Philippians Chapter 3

Introduction: The context of chapter 3 is not Paul telling us about his conversion to Christianity. He is not dealing with the doctrine of justification; it is a believer trusting Christ and what we are to have confidence in with regard to our sanctification (Phil.2:13). Paul lists in vs. 5-7 what he was trusting in as a religious Jew to sanctify him. The flesh always wants to go back and trust in the flesh even after we are saved. Paul is dealing with that. God is not working in the unbeliever here; He is working in the believer “both to will and do of His good pleasure.” Paul is going to tell us two things we can rejoice in---the Lord or our flesh. You will get your purpose, meaning and joy in one or the other. It is our tendency to trust in the flesh, both as an unbeliever and believer. This is going to be a “battle royal” throughout our lives. Just like a lost man has to come to the place that his good works are of no value to save him (it is Christ alone through faith alone); a Christian must come to the place of understanding that our works (what we can do) are of no value to commend us to God after we are saved. It is trusting Christ alone through faith alone.

Vs. 1…Paul tells believers to “rejoice in the Lord”. We have to learn to find our joy in the Lord. It is important to define joy and happiness. Happiness is temporary and is conditioned on our “happenings” or our circumstances. Joy is an internal decision based upon a conscious decision to see purpose and value and meaning in Christ. Most people live by happiness---up and down. Rejoice means to do it again and again.

Do you know what it means to be “in the Lord”? You have got to be in the Lord before you can truly rejoice. Once that is settled, then rejoice in your position in the Lord. You won’t know you position in the Lord if you don’t find out what this means in the Word. It is a conscious decision of our thinking to reflect on all Christ has done for us and then to rejoice in it. The contrast to doing this is “experiencing happiness in the flesh”. To the degree that we have confidence in the flesh (our abilities) we will not rejoice in the Lord. We are satisfied with ourselves. We are having confidence in our flesh. If you spend time looking for happiness, you will forfeit the joy that results in rejoicing “in the Lord”. We must abandon all confidence in the flesh. This is what Paul is going to do in this chapter as he rejects the fleshly confidence he could have had in his pre and post salvation lifestyle.

“to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.” Paul didn’t mind reminding them of trusting in the Lord because it brings spiritual safety. You must stay in the Word to accomplish this.

Vs. 2…Beware of “dogs”. The dogs Paul warns about here are the unsaved Gentiles and their false teachings. Beware of the “concision”. Paul calls the unbelieving Jews (living by the law) the concision. They are Jews who travel throughout the Roman Empire trying to get Christians to have confidence in the flesh. Paul calls them "the concision" not the circumcision. Why? As far as God is concerned, He views them as body mutilators; the Jews are just cutting up the flesh. God ended the law program for Israel in the book of Acts. Circumcision has no more meaning to God because the dispensation has changed. Gal. 1:13-14---Paul calls what he was a part of was the Jews’ religion. He didn’t call it God’s religion because it had become something God never intended. The concision was Jews who were going around trying to convert people to their religion. Gal. 6:15…circumcision avails nothing. It has no value. Avail comes from the word “value”. God warned the Jews not to copy the Gentiles religions in the Old Testament. The Gentiles cut themselves and tattooed themselves to please their pagan “gods”. Paul is saying that the Jews were the equivalent of the Gentiles. They were essentially cutting themselves with circumcision. The Jews were scriptural but they were not dispensational.

We Christians today do the same thing as was happening in Philippi with one slight twist. The Jews associated circumcision with salvation. We associate baptism with salvation. When one is asked if he is saved, he will generally respond that yes he has been baptized. Baptism avails nothing today.

Who are the “evil workers”? II Cor. 11: 13… these evil workers are called "deceitful workers”; These are ministers of satan who have taken to the pulpits of Christian churches and preach “righteousness” by legalism (human good). They mix the two programs of God---the Gospel of the Kingdom with the Gospel of the Grace of God. “Lordship salvation” is a modern day strategy that does the same thing---it combines the Kingdom and Grace and thereby to so please God.

