Philippians Chapter 3

In chapter 3, Paul discussed the two ditches on either side of the Christian walk.  These are also the two types of soil that Jesus described in the parable of the sower and the seed.  The seed is the gospel.  The seed sown on stony ground is the person who receives the gospel, and it brings him joy.  But when persecution or tribulation arises because of the gospel, he stumbles or falls away from grace back to Old Testament law and performance thinking.  The seed sown among thorns is the person who receives the gospel, but gets caught up in the cares of the world, deceitfulness of riches, or the lusts of the flesh.  These things choke out the word and he is unfruitful.  He does not experience the love, joy and peace that he is meant to experience.  Both of these people are still born again.  They just aren’t experiencing what God has for them.

Philippians 3:1-6 “ Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. ² Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! ³ For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, ⁴ though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: ⁵ circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; ⁶ concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.”

Paul warned the Philippian believers to beware of people who were preaching circumcision.  This was a reference to Jewish Christians who were teaching that we, as New Testament believers in Jesus, need to keep the Old Testament Law to be saved or to be spiritual.  This is an attempt to blend Old Testament law and New Testament grace.  It is error.  The Old Testament law gives us knowledge of sin and shows us that we need a Savior.  When the law has accomplished this task, then its job is done in the life of a believer.  We call out to Jesus and receive Him as our Savior.  When we do, we are no longer under the Old Testament Law.  Circumcision is fine for medical purposes but is not necessary for salvation under the New Testament of grace.  If we say that we must keep the rules and regulations of the Old Testament in addition to trusting in Jesus, we are attempting to establish our own righteousness before God.  Instead, we must accept the free gift of righteousness in Jesus Christ and trust in His grace alone.  Our good works are important for us and for those around us.  We avoid the pain of sin.  Unbelievers see the love of God expressed through us.  But we are justified before God by His grace in Christ Jesus apart from our works.  

Paul gave his qualifications under the Old Testament Law.  He was born a Hebrew, he was circumcised.  Notice he said that concerning the righteousness which is in the law, he was blameless.  It does not say that he was sinless.  It means that when he sinned under the Old Testament law, he offered a sacrifice for his sins.  Paul said that he put no trust in what he did in the flesh or that he was blameless concerning the righteousness under the Old Testament Law.  He said that when we put our trust in Jesus, worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus, then God makes us acceptable in His sight.        

Philippians 3:7-11 “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;  ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, ¹¹ if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

The things that Paul counted on before he accepted Christ was his birth as a Jew, being circumcised the eighth day, being taught the law as a Pharisee, and following the sacrifices and customs of the Old Testament.  After Paul accepted Jesus and became a Christian, those things no longer mattered to him.  He counted them as rubbish.  Then Paul contrasted the two types of righteousness: my own righteousness through my attempts to keep the Old Testament law, and the righteousness through faith in Christ, which is a free gift from God by faith.

As we trust in the free gift of righteousness from God through Jesus, we come to know Him and the power of His resurrection in our lives.  Christ comes to live in us.  We allow Him to live His life through us.  When He arose from the dead, He had paid the penalty for all of our sins. 

The fellowship of His sufferings and being conformed to His death is a reference to putting off the sins of the flesh and walking in holiness.  When I accepted Jesus, my spirit is changed or born again, but my body is not yet redeemed.  Romans 8:18 speaks of this process.  “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time (putting off sin and walking in holiness) are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (now).”  His glory is revealed in us now when we put off sin and walk in love.  We allow His nature of love to be expressed through us.  

Attaining to the resurrection from the dead is a reference to allowing the new life of Christ to be revealed through us.  

Philippians 3:12-14 “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. ¹³ Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴ I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Paul told us that he had not reached perfection or learned to express the love of Christ perfectly without fail.  He chose to forget those things which were behind when he had failed.  He chose to press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  He chose to press forward in learning how to express the life of Christ within him to others in a loving manner.  

 Philippians 3:15-16 “Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. ¹⁶ Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.”

Paul said we are to have this mind or attitude to express the love of Christ.  He said where we are not walking in love and expressing the nature of God, God would reveal this to us.  Nevertheless, let us keep walking in love and continuing to grow in our expression of the nature of Christ in us.

Philippians 3:17-21 “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. ¹⁸ For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: ¹⁹ whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. ²⁰ For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.”

In verses 17 through 21, Paul addressed those who were turning grace into lewdness or an excuse to sin.  This is not talking about non-Christians.  It is addressing Christians who want to live according to the works of the flesh.  Paul said in verse 10 that we should partake in His sufferings and be conformed to His death.  We saw that this meant putting off sin and walking in holiness.  If we don’t, Paul described us as enemies of the cross of Christ.  He did not say we have lost our salvation.  He did say then end of this selfish thinking is destruction.  This is not referring to eternal damnation.  It means that if we as Christians spend our lives fulfilling the lusts of the flesh, our lives will be full of pain and destruction in our relationships.  If we live this way, Paul said that our god is our belly or emotions, and our glory is in our shame or sinfulness.  This is what happens when we as Christians set our minds on earthly things instead of heavenly things.  Our lives end up being no different than non-Christians, even though our spirit is born again.  

Paul said that our citizenship is in heaven.  Therefore, we should set our mind on Christ living within us and expressing His nature of love through us.  Our body is not yet redeemed, even though Christ has paid the penalty for our sins and the eventual redemption of our physical bodies.  When He returns, He will change or transform our mortal body into an immortal body that is no longer subject to death. 

    

Keith Oliver