Philippians 3:4-11 Count All Things Loss

...though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. [Philippians 3:4-11 NKJV]

In Philippians 3:3, Paul has just stated that we should "have no confidence in the flesh." Continuing that thought, he describes his own credentials in the flesh: a circumcised Jew, a zealous Pharisee, blameless in the law (according to men's standards). But all of these things are meaningless in the kingdom of God. 

Compared to the knowledge of Christ Jesus, all of these things are rubbish. Not the nice rubbish that you might pick up by the side of the road, but the refuse that you flush down the toilet.

For all of Paul's credentials, none of it produced knowledge of Jesus, and none of it produce the righteousness of God.

Of much more value is the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ. Through faith we know Him; we know the power of His resurrection; and we know his suffering.

Throughout my life, I have heard many talk of earthly credentials as an important part of Christian life and ministry. A doctor of theology is thought to have more knowledge and wisdom than a faithful believer who spends time every day studying the Word of God. We speak of "credentialed" or "ordained" ministers, as if the fact of ordination makes them more capable of representing the kingdom of God to the world than the gifted "layman".

Whatever things we count as gain in this life - education, skills, credentials, position, money, properties, or whatever else - we should be willing to lose them without remorse. If we consider it a great loss to lose anything in life, then it is of great importance to us. But we should consider all things other than Christ as refuse, to be thrown away.

Paul suffered the loss of all things. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews, but the Jews came to hate him. He was a Pharisee, but set aside the Law to live by faith. He was righteous in the flesh, according to the Law, but he claims no righteousness in himself anymore, only the righteousness which is through faith in Jesus.

Through faith, we know Jesus; we know the power of His resurrection; and we know the fellowship of His suffering. Paul also said,

The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. [Romans 8:16-17 NKJV]

Almost every Christian will say that they want to know Jesus better. But very few will say that they want to suffer in order to know Him better. But suffering, trials and tribulation are promised to Christians. Jesus said;

"Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel’s, “who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life." [Mark 10:29-30 NKJV]

Did you notice how "persecutions" is thrown in with all of these promised blessings? They are to be embraced, not avoided. James said;

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. [James 1:2-3 NKJV]

Kingdom thinking is contrary to the flesh. What the flesh considers gain, we count as loss. What the flesh would avoid, we consider a joy.

Through it all, we must keep our eyes on our overriding goal; the resurrection from the dead, when we will finally see Jesus face to face in all of His glory.

Father, please reveal my heart and show me the things that I count as gain. Lord, I willingly give them up for you. I know that they are rubbish, and my only true gain in this life is You. Please give me the grace to keep my eyes on the goal; the resurrection from the dead, when I stand before You clothed in Your righteousness. 

Philippians 3:1-3 Beware of Dogs

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, [Philippians 3:1-3 NKJV]

At first glance verse 1 sounds just like the oft-quoted Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" In fact, the context is very different. The emphasis is not on the word, "rejoice", but on "the Lord."

Paul is making a contrast; rejoice in the Lord, not in the Law or the flesh. It is a warning! His word usage is very specific and deliberate.

He said, "Beware of dogs." "Dog" is the term the Jews used for Gentiles. Not cute little puppies, or Yorkies, or Labs. We're talking about mongrels; dirty, feral packs of dogs that root through the garbage and prey on the weak. Paul takes the term and turns it around on the Judaisers who claim faith in Jesus, but then insist that the Gentiles be converted to Judaism, and adhere to the Law.

He calls them "evil workers." He does not mean evil-doers. He means those who preach a salvation by works, and insist that others follow them in their works. They deny the grace of God, and replace faith with works. He calls these people evil.

He says "beware of the mutilation." In the Greek language, this is a play on words. The Greek, "peritome" means "circumcision". "katatome" means "mutilation". It refers to the practice of cutting the flesh, which was a practice of the heathens;

And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, “Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.” So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them. [1 Kings 18:27-28 NKJV]

Circumcision was given to Abraham to seal a promise. Under Moses, it was given to the nation of Israel as a seal of the Covenant. These seals were in the flesh. What began as a promise became the symbol of national identity. Then it became - to them - a requirement for the worship of God. 

Under the New Covenant, we are no longer sealed in the flesh by circumcision. Instead, we are given the Holy Spirit as a seal in our hearts;

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, [Ephesians 1:13 NKJV]

Jesus said,

“But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” [John 4:23-24 NKJV]

The imagery Paul uses is offensive. Let there be no doubt that compromise is not an option. Beware of them! 