Vs. 3…“For we are the circumcision.” He is not saying we are Israel or we are spiritual Jews. In the Bible circumcision means death to the flesh. In Genesis 12 God called Abraham and told him He would produce a great nation by him. In Genesis 15:6 is the record of God justifying Abraham by faith. In Genesis 16 several years go by since the promise of Gen. 15 so Abraham, Sarah and Hagar get together and decide to have a child to help God out by fulfilling the promise of God. In Genesis 17 God establishes the Covenant of Circumcision. It was after Abraham produced Ishmael that God made the Covenant of Circumcision with him, when he was 99 years old. It is in connection with Abraham’s inability to have a child that God enters the covenant and in essence is saying “I don’t need your help (flesh) to produce children”. Sarah and Abraham have a child after Abraham has lost the ability to procreate. God waited until after it was clear to Abraham that he could not fulfill the promise that God gave him the ability to produce a child. This is incredible work on God’s part.

So here in Philippians 3:3 he is telling them that they are already dead to the flesh in Christ. According to Col. 2:10… “we are complete in Him.” Why do Christians today insist on adding something else to justification by faith plus nothing? Why the need to add baptism, church membership, Sabbath worship, tithing, etc. We are the circumcision!!! We are dead to the flesh already. Why would we fall for this? Why would we revert back to a system in having confidence in the flesh? Paul had a lot of flesh to boast in as a Pharisee, but he said he counted it but dung. He is using Abraham as an example of God’s dealing with him to assure the saints that we are already dead to the flesh.

Now what’s wrong with adding water baptism today simply as a testimony that you have been saved? Why make a big deal of this little harmless religious ceremony? Can’t we just hold our opinions to ourselves? Why make such a big deal out of this and divide the body of Christ! Well, why did God make such a big deal of waiting till after Abraham was 99 to give him a child? Can’t God just be normal? Does He have to be contrary from the way the normal world operates? The truth is we have already been circumcised (Col. 2:11), we already have been baptized the same time we got circumcised (I Cor. 12:13), we have already been raised from the dead (Rom. 6: 5). The things that mean something to God are done by Him the moment we believe the Gospel of Grace. So what is the benefit of water baptism today? This is the “sacred cow” of Christianity. If you insist on water baptism it is saying you are not complete in Christ. That is worth having a fuss over. God says we are complete; your pastor will tell you are not complete.

“which worship God in the spirit”…This is in contrast to worshipping God in the flesh. People want to know if you “church” is “spirit-filled”. This is where the Pentecostal movement arose from. They worship God from their emotions. God wants worship from our spirit—by allowing His Word to work in us and making thoughtful, reasonable decisions based on what God’s Word says. (Rom. 12:1-2) (reasonable means able to reason). The good, acceptable and perfect will of God nothing to do with your emotions. It is renewing the mind.

“and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.”…Now don’t get mad with me about what this is saying. Paul is warning that people go to church for great music programs and children’s program. These things really appeal to the flesh and we buy into it. What they are saying is these things are more important that worshipping in spirit.

According to verse one, Paul’s doctrine will provide safety from dogs, the concision, and evil workers. If you listen to any or all those three groups of people you will be taught to “have confidence in the flesh”. (vs. 4)

The purpose of these next few verses is to answer the question as to why would these “things” (vs. 7) cause one to trust in the flesh?

Vs. 5…The first four “things” Paul lists is his pedigree; his heritage. Most people stay in the religious heritage they were brought up in.

