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by Sandy Shaw
We move on to Philippians Chapter 3verse 1 – Preachers and teachers can derive great comfort from these opening words – Finally – and he is only halfway through – ‘moving on’.
Paul is writing to brothers. This document is not primarily for the world. This is for those who are in Christ Jesus – for those who are secure in Christ Jesus because they have been saved and rescued by Christ Jesus and they have tasted something of His love and grace. We have here the heartbeat of the Gospel.
This letter is for those who have been cleansed by the shed blood of Christ and who have been baptised in the Holy Spirit.
Rejoice in the Lord – now that is something more than rejoicing in Jesus.
We can rejoice in Jesus Christ because of all he has done for us – and we can rejoice that Jesus has brought us through various situations. But Paul is taking these disciples further. Rejoice in the lord!
Rejoice that he is Lord and that he is in control and that he is leading you and guiding you and with you. Rejoice that you are hid with Christ in God and that you are in Christ.
We read this in the knowledge that they had problems – both Paul and these dear Philippian disciples – but they were in the Lord – they were under the Lordship of Christ. Paul knew from experience that all things work together for good to those who love God and who have been called according to His purpose.
Our God can use every situation and work in it for the good of those who love Him and who have been called according to His purpose.
Paul is never slow to repeat himself when it is necessary, and repetition can be a safeguard, as we are reminded of certain truths. Some things we need to hear more than once, and we need all the safeguards which the Word of God has to offer.
Rejoice, but also beware – what a balance. Paul is aware that there are dangers, and he warns these disciples of Jesus in the strongest of terms. Why? He was aware of dangers which could cause these disciples to take their eyes off Jesus and that can lead to tragedy and misery. “I need to guard you against certain people and certain teaching.”
Beware of those who misrepresent or distort the Gospel – evil-doers and mutilators of the flesh. He refers to them as dogs. The word he uses is our equivalent to rats. That is what dogs were and are in the Middle East. They were not pets, but wild, rabid, scavengers and savage, despised and diseased and dangerous.
Who are they? What damage are they doing? They were Jews who had never left their Jewish backgrounds and ways. They were insisting on circumcision and putting unnecessary pressure on the believers.
Why is Paul writing with such concern about this insistence by these people on being circumcised? Because it is a denial of the Gospel!
They were doing it thinking that this will make them acceptable to God. This is serious. This is the thin end of the wedge, as men wanted to bind these disciples to the old Jewish law. Where had they come from? There were not ten Jewish men in Philippi when Paul first appeared in the city. They were trying to bring these disciples of Jesus back into the bondage of the law. It is terrible to see people who have been set free, being bound by someone else.
Paul then mentions three of the marks of those who truly belong to Jesus Christ.
1 – We who worship by the Spirit of God,
2 – We who glory in Christ Jesus, and –
3 – We who put no confidence in the flesh.
They are not glorying in themselves – what they have been – what they have done, or how they have been brought up – a sort of ‘do it yourself’ religion. All of that can be a great hindrance to a person’s salvation. It was to Paul until he saw himself as he really was – and false religion can look so like the real thing. He had found the real circumcision.
Paul had followed a system which he had found false and bankrupt – unsatisfying and inadequate – and then he found Jesus Christ in all his fullness – or rather Jesus Christ found him – and that kept and inspired and sustained him for these next 30 years.
“Gracious God – loving heavenly Father – as we worship and praise You we give thanks for the variety we see in Scripture – a time to rejoice and a time to beware – the ability to embrace truth and to reject what is false and dangerous – the assurance which our security in Christ provides and the emptiness of ‘do it yourself ‘religion’ – guide and protect us, as we read and study and serve.” Amen
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.
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