Just as the Jews trusted in the ritual of circumcision, it is easy for us as Christians to trust in rituals and traditions of our own.

For example, some practice Communion (or the Eucharist) as a part of their sanctification. But Communion doesn't save nor sanctify. The rite of Communion does not bring you into communion with God. Jesus said, "do this in remembrance of Me.” [Luke 22:19 NKJV] It is a reminder of the redemptive work of Jesus. It is not the redemptive work itself.

Likewise with baptism. Baptism doesn't cleanse us, or wash away our sins, or save us.  If you are not already saved and cleansed of sin, then baptism is nothing more than a bath. It is a public testimony of the spiritual reality that you have died to your old life and have been raised again to new life in Christ.

Therefore we rejoice, not in the flesh, not in religion, and not in our rituals, but in the Lord; for He has saved us by His grace.

Lord, I thank You for Your free gift of salvation. Thank You for Your Spirit, who has sealed my salvation, and empowered me to live in it. Thank You that I don't need to rely on my own righteousness or strength. 

Philippians 2:25-30 Epaphroditus

Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need; since he was longing for you all, and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed he was sick almost unto death; but God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore I sent him the more eagerly, that when you see him again you may rejoice, and I may be less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness, and hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death, not regarding his life, to supply what was lacking in your service toward me. [Philippians 2:25-30 NKJV]

Little is known about Epaphroditus. He was chosen by the Philippian church to carry money to Paul, and probably, to stay and serve Paul in Rome. Since Paul was under house arrest, he needed someone to buy his groceries, run errands, carry messages, and so on. Paul was pleased with Epaphroditus' service and character. Paul referred to him as "my brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier."

Paul thought it necessary to cut Epaphroditus' service short, and send him back to Philippi, because word of his sickness had spread, and he didn't want the Philippian church to be overly concerned. Paul made it clear that he wasn't sent back because of any shortcomings in his service, and instead instructed the church to, "hold such men in esteem; because for the work of Christ he came close to death."

This passage makes it clear that Epaphroditus became sick. His sickness worsened to the point of near death. He was not miraculously healed, but recovered by natural process (which Paul also attributes to God's mercy).

The question arises: why wasn't Epaphroditus miraculously healed? No doubt Paul prayed for his healing. To say that it had anything to do with Paul's faith would be absurd. Paul had a proven history of faith, and of miracles and healings being worked at his hands. You might say that Epaphroditus lacked the faith, or had unconfessed sin in his life that prevented him from being healed. Yet Paul commended him for his faith and service. If there had been a lack on Epaphroditus' part, this would have been a perfect teaching moment for Paul.

I absolutely believe in miraculous healing by God. I have seen it first hand. But the truth is, not everybody is healed every time.

There are many accounts of Jesus healing in Israel. On some special occasions He healed everyone who came to Him. Yet, He did not heal everyone in Israel. The 3rd chapter of Acts describes Peter healing a lame man at the entrance of the temple. The man had been begging for alms, as was his custom. How many times did Jesus walk past without healing him?

There is another account in John, chapter 5, of Jesus healing a lame man at the pool of Bethesda. He healed the one, but how many did he leave unhealed?

Timothy was frequently sick. Paul told him, "No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities." [1 Timothy 5:23 NKJV]

Why are some people healed and others are not? Or, why is a person healed one time, but not another? The answer is, "I don't know." 

It would be both foolish and arrogant to claim that a person is not healed because of sin, or lack of faith, or a "negative confession", or because they didn't properly claim it. This is usually an argument made by people who have been blessed with good health. They quote a few healing scriptures, and then claim that it is God's will that everybody be in perfect health. But by cherry picking their healing verses, they have to ignore the full context of the Bible.

Let me say it again. I believe in miraculous healing. I pray it over others, as well as myself. I also recognize that it is God who is sovereign, and not I. 

In this life, I will probably never know the answer to "Why?" But this I will do; I will continue to give God thanks. I will continue to praise and worship Him. I will continue to confess that Jesus is Lord.

Father, I thank You that You are the healer. Thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus, that "By His stripes, we were healed." I trust You for healing, and give You thanks. Lord Jesus, I praise Your name. 

Philippians 2:19-24 Timothy

But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me. But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. [Philippians 2:19-24 NKJV]

According to the 16th chapter of Acts, Paul met Timothy on his second missionary journey. Paul found in Timothy the the heart and character of a servant of God, and so he invited Timothy to join him on his missionary trips. Their relationship was such that Paul thought of Timothy as a son.

