"giving Up To Gain"

Title: “Giving Up to Gain” Script: Phil. 3:4ff

Type: Expository series Where: 8-3-25

Intro: Recently read a blog written by Melissa Chu. I know nothing about her, however, her article was entitled: “20 Habits to Give up if you Want to Succeed in Life.” Give up to Gain! Here are a few of those habits: 1. Give up daydreaming about the future. 2. Give up looking for a good reason to get started. 3. Give up waiting for your situation to change. 4. Give up doing something just to fit in. 5. Give up blaming others. 6. Give up worrying about things outside of your control. 7. Give up dwelling on past mistakes. 8. Give up fixating on things about yourself you cannot change. 9. Give up neglecting the present. 10. Give up purchasing objects in order to attain happiness. As I said, there were more, but that is enough for now. The Bible actually speaks of “giving up so as to gain.” It relates to the most important topic facing any individual: salvation! Let’s take a look into Philippians today so as to see the Apostle’s teaching.

Prop: In Phil. 3:5ff Paul shows us what must give up in order to gain eternal life.

BG: 1. IN this passage Paul speaks of salvation as a transaction or an exchange.

2. Using accounting terminology in vv. 7-8, loss, gain.

3. Jesus described salvation as a exchange or transaction in which all a the sinner exchanges all that he/she is for all that Jesus is.

Prop: Look at Phil 3:5ff to see what must be given up so as to gain eternal life.

I. Salvation is Not Granted on the Basis of Ritual, Race, or Rank vv.5

A. Paul Clearly begins by Stating that Salvation is NOT a Matter of Ritual.

1. Salvation is not a matter of performing rituals.

a. Illust: This is arguably the most highly autobiographical section in all of Paul’s writings. Paul begins with the matter of his own circumcision because this is what the Judaizers, his opponents, stressed. According to OT Law, Paul’s parents, being devout Jews, had their son circumcised on the 8th Day. IN fact, the text reads: “with respect to circumcision, an 8th dayer.”

b. Man made religions stress the importance of “rituals” in order to reach God. Catholic Church teaches 7 Sacraments in order to stand right before God: Baptism, Eucharist, Confirmation, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Marriage, Holy Orders. Muslims have a list of 5 Pillars: Shahada: Faith. Salah: Prayer. Zakat: Charity. Sawm: Fasting. Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca. Shinto has purification rituals, Buddhism has rituals, Mormonism has their own. Man has an innate desire to want to “do” certain things in order to “know” he is right with God. Orthodox Judaism has their incredibly complex set of rules.

2. Circumcision never saved anyone.

a. What was Paul saying in his statement? He was not some recent convert. He was a Jew from birth and had followed all the rituals from the beginning. ON the 8th day he had gone thru the rituals to make him a member of the covenant people.

b. Illust: However, as a young man, Paul had forgotten that part of the purpose of circumcision was to remind one how very sinful one was and his need for real cleansing. However, confusing that truth, they made a surgery out to be a badge of righteousness. Illust: By comparison think if this was the case today: “You must have your tonsils taken out in order to really be saved and follower of Christ!” What does that have to do with??? Paul here, is almost acting the part of an accountant: “Circumcision, the most important ritual in Judaism counts for nothing. Rather, it clearly lines up under the “Loss” column of spiritual accounting. Christ’s righteousness, not man’s rituals, save!”

B. Paul Clearly States that Salvation is not a Matter of Race.

1. Paul unashamedly declares his ethnic heritage.

a. “the Nation of Israel”. Some scholars think that Paul was writing this to show up some of the Judaizers who may actually have been gentile converts who were so zealous that they not only adopted the law but submitted to the act of circumcision as well! Now we know that God gave ethnicity. We know that ethnic groups/nations and reaching them with the Gospel are important to the heart of God. However, also cause of a lot of negative pride, contention, and conflict. It’s easy to give oneself over to boastful superiority. The Judaizers certainly did. Although claiming to be Christians, they believed their ethnic “Jewishness” made them a better Christian than any Gentile believer could be.

b. Illust: Listen to how bigoted these Judaizers were. In their minds something was so inherently missing in the DNA of the Gentile that only the utilization of “Jewish Rituals” could help them be truly savable. Yet, Col. 3:8-11, informs us that the grace of justification and sanctification is operative in all who had believe, in all who had put off the old man and put on the new man. If you read between the lines you realize that what’s being inferred is that God cannot save or sanctify a certain group of people (Gentiles) without the help of prescribed rituals. Friend, no ethnic group gets a head start or 5 point lead in either justification or sanctification “points”. Everyone is culpable before God! Everyone needs God’s grace for salvation and everyone needs God’s grace for sanctification.