1. Circumcised---This goes back to the Abrahamic Covenant of Gen. 17:9,14. Paul participated in the Covenant; Paul had no choice in that his parents obeyed God’s Word. As Paul got older, so did he obey the OT law. He followed his heritage.
2. Stock of Israel---God changed the name of Jacob (deceiver) to Israel (Prince of God). Paul was proud of the fact that he was from “good stock”.
3. Tribe of Benjamin---one of the smallest tribes of Israel. In the book of Judges, the tribe of Benjamin got in trouble and was almost wiped out. However, they made a come-back and the first King of Israel was Saul, a Benjamite. Why mention this or how did Paul know this? Obviously Paul studied and valued family history.
4. Hebrew of the Hebrews--- If we follow Biblical precedent, it is certainly correct to call them "Hebrews" from Abraham onwards (see Gen 14:13). The origin and scope of this name is very much debated among Old Testament scholars, but the Old Testament itself implies some connection with Eber, Abraham's ancestor (Gen 10:21-31; 11:14-26). "Israel" was the new name given by God to Jacob, Abraham's grandson (Gen 32:28; 43:6, etc), and so the descendants of Jacob are "Israelites" or, collectively, "Israel". In Ex 3:18 and 5:1-3 "Hebrews" and "Israel" appear to be used as synonymous terms (though if "Hebrews" indicates the descendants of Eber, then Hebrews were, strictly speaking, a much wider group than the tribes of Israel). The term “Jew” originally referred to a member of the southern tribe of Judah (which is it's use in Jer 32:12; 34:9). Jew refers to religion. Hebrew is a language and is also used to refer to people who speak that language. An Israeli is a resident of Israel (All Israeli's are not Jewish).
5. A Pharasee---Acts 23:7 & 26:4. There were three religious groups in Paul’s day---Herodians (government leaders) Pharisees (legalists) Sadducees (liberals).

Vs. 6…According to Acts 9 Paul did not just write a book against the Jewish Christians or criticize them; he went into every house and made “havoc” of the Jewish church. He was also blameless as touching the law…Paul was not sinless but when he did sin he made the appropriate sacrifice as provided by Law. (Gal. 1:13)

Paul learned this early on---you will either trust Christ or you will be alert to “things”.

Now if you are Pauline, Mid-Acts, and a right divider it will cost you something. You must look on religion as “but dung”. What you use to value must change. This is not easy!!!

"For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts” (II Timothy 3:6).

Note carefully that according to II Timothy 3:6, the religious system will lead believers "away." But where will they be lead away from? "Houses"! This was the Pauline pattern of the gathering of the church. Paul, even unto the end, emphasized "the church in thy house”. And it is also important to note the time frame of which Paul speaks. He was speaking of the “last days” of the church, the body of Christ. And even then the Scriptural place for the gathering of the church is still in "houses."

Some would lead us to believe that the first century church gathered in homes because that is all that they could do. They would have us believe that when the church became older it progressed passed the necessity to meet in the home. But Paul shows us that even unto the "last days," the biblical pattern of the gathering of the saints is in the home! The issue is so important that Satan engages in spiritual warfare. And why do we say that this is spiritual warfare? Because, in the context, saints are being "lead captive" from "houses." They are spiritual prisoners of war! So, Paul describes a wholesale abandonment of "the church in thy house" in the "last days." And the saints are being lead off to the religious system, where they are kept in bondage.

Interestingly, Paul specifically speaks of the woman being lead. This is because women are especially vulnerable to the subtle pull of the religious system. But, ultimately this is not an indictment against the women so much as it is the men. For, where are the men in this verse?

If the women can be pulled from the home, it is because their husbands are not providing the spiritual leadership that is their responsibility! Does not all this sound familiar? It sounds like we have heard a similar account in Genesis chapter three. The serpent has come for the woman, and the man stands there in silence!

The adversary accomplishes this captive leading from the home through religious "lusts." They are "led away with divers lusts.” We know that these lusts are "religious" because verse six does not end with a period, but with a comma. ". . . Led away with divers lusts, ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” The lusts here are for knowledge. Does this sound familiar again? Satan came to Eve with the temptation of the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” With their husbands' silent abdication of their God given responsibility, the women are drawn as silly (Paul's word!) "groupies" to these organized knowledge fests.

In fact, women are so strongly affected by these lusts, or passions, that they will become so emboldened, as to disregard the plain teachings of Paul (I Corinthians 14:34,35; I Timothy 2:11-15), and begin to take leadership roles, even teach the Scriptures in these religious church systems themselves!

Now, all of this is done in the name of "godliness" (II Timothy 3:5). But is only a form, an appearance, and things are not always as they appear. That is why those coming into the "houses" to lead the silly women out captive are said to be creepers "For of this sort are they which creep into houses. . .”

Women are the first line of the Satanic attack to lead the church out of the home. Therefore, from the satanic viewpoint, women are at the heart of the religious system - and husbands, with ring-in-nose, submissively follows suit! Remember the account of Genesis? ". . . And gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat” (Genesis 3:6b).

