Philippians 3:1-21

This past Thursday night we doubled over a bit of scripture that we discussed back a few weeks.  We were once again in the letter to the Church in Philippi and to be exact Philippians 3:1-21.

There really are two things that I hit upon in the sermon and that was first of all that all Ministers find themselves preaching a similar message over and over again.  Somedays this feels not only tedious to those in the pews but, it is just as redundant for us standing in the Pulpit. Here though in these first few verses of the third chapter, Paul not only tells us to constantly rejoice in the Lord but that covering the same message(s) is actually necessary as a 'safeguard'.  We, humans, have a notoriously short memory to go along with our easily interrupted attention spans... thus, repetition is vital.  Even those of us in the lectern need to be reminded far too often of what we have gained in Christ and that as Paul tells us here everything else is rubbish.

The second point was a point that I really needed to hear myself last week... and that was to press on.  It would be really great if we could ever feel that this faith 'run' of ours (Paul uses references to athletics here) could ever be completed... but as long as we draw breath we are called to 'press' onwards.

We get extremely tired when we are working to do God's work and it seems so many are working against us... even those who claim to follow Christ often seem to be doing their best to hog-tie or hamstring our efforts.  This occurs in large and small ways and often the small ways are the most wearing... 


I hope this blog post finds you all well and blessed, and remember... 

To be a blessing to someone today!

In His Grace,
Roy

Philippians 3:1-21  New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
3 Finally, my brothers and sisters,[a] rejoice[b] in the Lord.
To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, and for you it is a safeguard.

2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh![c] 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God[d] and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh— 4 even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh.

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ,[e] the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 I want to know Christ[f] and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Pressing toward the Goal
12 Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal;[g] but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Beloved,[h] I do not consider that I have made it my own;[i] but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly[j] call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. 16 Only let us hold fast to what we have attained.

17 Brothers and sisters,[k] join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. 18 For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. 19 Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship[l] is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 21 He will transform the body of our humiliation[m] that it may be conformed to the body of his glory,[n] by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.

Footnotes:
a) Philippians 3:1 Gk my brothers
b) Philippians 3:1 Or farewell
c) Philippians 3:2 Gk the mutilation
d) Philippians 3:3 Other ancient authorities read worship God in spirit
e) Philippians 3:9 Or through the faith of Christ
f) Philippians 3:10 Gk him
g) Philippians 3:12 Or have already been made perfect
h) Philippians 3:13 Gk Brothers
i) Philippians 3:13 Other ancient authorities read my own yet
j) Philippians 3:14 Gk upward
k) Philippians 3:17 Gk Brothers
l) Philippians 3:20 Or commonwealth
m) Philippians 3:21 Or our humble bodies
n) Philippians 3:21 Or his glorious body