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Lesson Fourteen: Rejoice in the Lord, not in the flesh, Phil. 3:1-6

April 10, 2020

Rejoice in the Lord, not in the flesh

Phil. 3: 1-6

READ Phil. 3: 1-6. "Finally my brethren, rejoice in the Lord." At this point it seems likely the Apostle was ready to conclude his letter to the Church at Philippi. However, as we will see, this phrase merely serves as a springboard for Paul to teach on several related subjects.

As seen here in these verses Paul tells us we are to rejoice in our relationship with the Lord Jesus as opposed to any righteousness that we might have in our own fleshly achievements. Our relationship with Christ is ultimately what saves us. On Pentecost, Peter told the three thousand who responded to the preaching of the Gospel, "Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38. In baptism the believer receives the "remission" or forgiveness of sins, but also he or she receives the indwelling of God and Christ's Spirit just as Christ promised in Jn. 14:23, "If anyone loves me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make Our home with him."

This indwelling is important to the believer for two major reasons. First, those who have the Holy Spirit are "sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." Eph. 1:13,14. Literally it is with God's Holy Spirit that we are sealed for salvation. His presence identifies us before God as being saved and belonging to Christ.

But secondly, we MUST put on Christ because we need His righteousness imputed to us. This is why Paul reminded the Galatian church that "As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ." This clothing ourselves in Christ includes obtaining His righteousness. Our righteousness cannot save us. In fact God tells us in Isa. 64:6 that "all our righteousness is as filthy rags." The righteousness we MUST have comes from Christ. (Phil. 3:8-11)

Paul wants the Philippians to know that we cannot put our trust in our own works. He proceeds to warn them of "evil workers" in vv. 2-6. These "evil workers" we known as the "circumcisers". A group of false teachers who taught that in order for a non-Jew to be saved he must also be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses. It was this very doctrine that prompted the Apostles and other leaders of the church to meet in Jerusalem to discern what should be required of the gentile converts. The conclusions they reached are clearly stated in Acts 15:24-29. The summary of what they decided was that they did not need circumcision, nor to keep the Law.

Paul's letter to the Galatian church was written primarily to combat this false teaching. Read Gal. 5:1-4. Here Paul reminds the Galatians that Christ had set them free from the Law. Should they become circumcised, "Christ will profit you nothing." (Gal. 5:2) To become circumcised carried an obligation to "keep the whole Law". (Gal. 5:3) Worst of all if they did submit to this bondage Paul tells them, "you have become estranged from Christ." (Gal. 5:4) In a nutshell this is why Paul warns them of these "evil workers". He warns them to "beware of the mutilation" in Phil. 3:2 because circumcision involved a mark of the flesh. This is why Paul flatly states, "have no confidence in the flesh" (Phil. 3:3)

Also in v. 3 Paul states, "For we are the circumcision". However our "circumcision" is not a mark in the flesh, but rather the "seal of the Holy Spirit. (Eph. 1:13,14)" Read Col. 2:11-15. Our circumcision is one not made with hands. Instead it comes from Christ and through baptism. It is at that point when we have our sins forgiven. This is why Jesus plainly told Nicodemus in Jn. 3:5, "Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." You MUST be circumcised by Christ!

In vv. 4-6 Paul points to the futility of having "confidence in the flesh." Paul was everything that a righteous and God fearing Jew should have been. He was an Israelite, circumcised on the eigth day according to the Law. His bloodline was pure, of the tribe of Benjamin. He was devout calling himself "a Hebrew of the Hebrews". He was of the strictest discipline of the Jewish faith, a Pharisee. He was so zealous that he ignorantly persecuted the Church. (see Acts 26:9-11) He was also as humanly righteous as one under the Law of Moses could be. Yet still he knew he was not nearly righteous enough to be saved. We will explore this further in our lesson next week.

The lesson for us today is simple; our salvation is not earned, but rather a gift from God. (Rom. 6:23) (Eph. 2:8,9) Our confidence and our hope MUST be in Christ. Just as the Philippians were told, "Rejoice in the Lord", we also ought to rejoice in the Lord. For Christ has done what we could never do. He fulfilled the Law by living a sinless life according to the Law and then paid our sin debt to God by bearing our punishment on the Cross. (1 Pe. 2:24)

Study Questions

1. Who were the "evil workers" that Paul warned the Philippians about?

2. Who does Paul say "are the circumcision"?

3. In Col. 2 Paul tells us our circumcision is __________ without ______________?

4. In Gal. 5 Paul warns us that "every man who becomes _________________ is a debtor to keep the whole __________?

5. According to Acts 2:38 when does a believer receive the "remission of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit"?

6. In Eph. 1:13 we are told that the believer is ______________ with the ________________ of promise"?

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