His character was such that Paul said, "I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. [Philippians 2:20 NIV]

What we know about Timothy's character from this passage is this:

• He was sincere
• He cared for the church - that is, the people, not the institution.
• He sought the things of Christ
• He had a proven character

Paul trusted Timothy enough to send him to Philippi in his stead, until he could come himself.

When we look at our own character there are many traits that are a fruit of the Spirit. Such as, "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." [Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV]  We cannot simply make ourselves more loving, joyful or peaceful. They grow, as fruit, out of our relationship with God.

There are other attributes which are entirely within our control, and it is these for which Paul praises Timothy.

The Pharisees were condemned by Jesus for their hypocrisy. This was an attitude that they chose, rather than surrender themselves to God's truth. It is our own choice whether we will sincerely seek God, or whether we will seek the praise of men.

It is our own choice to care for the people around us, or to selfishly seek our own gain. It is an attitude that we must adopt; to place others before ourselves.

Jesus said, "Seek first the kingdom of God." If you seek material gain before the kingdom, you may become wealthy. But, as Jesus said, "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" [Matthew 16:26 NKJV]

You may seek to promote yourself over others. But Jesus said, “So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.” [Matthew 20:16 NKJV] And also, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” [Mark 9:35 NKJV]

The character traits that define the fruit of the Spirit are a part of our character. But they can only grow when we have made the choice to seek the things of Christ.

Our character is proven over time. Whether it is praiseworthy or not depends on our choices. It is easy to be self-deceived and think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Let us ask God to reveal our hearts, so that we may know our own character.

Lord, please reveal my heart to me. If there is any insincerity, I am sorry, and ask Your forgiveness. Please refine my character, not so that I may have a good name, but so that Your name will be honored. 

Philippians 2:17-18 A Drink Offering

Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me. [Philippians 2:17-18 NKJV]

Under the Law of Moses, daily sacrifices were ordained with a very specific order of service;

“And you shall say to them, ‘This is the offering made by fire which you shall offer to the LORD: two male lambs in their first year without blemish, day by day, as a regular burnt offering. ‘The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, the other lamb you shall offer in the evening, ‘and one-tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a grain offering mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil. ‘It is a regular burnt offering which was ordained at Mount Sinai for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD. ‘And its drink offering shall be one-fourth of a hin for each lamb; in a holy place you shall pour out the drink to the LORD as an offering. [Numbers 28:3-7 NKJV]

About a gallon of wine was poured out beside the burnt offering. The daily sacrifice was for thanksgiving to God, and the wine was an expression of joy. Paul is using this imagery to describe his captivity.

Paul doesn't consider his suffering to be a sacrifice. Rather, it is the faith of the believers that is described as both the sacrifice and the order of service. His own tribulations are the drink offering that accompanies the sacrifice.

It is how we endure hardship that helps to define our character. We can turn to drugs and alcohol to deaden the pain. We can turn to licentious behavior to distract ourselves. We can fall into a deep depression, void of hope. Or, we can turn to Christ, and count it a joy to suffer with Him.

We speak of Christians, both past and present, who have suffered for the faith, and have endured persecution and even martyrdom. We talk about their sacrifice for God.

But, suffering - even martyrdom - is not a sacrifice. The faith by which we live our lives every day is the true sacrifice. Any suffering, tribulation or persecution we endure for Jesus' sake is the joyful accompaniment to the sacrifice of faith.

Paul said,

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. [Romans 12:1-2 NKJV]

When we are persecuted, let us adopt the attitude of Paul, "We also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance." [Romans 5:3 NKJV]

Whenever I hear about Christians being persecuted and killed for their faith in the world today, my response is to shrink in horror and think, "How can they do that to us?"

But, I think we should adopt a different attitude. Rejoice with those whose lives are being poured out as a drink offering in joyful celebration. Their reward in heaven is great, and their sacrifice is complete. It is we who are still living as a living sacrifice to God.

Father, I thank you that You are the author of joy, and the encourager of our faith. Thank You for the tribulation and persecution that you have promised us. I pray that you will renew our minds that we may be transformed into your image. Give us the grace to receive all hardship with joy, and to rejoice with those who are facing persecution. 

Philippians 2:14-16 Blameless and Harmless

Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. [Philippians 2:14-16 NKJV]

Paul is continuing his thoughts from the previous verses. Be obedient to Christ without bickering among yourselves.

