Once in a while I like to take a “walk” through a chapter of the Bible. The goal is twofold: 1) it helps me keep individual verses within their proper context and 2) it allows the Word of God to speak into my life in a deeper way. I pray that as you walk through Philippians chapter 3 that God will reveal new insights to you regarding His Word, that He will ask you questions that delve deep into your core, and that He will cause a holy change to occur in your life and mine.

(When reading a “walk through” please note that my comments, thoughts, and questions are indented and the Bible text is not.)

Philippians 3 (NIV)
No Confidence in the Flesh
1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:7 to stay from vain repetition but here Paul is repeating to the Philippian’s a teaching he already gave them. Paul says it is a safeguard to them; so we can see that one thing worth repeating is the Word of God in the form of teaching and instruction. We can never get too much teaching from the God’s Word!

2Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.

The “mutilators of the flesh” were the traditional teachers of the Jewish Law. They boasted themselves to be of the circumcision group but Paul gives them a more accurate name as they mutilated the the church of Christ by cutting it into many pieces and factions.

What did the teachers of the Law preach? Salvation through traditions/works.

What about today; who would be the mutilators of the flesh today? Any religious group who teaches salvation through works; but more specifically, any Christian group who tries to enforce non-biblical spiritual or material/physical rules over you.

Paul says we need to watch out for these “dogs,” these evil people who mutilate the church of Christ one false teaching at a time. This is why it is so important for us to delve deep into the Bible and know what it really says. Only then will we be able to discern a half-truth with the real truth of the Bible.

3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

Why would somebody want to put confidence in the flesh? Anything that we accomplish through our flesh is, at best, temporary, decaying, and of no eternal value. Yet through our flesh there is an element of pride which inflates our egos and is so addicting.

Paul gives us an example from his life.

(Verse 3 continued) If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

So what accomplishments (those of a religious appearance or those of the world) do we puff ourselves up with that we have earned without God’s help?

7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

Are these sayings of Paul the mindset of most Christians today? Do the majority of Christians live out what Paul is saying here:

• Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
• I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus.
• I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him.

What do we find ourselves concerned with most of the time? Taking inventory of what our mind spends most of its time thinking about is a worthy task. It will reveal our real treasure (Luke 12:33-34) and help us to know if we really do consider everything a loss for the sake of Christ.

10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

If we truly want to know our Lord then it will involve suffering and death.

Do you think this is why many Christians would rather put confidence in their flesh and have the wrong mindset? Or is it that they just don’t know or don’t care?

Notice that Paul says it’s through righteous suffering that we have fellowship with Christ; and it’s through death (Galatians 2:20) that we become like Him. So should we seek out suffering and death? No. But when situations involving righteous suffering and death show up in our lives, we need to remember what they will produce in our lives instead of trying to find the quickest way out of them.

Pressing on Toward the Goal
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

We need to remember that on this side of eternity none of us are perfect and there will always be something else God wants us to work on.

The key phrase in this passage is “press on.” Paul reminds us that we need to always push ourselves forward to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of us.

So why did Jesus take hold of us? 1. To save us. 2. To call us to action. And it’s the “calling to action” that Paul is referring to here as we’ll see in verse 14.

We’ve been called to do the will of our Lord while we are still on earth and this is what Paul says we need to constantly press upon ourselves to do.

Why would doing the will of God require so much pressing? Maybe because it involves suffering and death?

But Paul gives us some helpful advice!

13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Knowing that none of us are perfect, we need to forget about our past mistakes and accomplishments and instead focus on what is directly in front of us.

The word “ahead” does not mean future but anything, good or bad, that’s directly within our sight; those things that are now and present.

This is good to know because we have a tendency to distract ourselves with future ideas and goals that don’t exist. God wants us to plan for the future but live in the present.

15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

I love how Paul so gently but boldly says that his way is the only right way. He can make this claim because his life proved that he followed the Lord in every matter.

But he also makes a very good point that we need to live up to what God has revealed to us. How can we expect God to draw closer to us and reveal more to us when we’re not living and doing what He has already shown to us?

17Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you.

We need to link up with friends who don’t just talk about their faith but who are active in their faith. Paul actually says to observe peoples Christian walks and when you see somebody living the life, become friends with them and be accountable to each other.

18For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.

And when you’re observing people’s lives, be aware of those whose lives are ruled by their flesh and their minds focused on carnal things. They may call themselves Christians but their lives will prove what they really are.

And this is who we are and what we have to look forward to…

20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.