This also reminds us that "Babylon" is called "she" in Revelation chapter 18. It is a feminine system. Remove the woman's presence, work and influence from the system, and it will die.

Perhaps for years, many of us would read verse six and scratch our heads, "What in the world is Paul talking about?" But, how wonderful context is! For, with context comes the floodlight of understanding!

Ephesians 3:17-19 tells us to comprehend some things that are not natural to us. Just how does one comprehend something which passeth knowledge? This is the inner man struggle he describes in vs. 16. We can choose to have confidence in the flesh as Paul did before he was saved or we can do some battle with the flesh and strengthen our inner man with rightly divided grace truth.

Vs. 8-9… Paul is not talking about our justification or salvation here. He is talking about our sanctification or growth of the believer. “that I may win Christ”… “that I may be found in Him”…This is not Paul teaching a performance based salvation. Isn’t this teaching that we must keep on striving and pressing toward the mark in order to obtain salvation or maintain our salvation? Isn’t this teaching conditional salvation? No!!! The context of this passage is “do not have any confidence in the flesh”. If at any time a believer stops trusting Christ, he will put his confidence in the flesh. Paul wants to be growing so he tells us that this requires us to learn some things---to know Him, the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings. This is the mind of Christ in essence. That is what I am to learning about. We value the opposite of this and evaluate our own righteousness according to religion and the Law. I also need to learn to count all things as dung. It is so much easier to just depend on our own righteousness.

The orientation of self righteousness died at the cross. In order for a Christian to experience the resurrection life of Christ it requires a death to self righteousness. (Gal. 2:20) This sequence of death, burial and resurrection is crucial to our sanctification. Our old man does not want to die. There is a war in our members as Paul describes in Romans 7. This is a description of the war in our members. This is fighting the good fight of faith.

This is talking about the day by day battle between the carnal mind and the mind of the Spirit in the believer. Positionally we have been baptized (not water or ritual baptism) into the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus (Rom. 6:1-5) What Paul is saying in Phil. 3 is based on what he taught in Rom. 6:9-10. What is Christ’s relationship to sin and death? He died unto it once. It has no more dominion over Him! What is His relationship to God? He ever lives unto God (life). (vs. 11…likewise ye also are dead indeed unto sin.”) There are two people “reckoning” in this verse---God and the believer. What do you believe about sin in you life? You are dead and alive to God---so go reckon this! This is hard to do because we have the old flesh (carnal mind). So what is the idea of “to win Christ”? That moment by moment battle to be found in Him is to win Christ.

“And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith”…Deut. 6: 24-25 and Rom.10:4-5 are verses to compare that Israel had standing with God by performing the Law but to us Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness sake. We should not look to the Ten Commandments as a source of our righteousness. Our standing with God is based on identity not performance. Self righteousness died at the Cross. In order for me to have standing before God I must die. This is accomplished at the time of salvation according to Rom. 6. Judicial/Positional death to the old man. Gal. 2:20 (by the faith of the Son of God) A Christian must learn to battle with the old man in that I must reckon it (the old man) to be dead.

“but that which is through the faith of Christ”…is a body of doctrine that I am to believe; it constitutes Christian doctrine. This is not Paul earning anything; it is not my performance. If you make this Jesus having faith in something outside Himself, then it does not make sense. Rom. 3:22 tells us that believing Christian doctrine is the issue. Gal. 2:16…justification occurs by believing the Christian grace doctrines. We are not justified by Jesus having belief in something outside of Himself. Gal. 2:20…we live by the doctrines of the revelation of the mystery and the doctrines associated with the grace of God. The faith of Christ is found in Ephesians 4:13 and I Tim. 3:13. This is a different way of saying the same thing as vs.9.

The issue here is maturity; growing in grace. (Phil. 1:9) This is what it means to “abound more and more”.

Vs. 11…“If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead”… In order for me to understand my resurrection, I must understand my death. In order to do this I must learn my position. Jesus taught us this when He “humbled Himself” and became obedient unto death. He showed us the way. If you skip this or remain ignorant of it you are doomed to guilt, religion and law trying to undo sin in our lives. Paul learned to live as a resurrected dead man.

