was blameless, but only blameless in the eyes of man.
God’s estimation of him was that he was a sinner who stood condemned to die and go to hell.
Conclusion
Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” If you have been listening today and God’s Spirit has been pointing out to you that you’re not saved, or perhaps you have thought you were saved and today realize that you aren’t really, then you need to make a choice today.
Your relationship to God is the most important thing in this life. The only way that you can be guaranteed salvation and favor with God is to respond to His invitation to becoming a child of God. It’s not a rite, it’s not your race, and it’s not your religion, your service or your righteousness that will save you: it is a personal relationship with Christ Jesus. Will you trust Him to save you today? Will you repent of your sins and place your faith in Christ and Christ alone for salvation? He is the only way.
