Philippians 3 3 through 7 For we are the circumcision which
worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and Have
no confidence in the flesh 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'm or circumcised the eighth day
of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin and Hebrew
of the Hebrews, as touching the law of Pharisee, concerning zeal,
persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in
the law, blameless. But what things were gained to
me, those I counted loss for Christ. Now this fourth thing
in verse three, you remember there are four things that define
the believer. We're the circumcision, that
was the sign of the covenant. We're the covenant people of
God. We're the people whom God has removed the flesh from our
hearts in the sense of trusting in the flesh. That's what he's
talking about where we read further beyond chapter three or verse
three here in chapter three. No confidence in the flesh. That's
that's because the Lord has circumcised our hearts And The second thing
we worship God in the spirit not with Not in in religious
rituals not not in the flesh entertainment and bragging on
the flesh but in the spirit in the Spirit of God and Without
the Spirit of God, there's no worship of God. Without the heart
that He gives, that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and
our flesh is never gonna worship God. But that which is born of
the Spirit is Spirit. And we do worship, we do love,
we do serve by His grace. And we rejoice in Christ Jesus,
and that's not just inclusive. In other words, we rejoice. One
of the things we rejoice in is Christ Jesus. It's all inclusive.
We rejoice in Christ Jesus. And we talked about how that
even the things of this world that we delight in, it's Christ
we rejoice in, because he's the giver of the gift. But of course,
in spiritual thing, we rejoice in Christ. To think that you
have any part in your salvation, that anything you do could ever
be acceptable before God is to rejoice in the flesh. To rejoice
in Christ Jesus is to know that he saved us in every way that
we could be saved. He died instead of us. He served
instead of us. He worshiped God and loved God
instead of us. He gave himself on the cross
instead of us. We rejoice in Him and only in
Him. And here it is that we have no
confidence in the flesh. And that seems on the surface
like a layup, doesn't it? Of course we don't, the flesh
is bad. Even religion would acknowledge
that. We have no confidence in the, everybody knows the flesh
is evil, right? The fleshly things, but that's
not what Paul is saying here at all. He's not saying that we don't
rejoice in the flesh because of the bad things that we think
of when we think of the flesh. Look how Paul defines the flesh
in verses four through six again. 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, I obeyed the law. I was obedient to the law even
before I knew I was obedient to the law. I was circumcised.
The eighth day of the stock of Israel of the tribe of Benjamin,
a true Jew and Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law,
a Pharisee, a stickler for scripture, memorized scripture, knew the
letter perfectly concerning zeal, persecuting the church. And he
was zealous in that. He thought he was doing God a
favor. touching the righteousness which is in the law, blame us. It doesn't say anything there
about stealing or lying or murdering or committing adultery, which is what religions say.
They reject the flesh because, you know, we do bad things. No, the problem with your flesh
is you do good things and you trust them. Always remember, again, there's
two kinds of sin. It's all the same in a sense,
of course, There's the sin that you call sin. If you fall into
some temptation and you do something that you know is bad, that's
one kind of sin. The other kind is the kind that
you trust in, that you rejoice in, that you call righteousness. And that's what Paul's talking
about. You're not talking about adultery
and murder and lying and stealing. Religion says reject the flesh
and make a decision for God. Paul is saying reject the flesh
because it makes decisions for God. You see what I'm saying
by that? Because it does, it obeys God
and trusts in that. If you be circumcised, Christ
shall profit you nothing. Wait, I thought we were supposed
to be circumcised. But that's the word trust that we read there
in the text. That's the key. Reject the flesh because of the
so-called goodness of the flesh. That's where Paul's coming from.
That's who we are. And that makes believers unique
in that. All religion rejects the, sorted
things of the flesh, but by God's grace who we are, we reject the
righteousness of the flesh. We reject the works of the flesh. If you know the Lord Jesus Christ,
you count all of your so-called righteousnesses as filthy rags
in the sight of God. That's unique. Religion doesn't
think that way. That's a distinguishing characteristic
that is part and parcel to the other three definitions of us
in that verse three. We are the circumcision. God
has cut away the flesh out of our hearts to the extent that
we cannot but despise our own good works, our own religious
conformity, our own everything. You know, the optimist sees the
glass half full and the pessimist sees the glass half empty. Believers
when it comes to our righteousness before God in the flesh we see
the glass all the way empty And that's what we glory in Christ
alone If you recall that memorable verse in Galatians 6 it is the
flesh that is rejected in favor of the cross Look at it with
me, please Galatians 6 12. I When Paul says, God forbid that
I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in
what context is he saying that? Galatians 6, 12. It's the context
of our text this morning in Philippians. As many as desire to make a fair
show in the flesh. That's what we're talking about.
We have no confidence in the flesh, but they desire to make
a fair show in the flesh, to put on like the Pharisees, they're
whited sepulchers. They're beautiful on the outside.
They clean the outside of the cup, but inwardly they're full
of corruption and death. But that's what the affairs show
in the flood. They constrain you to be served. They constrain
you to walking out. They constrain you to make a
decision. They constrain you to do these religious things
in order to be saved. It doesn't matter what you call
it. Only lest they should suffer persecution for the cross of
Christ. If you preach that all of your
works are filthy rags, especially your religious ones, people don't
like that. But that's what the cross says.
That's what the preaching of the cross is. That only Christ
and what he did. He's all of our righteousness.
He's all of our salvation. And your works far from adding
anything to that. They are the opposite of that. For neither they themselves who
are circumcised keep the law. They pretend to, they make a
fair show in the flesh, but they desire to have you circumcised
that they may glory in your flesh. And that's what religion does.