So many Christians don’t ever amount to much for the Lord because we are operating out of the mindset that religion teaches us. Right thinking about right doctrine is necessary to attain unto the resurrection of the dead. We must be learning about our death (not the one when we stop breathing) before we are dead; the one we experienced when we got saved.

In Philippians 3 Paul is telling me I need to be made conformable unto Christ (Rom. 8:29). I need to preach Christ and Him crucified---not creative preaching. I must understand some things; get smarter. These truths are beyond me and I must struggle to learn them and this causes an internal battle. The things that we count as gain always compete with the “knowledge of Christ Jesus”.

Phil. 2:5 urges us to “let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus”. Then in verses 6-8 he explains Christ’s humiliation and exaltation. We as saints also have a time of humiliation and exaltation. Our time here on earth is a time of humiliation.

Now this passage also reminds us that Paul is teaching the saints “Positional Truth”. Paul tells us his position in the Jew’s religion as Saul and he concludes that part of his life as “dung” and that which is to be forgotten. He wants to teach us that he was given a new position in the “body of Christ” and how he (and you and I) can learn to live as a “new creature” because of the new position. When you are saved, the old man is crucified and the new man emerges.

Vs. 13-14… “I count not myself to have apprehended”… Christ apprehended Paul because he had an eternal purpose---to form the “one new man” the body of Christ. (Eph. 2:15)

“but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Paul is looking back at his religious upbringing and Jewish faith and he had to forget those things that he once highly valued. It is important to note that Paul was not trying to reform Judaism, he was forgetting those things. That is good advice for you and me. I am a recovering Baptist; I am not trying to reform Baptists. I am trying to forget what that did to me to make me have a law based view of life and Christianity. Paul is not encouraging us to forget the people in our past “religion”; they need to be taught sound doctrine and that is a tall order my friend.

I Timothy 1:6…Paul is the pattern, therefore he has information nobody on earth has. This new “revelation” brought him into direct conflict with the Jewish leaders in the synagogues throughout the Roman Empire. If Paul was teaching the same doctrine as Judaism, he sure did get into a lot of needless conflicts. Wherever Paul went, there was either riot or revival. When the Jews refused to receive Paul’s “Gospel”, he pronounced them spiritually blind and warned them that he would not be returning to them again. Three times in the book of Acts Paul makes this announcement.

Colossians 3:1-2…We are exhorted to seek those “things” which are above. So we are to forget the things in the past (religiously speaking) and focus on the “revelation of the mystery”, the dispensation of the grace of God, and right division.

Watch how Paul did this in Acts 26:15-19…He says he was not disobedient to the “heavenly vision” and wants to “open their eyes”. As you grow in grace, these “things” mean something to you and you begin to leave that other stuff to the religious leaders laboring in religious ceremonies in the church. That is the “old man’s” way of life! That is what it means to “forget those things behind”. We will succeed best when we allow the Word of God to work in us---not work in the church. That it the choice we have today---let the Word work in you or you work in the church. Not only do people not know their Bible today, they do not care that they do not know their Bible.

“I press”…This little phrase involves two things: sound doctrine and following Paul’s manner or method of ministry. We must be faithful or consistent in this regard according to I Cor. 4:1-2. The truth is very few saints can present the Bible clearly. The Cross of Christ must always be central.

Phil. 4:9…Do you realize how bold this verse is? Paul said for us to pattern after him and the God of peace will be with you. The problem we will face when we follow this teaching is we will face the “yeah but” crowd. I face them all the time. You show them what their Apostle said and they always respond “yeah but” what about what Peter said or James wrote. They refuse to follow Paul’s pattern.

Acts 17:3…Paul’s method was to “open and allege”. That is the pattern and it will bring opposition just as it did with Paul in this passage. Notice in verse 5 that the Jews were envious of Paul when other Jews believed his message. The Jews had the Ten Commandment, the Temple, Synagogues, the Fathers, etc. and they were very envious that Paul was drawing away their “members”. When the Jews saw Jews forsaking Judaism, they were envious and they confronted Paul about this. Nothing has changed today. If you open and allege and people believe you, the Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals and etc. are move with envy. Why? Because they believe that they have the favored relationship with God. (Exodus 4:22).

