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Rejoice in the Lord and watch out for dogs.
Philippians 3:1-14
Verse 1 Finally (to sum it all up) my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous (tedious), but for you it is safe.
Jeremiah 15:16a Your words were found and I did eat them, and your Word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.
If someone is speaking the Word to you, or otherwise endeavoring to communicate to you the will of God, and it does not bring joy, or the promise of joy …. it cannot be God speaking! I’m reminded of the story a Christian brother shares about how God spoke audibly to him one day, telling him he was being “mouthy and haughty,” and the result in this man’s heart was pure joy!
Paul never tired of sharing and re-sharing this truth of Christ. That God wants our joy. This word “safe“ is like shelter from the storm, like building our house on a rock, like having a lightning rod on the roof. We need to hear over and over and over again how God wants to serve us. How He desires our joy, our peace …. how He desires our benefit. His desire is not to give us what we deserve, but rather give to us what we need in order to live an abundant life!
Verse 2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
This is why we have cats (just kidding).
Beware of dogs… those who serve only their own carnal desires. Self-serving, vain …. will be nice to you as long as it suits their selfish purpose …. will tear you to pieces if they feel threatened. Fools they are …. whatever enters into their minds they do ….they are the centers of their own universe. They use people for their own ends. They are con men, taken with their own cleverness. Hypocrites, always trying to wear the right mask, continually seeking the approval of men.
Beware of evil workers…. they don’t serve their own selfishness, they serve evil. Their intent is to bring evil. Difficult for us to understand, how someone would desire evil. Guess whose children they are? Satan’s! They hate, despise, have no compassion. Sociopaths, psychopaths.
Beware of the concision…. refers to those Jews (and Jewish-practicing Gentiles) in the flesh. Concision is “self-mutilation,” referring to circumcision in a derogatory manner. Referring to those whose identity is in the circumcision of their flesh. We are to watch out for those whose identity is in their religion and not in Christ. Yes, perhaps especially those Christians who do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ … Christians in name and religion only.
Beware is the Greek word blepo, (one of the words translated “to see,”) it means to use one’s perceptive power of the mind. We are to keep our “eyes” open so that we recognize dogs, evil workers, and concision boys. When we see them coming, recognizing who and what they are, we will be protected from the evil they bring. If I know someone is a con man, I won’t be tricked into giving him money. If I know someone is in religious bondage, I won’t get into an argument with him, or pay attention to his dogmatic rants. If I know someone is a worker of evil, I will stay away from being around him at all! If I know someone just wants sex, I won’t put any weight on his charming words. Etc., etc. etc.
Notice that all 3 phrases start with the word Beware! He says it 3 times! This is to emphasize that each category of individual carries its own unique danger to beware of!
Verse 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Note the figure of speech, polysyndeton (many “ands”). Each item is of equal importance.
We are the circumcision of God … those in whom God is in the process of cutting away the evils of our dead flesh, having created a new spirit within us…the spirit of the living Christ!! And we ….
Worship God in the spirit ….. “in” is kata, meaning “according to.” We worship God according to the supply and by the direction of the spirit of Christ within. To worship means to impart value, or worth. Anything you do, think or say in the spirit of Christ is true worship of God.
Rejoice in Christ Jesus …. in our private lives, as well as in our home fellowships we seek Christ; we preach and teach Christ; we exalt and magnify Jesus Christ!! We don’t argue doctrine, we don’t search for sin, we hardly ever even confront sin (except in the most intimate, Godly part of our being). We leave that up to God…..He’s already dealt with our sin in Christ! We magnify our Lord Jesus Christ, and by doing so, we’re walking away from our sin and into the presence of God.
Have no confidence in the flesh. Amen. People spend too much time trying not to sin. It never works! In John 15, Jesus didn’t say, “Try not to sin and I’ll be pleased with you.” He said, Abide in me and you’ll bear much fruit, for without me you can do nothing (for God).
Do you want to have a closer walk with God? Then give up. Stop trying to do it yourself. Just invite God in. Look at Jesus Christ and next thing you know you’ll be in the presence of God Himself, walking in His joy, peace, love and triumph!
Verses 4-6 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has something in the flesh to trust in, I more; Circumcised the eighth day, of the lineage of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin (most beloved of all tribes), a Hebrew of the Hebrews (and yet he became the apostle to the Gentiles), as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
Paul was of a wealthy family. They had Roman citizenship, a valuable commodity at that time. Paul was sent all the way from what is present day south-central Turkey to Jerusalem, to study with one of the greatest teachers of Jewish law of all time, Gamaliel. Paul was set for life as a Hebrew of the Hebrews. Paul was not a passive disciple of Jewish faith … he excelled at it! He was a prime mover and shaker, yet………….
Verses 7-11 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yeah doubtless, and I count all things 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 dung, that I may gain Christ, And be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made comformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
He walked away from it all. He gave up everything that exalted his identity and invited his Lord, Jesus the Christ, to take command in his life …. to express his (Christ’s) life through him (Paul).
Verse 8 & 10, knowledge and know are the Greek word gnosis, meaning a relational, experiential knowing. Like I know my wife, my children. Like I know house painting. Paul didn’t just know about Jesus Christ ….. he literally knew him! And to grow in that relationship with Christ, Paul gave up having any other life, any other ego or pride in his own abilities, any other fleshly pursuit with worshipful intent. This was not a hardship for Paul. Paul wanted the good stuff; and, having discovered what his relationship with Christ did in and for him, he wanted all he could get!!
fellowship of his sufferings … to be able to relate to Christ in what he endured; to bring sanity and godliness into a world of insanity and godlessness. This “suffering” is the suffering of a marathon runner in training. You endure the painfully intense aspects of your training in order to compete and win.
being made comformable unto his death … the world held nothing for him. You cannot understand this by your fleshly mind. Only as the spirit of Christ comes fully alive in you will you begin to know what this phrase means.
Verses 12, 13 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after (pursue), if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 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,
Attain and apprehend are both the same word lambano, meaning to lay hold of. Paul never got to the point in his experience of Christ that he figured he’d “arrived.” Life as a son of God is a journey, an unending journey of spiritual delight. In fact, you’ve arrived when you know you’re on the journey!
Verses 13, 14 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, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
This is the lifestyle of those who seek Christ. We don’t hash over the past … try to escape it, figure it out, dwell in condemnation for it, relish its lust. After learning from it, by means of revelation from God, we just forget it. Let it go. Because we’re too busy reaching forth (literally “stretching”) toward what lies ahead. The high calling of God in Christ Jesus. It’s just that good!
So, in summary, the reality of Christ Jesus, Lord of all heaven and earth, lies ahead. Go for it! …. but watch out for dogs along the way!
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Other studies you may find of interest:
HOW to Walk by the Spirit
Learning to Recognize the Voice of God
The Form of our Doctrine
Watch Out!
Watch Out, Concluded.