They want you to make decisions that they might put up on the
board. Look how many decisions we had last week. Not only are
you glorying in your flesh, but they're glorying in your flesh.
It's the same principle. But God forbid, you see the content. God, don't let me do it because
I will without your grace. Don't let me do it. Don't let
me do it. God forbid that I should glory,
saving what Christ did on Calvary. The cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom this world is dead to me and dead with extreme prejudice. You see that? Paul not only abandoned
His righteousness is in Philippians 3, but he counted them, but they
were repulsive to him. The world is crucified unto me,
and I unto this world. For in Christ Jesus, neither
circumcision, something you do, nor uncircumcision, something
you don't do, but a new creature, something God does, availeth
anything. Look at verses three through
six again. In our text, for we are the circumcision
which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and
have no confidence in the flesh, though I might also have confidence
in the flesh. If any other man thinketh he
hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I am o'er. Circumcised
the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin,
and Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the law, a Pharisee
concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness
which is in the law, blameless. You think about that. If you
understand, if this makes sense to you, how a man can say that
about himself, touching the righteousness which is in the law blameless.
And that same man, without contradiction, could also say, I'm the chief
of sinners. Then by God's grace, you get
it. You get it. You get it. The righteousness which is by
the law is what? Sin. It's sin. For you it is, not for the Lord
Jesus, because he is the only man that could ever be called
good. In thought, word, and deed, and with all of his heart, he
kept the law. But not you. Not you. Look with me at Hebrews
chapter 10, if you would, please. Verse 19. Hebrews 10, 19. Think about all this in the context
of our text. Having therefore, brethren, boldness
to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. That's how
we come. We rejoice in Christ Jesus by
a new and living way which He hath consecrated, key words,
for us. The definition of salvation is
for us. Through the veil, that is to
say His flesh. and having an high priest over
the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith. Having our hearts sprinkled from
an evil consciousness and our bodies washed with pure water,
let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering,
for He is faithful that promised." We don't not waver because we're
unwaverable in ourselves, but we don't waver because He's faithful.
We trust Him, we look to Him. And let us consider one another
to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting
one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching
for if we sin willfully, after that we have received the knowledge
of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins. You
let that one sink in for a minute. but only a certain fearful looking
for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died
without mercy under two or three witnesses. Of how much more sore
a punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath
trodden underfoot the Son of God and hath counted the blood
of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified as an unholy thing
and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace. You see in that
verse law and grace. What does Paul mean by sin willfully
then in that context? All of that, the first part of
that whole chapter is a contrast between coming to God by the
old covenant, by the works of the law, Opposed to coming to
God by Christ and his blood You see what he's saying by if we
sin willfully That's the context of it and it's one or the other
for everybody not both not a combination Not a compromise in the words
of our text you can't rejoice in Christ Jesus and have confidence
in your flesh It's one or the other they are mutually exclusive So you see what he means by if
you sin willfully, if you come, if you reject Christ and his
blood as the way to God, the way into the holiest and try
to get there by the deeds of the law, by obedience to the
law, there's no sacrifice for your sin. So in arguing from the greatest
to the least here, in other words, if I can't glory in the flesh
with all of the reasons that I have to glory in the flesh, my religious heritage, my religious
ancestry, my zeal for God, and my obedience to the law,
If I can't glory in the flesh, having all those reasons to,
then you certainly can't. He's arguing that way from the
least to the greatest. But also here, in arguing that
way, he touches on the very things that sinners do glory in. Their
morality, their obedience to the law, their religious heritage.
A son of a son of a son of a devout Baptist, you know, their religious
zeal, I'm active in the church. Of course you are. These are the things that Paul
calls dung in verse eight. His righteousnesses, his law
keeping, his devotion to God. Excrement, that's the word, dog,
excrement. Not a pretty word, not my favorite
word. You see, those who win Christ,
they don't just not trust in their own righteousness, they
despise it. It makes them sick. Job said, what? I abhor myself. I don't just discount myself. I despise myself. That's unique to God's sheep.
That's who we are by his grace. And the reason is very simple. By God's grace, this is who we
are. We're such that are able to see trusting ourselves for
what it is. trotting underfoot The precious
blood of God's only begotten Son The precious blood of Christ
that which is in all of eternity and all of the universe most
precious That which bought our very souls
and redeemed us from our sins Or you might call them good works
and washed us clean in the sight of God Almighty. When you see your works that
way, then you're the circumcision which worship God in the spirit
and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. And think of this now. We give
our flesh the strongest vote of no confidence. And that is a reaction. That
is a product of love for the Savior. You see verse seven of
our text. But what things were gained to
me. Those I counted loss for one reason. Christ For Christ all that we trusted
before we trusted to get us to heaven when we die But when we
reject all of that we do not reject it in order to get to
heaven when we die We do it for Christ's sake That's the work of salvation
in his people. By the distinguishing, irresistible,
life-giving grace of God, that's who we are. And you see how perfect and complete
these four things in verse three are in describing who we are
as believers. We're defined by God and his son and what he did
for us. All of that pertains to that. He did a work in our hearts.
And because He did, we worship Him. Him. He did the work. He's the one that's worshiped.
He's the one we rejoice in. And we reject ourselves. Why?
For Christ. We're defined by Him. What he
did for us, who he is to us, we're defined by God. In his
son, who we are, shines forth the light of him in whose countenance
the very glory of God shines. May his light, may his light lighteth everyone
in the room. Let's pray, amen.