Acts 9:29…Paul disputed against the Grecians. That is what a soldier does (II Tim. 2:3); he shoots and hits sometimes and sometimes he misses.

Vs. 15… “Let us therefore… Based on the foregoing instruction (counting our old religious life as dung)

“as many as be perfect, be thus minded”… The way to think about our past religious life is to “forgetting those things which are behind”

“ and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded”… Some Christians insist on dwelling on the things of the past---Attending church, getting baptized, how much to tithe, etc. Thinking like this produces nothing but condemnation and guilt.

“God shall reveal even this unto you.” What will He reveal? The stuff that you are dwelling on back in your past!!! How will He do this? Get in the Book rightly divided.

Knowing what I have just learned, now let us go on to perfection (maturity) as a functioning member of the “body of Christ”; as an ambassador for God’s ministry of reconciliation. This is the definition of “having the mind of Christ”; to think otherwise means I am spiritually confused and must turn to religious deeds to feel spiritual.

In I Cor. 2:6 we have an example of people getting wisdom from God through Paul. This is how God matures us and makes us “perfect”. The wisdom of this world comes to nought when taught by the princes of this world. You can not grow in grace by learning the wisdom of this world.

In II Cor. 13:11 the Corinthians were challenged to “be perfect”. This is the key to receiving God’s comfort and likemindedness. The material that God has given us through Paul will bring perfection, comfort and likemindedness.

Vs. 16… “Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.” Wherever you are in your walk of grace, we must grow by the rule Paul just laid down in the previous verses. You start walking by the carnal mind. There is always room to grow in grace!!! We must seek to find joy in Christ in the Christian life (3:1). What is there to learn? That grace is sufficient, the nature of grace, the dependency of grace, etc. We must always be on guard for “self confidence”.

There are no quick fixes in the dispensation of the grace of God. What has been at work in prior dispensations is not true for us. Our program does not include health, wealth and prosperity. (Rom. 5:3) When this mindset is embraced by the saint, we are “winning Christ”, we are pressing toward the prize of the high calling. To us (grace believers) God is the God of all comfort because we need it to deal with our problems; He is not in a hurry to solve all our problems. (Col. 1:11) The standard view of Christians today is God is available to take your problems away. This not a correct view of God! We have problems today because sin is a reality. Life is the stage where we live out grace.

Vs. 17… “Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample” Francis Schaffer wrote a book in the 1970’s entitled How Shall We Then Live? At the end of the day, for a Christian, that is the crucial question. Just a few years ago, Christians popularized the slogan, “what would Jesus do” and wore bracelets with the initials---WWJD. Once again the issue is how are we to live out our Christian lives. The correct answer is found here in verse 17… Paul says you can look at his life to see how a Christian should walk. He was walking in sound grace doctrine. Look at him. If you ever doubt that grace is the right path to walk, just look at Paul.

The Pauline pattern here is if you have some friends that walk in grace doctrine, mark them and fellowship with them and encourage them not to depart. If they start to depart---confront them. Anyone who is following grace doctrine, use them as a role model for your life.

Who is the “ensample”? Paul and Timothy are the “ensamples”! They both illustrate grace working in the inner man. (Phil. 2:13) The Old Testament saints lived in another dispensation and therefore they were “examples”. The only way for you and me to follow Jesus today is to follow Paul. “For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. [6] And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost.” (I Thess. 1: 5-6) What a powerful verse!!! Paul listed himself before the Lord in terms of who we should follow.

Rom. 16:17… “Mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine and avoid them.” There are two different people we are to mark: those who follows the doctrine (vs. 17) and mark them who do not follow the doctrine.

I would rather let Paul scold me through the Word than to go out and make a mess out of the Christian life. If you took the “selfish motive” out of church attendance you would have an empty building. We do religious things to keep God from chastising us. We have a heavy dose of legalism laid on us every Sunday. Paul faces universal rejection today among Christians when he actually told us he should receive universal acceptation… “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. [16] Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” (I Tim. 1:15-16) We hear so much today about “you are a Paul worshipper”; “you are a Bible chopper”; etc.

