And now once again we'll turn
to the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians and chapter 3 and
this evening we'll consider verses 4 to 7. The Epistle of Paul to
the Philippians chapter 3 and reading verses 4 to 7. Though I might also have confidence
in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that he might trust
in the flesh I more. Circumcise the eighth day of
the flock 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. But what things were gain to
me those I counted loss for Christ. We know that the Apostle was
here addressing the Philippian church and as he commenced the
address he said finally my brethren rejoice in the Lord's the right
the same things to you to me indeed is not grievous But for
you it is safe, beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware
of the concision. For we are the circumcision,
which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and
have no confidence in the flesh." Well, there he was speaking,
we might say collectively, but yet also personally. And therefore
he comes then to tell the Philippians about his own, we might term
pedigree, who he was and how he was therefore an able person
to speak the things that he did. And he tells them, though I might
also have confidence in the flesh. Many people were relying on their
fleshly religion the things that they've been brought up with
being a Jew, being a Hebrew, being the Pharisees and they
were reliant on the law, reliant to keep it and as so many thought
they kept it and they were relying on their own ability to keep
the law of God so that through their own ability they might
justify themselves to be right for their inheritance of glory. And so the apostle says, though
I might also have confidence in the flesh, if any man thinketh
that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more. So he immediately addresses those
people who were confident in their position, the pedigree
that they've been brought up in, their own personal knowledge,
and for those who were proud of it and counted it, all that
they needed really for their salvation. And so he goes on
to say what this entailed and what he had been able to do and
to keep in the best traditions of the Hebrews. And therefore
he says, circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of
the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the
law of Pharisees." So he was doing, he had done, everything
which was right and good and perfect in the eyes of the Pharisees,
who indeed did keep the law generally very well, far better than the
Sadducees. And they were proud of the things
that they were able to do. And we really have a little example
of that when Jesus spoke about that parable about the Pharisee
and the Republican and how they both prayed. And as we think
of the prayer of the Pharisee, and he was proud of his position,
and he thanked God that he wasn't like other men. And even like
this, publican who was standing afar off and then he reiterated
what he did how often he prayed and everything else and that's
what he was relying upon his own religion and sadly today
that still exists not only of course in the jewish nation which
of course it does the jewish people those who are traditionalists
they were very concerned to keep the law and to follow that and
they rely on that for their salvation. And of course it doesn't only
exist with the Jews, it exists with those who profess to be
Christians. And we've known people who profess
to be Christians and have been satisfied with their own outward
religion. They have not possessed grace
of God. They have not possessed true
living faith and they've been content to chalk up the marks
they think they deserve for their chapel going, for their good
attendance, for the things that they listen, the things that
they perhaps spoke about. Spoke about historical things
in the Word of God. They never had a spiritual testimony. They never had the evidence of
the life of God in their souls. They were merely content with
an outward performance of religion. And they would know their Bible,
they would say their prayers, but it was all in a very mechanical
way. There was no real true religion. There was no true humbling of
themselves under the mighty hand of God. There was no true exalting
the work of God in their hearts. What they wanted was to be exalted
because of that which they did. And of course even today the
churches and the scriptural churches are plagued with people like
that. Some people who are very constant
in their attendance, but yet possessed not the grace of God. And here we have then Paul explaining
how he was satisfied with such a religion, a merely outward
one. He says circumcised the eighth
day of the stock of Israel. You see that was necessary. They had to do it on the eighth
day and that had been done with him. And the tribe of Benjamin, one
of the 12 tribes, Benjamin was also a special tribe, the son
of Rachel. And Hebrew of the Hebrews kept
the law, was touching the law of Pharisee. Everything he did
was correct and proper in accordance with the law. But there was nothing
saving in that in and of itself. He goes on concerning zeal, how
keen he was in ushering Christians, real Christians, to prison. He
had a lot of zeal for that. And he thought he was doing God's
service. He was mistaken. And people today
often operate under that thought that they are doing the things
which are right and good, and they're relying on the things
which they think are right and good, and will serve them in
good stead when they come to die. But you see how mistaken
he was, and how mistaken many people are today concerning zeal. Persecuting the church. Yes,
he persecuted the true church, and how easy it is to persecute
the true church, because those Pharisees don't understand the
temptations and the trials and the oppositions that the true
church faces, and the onslaughts from Satan to tempt them. And
so we see here this statement, persecuting the church, it wasn't
a good thing at all, and yet he thought he was doing God's
service. And touching the righteousness
which is in the law, blameless. He did everything that he felt
and believed to be true and right and good. But then he comes and
tells us, but, there are many buts in the word of God and here's
a very important but. Having laid down those things
which he had been confident in, which would bring him salvation,
he now comes and tells us, But what things were gain to me,
those I counted lost for Christ. We read together in that 22nd
chapter of Acts, and there are a number of times in the Acts
of the Apostles when it's recorded of what occurred in the life
of the Apostle. That wonderful occasion when
he was traveling on that Damascus road to commit people to prison. The time had come, the set time
in Paul's life, to bring about a conversion of his soul, to
bring about a wonderful change. That was the case of the Apostle
Paul. And my friends, it is still the
same today. The Lord still does great things. He still works his great work
of salvation in the souls of the people. He still turns people
from a false religion to a true religion. They find themselves
humbled under the mighty hand of God and recognizing that all
the things that they prized, which he prized, which he thought
was wonderful gain, and people today think It's a wonderful
gain. What did it count before a holy
God? Nothing at all. And so he says,
and what things were gained to me, those I counted loss for
Christ. They were of no value in comparison
with the value of the things to be found in Christ. Because there, in Christ, is
the hope of the true Church of God. It's not in what they have
done. It's what Christ has done for
them. And that's what they rejoice
in. And that's what they're proud of. They don't present that pharisaical
zeal which is proud of what they're doing, what we're doing, for
the Lord. We're truly thankful for what
the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us. What a vast difference. What an amazing difference. And
it's all because of God's love toward us. It's because of his
grace toward us. It's because of his wonderful
mercy. And what a blessing it is when
the Holy Spirit brings that into our heart to convince us of the
reality of true religion and the falseness of all that which
is of the flesh and we can then indeed rejoice and we can agree
with what the apostle commenced this chapter with finally my
brethren rejoice in the lord there's not a rejoicing in ourselves
But there is a rejoicing in what Christ has done for us. And so tonight, may we have the
wonderful, God-glory edifying of what Christ has done for our
immortal soul. And may we therefore agree with
the Apostle what things were gained to me, those I counted
lost for Christ. Well, we won't continue, we could
do, we'd love to, but God willing, we'll continue next Friday with
what the Apostle goes on to say, yea, doubtless. And it's a good
thing to have religion when we don't have a doubt, because what
God has produced in our hearts is wonderful mercy and great
blessing. So may we rejoice tonight that
we have an account of these things to turn us away from that which
is false and turn us to that which is true and real and God-glorifying. Amen.