It is human nature to complain when we feel slighted. Even in the early church we are told;

Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. “Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; “but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” [Acts 6:1-4 NKJV]

The disciples showed wisdom by not disputing the complaint, but by finding a solution. It only takes one person to complain, but it takes two to dispute.

Paul says, "that you may become blameless and harmless." Blameless means that you maintain a good reputation. Bickering in the church harms the church's reputation in the world. The world is eager enough to find fault with us, and our disputes only serve to give them ammunition. It is the opposite of harmless.

Consider what the world thinks when they hear Calvinists and Armenians arguing over self-determination vs. predestination. The content of the argument is meaningless to them, but the fact that there is an argument is significant. It tells them that the church can't even get along with itself.

We will encounter many Christians with different opinions, different interpretations of the scriptures, and different traditions. That doesn't have to lead to a dispute. 

Take communion for example. In every church I have attended, the elements of the bread and the cup are passed out to the congregation. This is entirely ceremonial and symbolic. My understanding of the New Testament "love feasts" is that they were a meal, like a pot-luck. Since I have a different opinion, should I, therefore, grumble about the "unscriptural" practice? Should I protest by refusing to partake? Of course not. When communion is served, I take part, recognizing it for what it is; a symbolic tradition.

Paul told us, "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." [Romans 12:18 NKJV]

If we fight and argue among ourselves then our ministry has no credibility.

If we are going to shine as lights in this world, then we need to get along with one another. We are meant to be "luminaries"; that is, we are to be like the sun in the sky, driving out darkness, and showing the light of the word of life.

Lord, please forgive us our disputes. Give us wisdom that we can find unity, and be of one mind. Please make our lights shine so that the word of life may go out into the world, bringing souls into Your kingdom. 

Philippians 2:12-13 Work Out Your Salvation

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. [Philippians 2:12-13 NKJV]

Just as Jesus was obedient, so we also must be obedient; not just when we are being watched, but when we are alone. I have heard it said that a person's true character is revealed when no one is watching. What do you do when you are home alone? Do you act the same as you do when your family is there? Or, do you watch blue movies or visit naughty websites?

If you are only godly when other people are around, then you are not working out your own salvation; you are expecting someone else to work it out for you. That someone could be a roommate, a spouse, or your children. You are using their presence to keep you in line, when you are called to keep yourself in line. 

Working out your salvation means to be obedient. That doesn't mean that you are working to earn your salvation. God has already provided our salvation by His grace. Working it out means that you are walking in that grace. It's the difference between theoretical knowledge and practical application. We can study the scriptures and understand, theologically, that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus. But it is only as we act on that knowledge by confessing Him as Lord, and surrendering our lives to Him that we are saved.

In the same way that we were saved by grace through faith, so our sanctification - which can be defined as "ongoing salvation" - is also by grace through faith. You can't work to earn sanctification or holiness. You can't work to be a "good Christian". You can only work out that which God has already worked in you.

This means living a life of grace. It takes much more faith to live a life of grace than it does to live a life of works.

For example, Charlie is an angry person. Ordinary things in life make him angry; being cut off in traffic, a coworker who doesn't meet his expectations, failure of any person to be polite to him, any slight to his character, whether real or imagined. When things go wrong, Charlie gets red in the face, and lashes out with his words. As a Christian, Charlie knows he should be better, so he tries to stifle his anger, only to have it explode in fury. Anger management classes have given him some tools to redirect his anger, but  do nothing to take the anger away. For Charlie, his anger is like a Chinese finger trap. The more he struggles to get rid of it, the worse it gets.

Charlie's problem is that he is trying to deal with his anger. Any effort on his part to deal with his anger is an act of the flesh, "and those who are in the flesh cannot please God." [Romans 8:8 NASB] By dealing with it himself, he is essentially saying, "God can't help me, so I have to help myself."

Paul said,

For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. [Romans 8:3-8 NKJV]

So, if our minds are set on how we can overcome sin, then our minds are set on the flesh, and we can never overcome sin, nor can we please God. But, if we acknowledge that we cannot overcome sin, and stop trying, we give up on our own fleshly efforts. If we turn our minds to the Spirit of God, and leave them there, then we will learn to walk in the Spirit.

As Paul said, "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh." [Galatians 5:16 NKJV]

To work out your own salvation, you have to stop working, and allow God to work in you.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the grace you have given me and the salvation that You have so freely worked in me. Please now give me the grace to work it out in my life, for Your glory.