Philippians, Chapter 3
© copyright 1997 Darroll Evans, all rights
reserved
Philippians 3:1 Finally, my brethren,
rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.
"Finally" is not the final finally.
We will encounter another "finally."
Paul told the Philippians that he was going
over material again.
He was covering ground that had already been
covered.
That is not a bad thing.
Because, repetition is one of the best learning
tools, this was not grievous, tedious or troublesome.
Indeed it was for their conformation in the
gospel.
Philippians 3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the
concision.
“Dogs” was a derogatory name used by Jews to
describe Gentiles.
Dogs are ceremonially unclean.
As children of God, we are cleansed by the
righteousness of Christ.
“Concision” refers to those who mutilate
themselves to attempt to become holy.
That is in contrast to the true circumcision
of the hearts of those in Christ.
In case you do not know, ritual circumcision
does not make you holy.
Romans 2:28-29
28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision,
which is outward in the flesh:
29 But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the
heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of
God.
Philippians 3:3 For
we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ
Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
We are the children of Promise!
Galatians 4:28---“Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of
promise.”
The promise is not based on a covenant!
It is based on a PROMISE!
Genesis 12:2-3
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy
name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth
thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
That is the promise.
The covenant would not be instituted until
many years after the promise(Genesis—chapter 15).
Are you blessed in Christ according to the
covenant, or the promise?
Philippians 3:4 Though
I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh
that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
"Confidence in the flesh" is
confidence in human abilities and power.
It is fading at best.
If you trust in your physical ability to run,
another will soon be faster.
If you trust in your ability to sing, age
will take it.
If you trust in your physical strength, it
will, one day, prove untrustworthy.
Philippians 3:5-6
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin,
an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is
in the law, blameless.
This is Paul’s ancestral pedigree.
Paul had it all!
He had the name, and education.
Paul was tapped for success within the Jewish
religious community.
He was an upwardly mobile,
super-achiever.
When they chose up sides at recess---Paul was
a team captain.
He was a choosor,
not a choosee!
Philippians 3:7 But
what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Paul thought such things were a detriment to
the cause of Christ.
Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count
all things but loss for the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
To Paul all such was a loss when compared to
the Knowledge of Christ Jesus.
In this matter, Paul was explicit.
Christ Jesus was his Lord (Gr. kuriou-kuriou)!
That Greek word indicates ownership.
Jesus Christ paid the full and complete price
for you on the cross at
We are His "purchased possession"
(Ephesians 1:14).
Philippians 3:9 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:
Being His, we are found in Him.
Our faith is not "our faith," it is
“of” or from Christ (Galatians 2:16).
We believe in Christ through the faith of
Christ imparted to us.
And, the righteousness that sustains us is
from God.
Philippians 3:10 That I may know him, and
the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made
conformable unto his death;
When people tell us to pick up our cross and
follow Jesus, many think of it as a metaphor.
Not true!
We shall experience the power of His
resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.
This has nothing to do with us suffering for
Christ!
If we are baptized into His body, we are also
baptized into the suffering He experienced, and if we are baptized into the
sufferings Christ experienced, we are in “the fellowship of His sufferings”!
However, we do not go through any suffering “for”
Him! Instead, He suffered for us!
That is the inheritance of the saints in
Christ.
Philippians 3:11 If by any means I might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
Some folks read this verse and think that
they can sneak in through a window.
Let me vent a bit---that is the stupidest
theology that has ever been though up by man!
You either walk in through the open door,
Christ Jesus, or you will not get in!
I have heard songs and sermons about getting into
heaven many ways.
Some sing that we should get to heaven
through windows, or under the door.
Those who say that are scripturally
wrong!
If any preacher teaches that we can get into
God’s throne room, and the marriage supper of the Lamb by any means other than
the Door.
He or She is a Liar!
Philippians 3:12-13
12 Not as though I had already attained, either
were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for
which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I
do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those
things which are before,
Some believe that they are already perfect,
or complete.
Paul was not one of them.
We may be mature in Christ, but our
completion comes in the resurrection at His coming.
Completeness and maturity are separate
issues!
Christians are immediately complete in
Christ, but maturity takes time!
Verse thirteen is a reinforcement of verse
twelve.
There is some very good advice here.
"Forgetting those
things which are behind."
Forget what is behind. Don’t dredge up past
sins and meditate on them.
God forgave those sins, and so should you.
Philippians 3:14 I press toward the mark
for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Are you working for salvation or rewards?
If you are working for salvation, boy, are
you in for a surprise?
Salvation is by grace through faith (period).
On the other hand there are rewards for good
works.
Ephesians 2:10---“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus
unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Rewards are separate from salvation.
Many speak of rewards and salvation as
synonymous.
They are not.
Philippians 3:15 Let us therefore, as many
as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even
this unto you.
In this verse, "perfect" speaks of
a mature moral character.
Paul says that if you are mature, God will
reveal this truth to you.
Philippians 3:16 Nevertheless, whereto we
have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same
thing.
Operate on the level you have attained.
Don’t get ahead of yourself.
Every teenager thinks he/she knows it all.
Many spiritual teenage Christians assume they
know more than they do.
Chronological age and spiritual maturity do
not walk hand in hand. One year repeated 20 times is not twenty years
experience.
Philippians 3:17 Brethren, be followers
together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
Paul called on the Philippians to observe
those of His band, and Use them as examples.
Philippians 3:18 (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:
Some who seem to be Christ’s actually turn
out to be enemies of the cross.
Pretenders can temporarily fool us.
Philippians 3:19 Whose end is destruction,
whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly
things.)
If the men you follow tell you that they want
you to give "them" everything you have so you will gain a blessing,
you know that they are false.
Not many years ago, one
"evangelist" was selling miracles at $25 for four miracles.
That is a great bargain---or, is it?
Philippians 3:20 For
our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
“Conversation” speaks of citizenship.
Our citizenship is in heaven.
We are on earth working on a provisional
green card.
Keep looking up!
Christ shall return from heaven as He went
into heaven.
Philippians 3:21 Who shall change our vile
body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the
working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
At His return, we shall be changed to reflect
His glorious body.
The gathering of the saints is not the end.
There shall be a period of rebellion at the
end the millennium of peace.
That will end with a great battle.
Then, comes the
great White Throne Judgment for those that have not acknowledged Jesus as Lord.
Later, Christ Jesus shall bow to the Father and He, the Father, shall become
all in all (1 Corinthians 15:28).