I Cor. 15:1-8…The last person to see Jesus was Paul (vs. 8). Therefore Paul could honestly say he was first (in the revelation of the mystery) and last person to see Jesus on earth.

I Cor. 4:15-17…Paul has my instructions. To have doctrine that is not Pauline is wrong! When I first learned of the revelation of the mystery, I tried to intertwine it with Baptist doctrine---it can not be done. I decided to scrap Baptist doctrine.

I Cor. 14: 37-38…the things that Paul tells us is the “commandments of the Lord”.

Col. 1:25-29…If I am going to be “perfect”, I must listen to my Apostle.

Gal. 6:14-18…There is a “rule” to walk by---do not trouble the Apostle Paul! Why? Because Paul bore in his body the marks of the Lord Jesus (scars of rejection).

Vs. 18-19…(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 mind earthly things.) Paul is talking about believers here, not unbelievers. There were believers who had abandoned grace doctrine and when you do so you end up becoming enemies of the cross of Christ (the verse does not say that they are enemies of Christ). They are enemies of the message of Paul. Now, in what sense are they enemies of the cross? II Timothy 2: 25-26…In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; [26] And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will. Satan has a will for your life! It involves you opposing who you are in Christ and attacking the message of grace. It is a scary thing to know that we can do that even as a Christian. Unfortunately I did it for several years myself. Galatians 4:21 explains this. What did the Galatians desire to do? They desired to be under the Law thinking that it would stop sin in their lives. When you leave grace and turn back to Law you wind up opposing the preaching of the cross. Galatians 5:2-4…Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing.[3] For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. [4] Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. The power of legalism is such that it renders Christ of none effect as a resource in the life of the saint. That is powerful stuff.

Now in I Corinthians 1:17…Paul says that the “wisdom of words” (in context the topic is baptism) can render the cross of Christ of none effect. The preaching of the cross is powerful---it places us in Christ, acceptable to God, rescues us from hell, etc. However, there is something that can render that power of none effect. And what is it? The wisdom of words that teaches someone to believe that there is value or merit in their performance or works.

In II Timothy 1:15 we are told that the Ephesians, Colossians and Galatians turned away from Paul. Obviously, Satan’s policy of evil worked in those cities. It is possible for mature saints to be carried away with wrong doctrine---I Timothy 4:1-2. What were they carried away to? Doctrines of devils!!! Col. 4:2,8,16,18, etc. Paul warns the Colossians to be on guard about being drawn away from the message of grace. Even the mature Thessalonians were “shaken and troubled” about the revelation of the mystery concerning the rapture of the church (II Thess. 2:2).

Vs. 19… "Whose end is destruction"… In what sense can the saint’s end be destruction? Well, in I Cor. 3 Paul tells us that our life’s work as builders and our conduct as believers will be reviewed by the Lord. It will be reviewed by fire (the Word of God) (Jer. 23:29)---specifically Paul’s epistles. If it doesn’t line up, it will be burned up.

“whose God is their belly”… They are really just serving themselves. Grace believers have heavenly blessings; we have not been stripped of our reasons to live godly. Israel had earthly/physical blessings.

“and whose glory is in their shame”… They glory in what will just be burned up at the judgment seat of Christ.

“who mind earthly things”…They are preaching and teaching the wrong program---they are teaching the precepts of the Kingdom (Matthew-John).

Vs. 20… “For our conversation is in heaven”… The word “conversation” (most translations render this word wrongly as “citizenship”) is the best translation because conversation requires more than simply physically being present in a particular place. Most translations render the word conversation as “citizenship”. This is wrong; you can be a citizen of a country without participating in that country. Conversation requires participation, activity, life, etc. Our lives originate in heaven; that is our home; it is the source and resource of our lives. We are to conduct our lives here on earth in the realization and knowledge that our conversation is in heaven. Our old man operates here on earth but our new man home is in heaven. We are the ultimate “illegal aliens”. We are to be tending the “heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19).

Why are we looking for the Lord? Because He is there (heaven) but we are not there yet. We are looking for the Saviour! He is going to save us from “this present evil world”. He is not only our Saviour from hell but He is also our Saviour from this evil world. (Gal. 1: 3) (Titus 2:11)