PHILIPPIANS 3 JULY 12, 2023
FALSE CREDENTIALS (VERSE 2-7)


SCRIPTURE
Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Philippians 3:2-7, NLT


SALVATION CANNOT BE EARNED.

1/ Salvation is not by ritual.

Paul was circumcised as a child.


2/ Salvation is not by race.

Paul was a Jew from birth and a Roman citizen.

“Blessed are You O God, King of the Universe, Who has not made me a Gentile, a slave, or a woman.” The Jewish Prayer Book


3/ Salvation is not by rank.

Paul was born into the tribe of Benjamin, one of the most prominent tribes.


4/ Salvation is not by tradition.

Paul had followed the Hebrew way from childhood into manhood.


5/ Salvation is not by religion.

Paul was a member and high ranking official of the Pharisees.



6/ Salvation is not by sincerity.

Paul was zealous and sincere in his faith.


7/ Salvation is not by legalistic righteousness.

Paul was exemplary in his legalism.



SALVATION CAN ONLY BE GIVEN.

God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. Ephesians 2:8-9


PHILIPPIANS 3
GIVING & GAINING (VERSE 7-11)


SCRIPTURE
I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with Him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with Himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead! Philippians 3:7-11, NLT


GIVING UP & GAINING

1/ Paul gives up his old titles to gain a new identity.


2/ Paul gives up his relationships to gain a brotherhood.


3/ Paul gives up his reputation to gain a new name.


4/ Paul gives up religiosities to gain relationship.

“I messed up. My Dad is going to kill me.” versus “I messed up. I need to call my Dad.”


5/ Paul gives up his righteousness to gain Christ’s righteousness.


6/ Paul gives up his heavy yoke to gain an easier yoke.


7/ Paul gives up his comforts to gain the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings.

We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. [Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.] We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and left hand for defense. We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed. Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything. 2 Corinthians 11:24-28; 2 Corinthians 6:4-10


8/ Paul gives up his strength to gain weakness.


9/ Paul gives up his life to gain resurrection life.