What's your purpose in life? What are your ambitions? What
do you live for? What do you want? Really, what
are your goals in life? Answer those questions honestly,
and you'll know exactly what you are. You know exactly your estate
before God Almighty. You'll know whether or not you
are a child of God or a child of wrath. What's your ambitions? I want to talk to you tonight
about my ambitions. We'll look at Philippians chapter
three. If you will, you turn there. I just told you Bible's
open in this third chapter, Philippians. I want to give you an exposition
of the verses preceding our text. So let's begin in verse one.
This chapter opens with an exhortation, a delightful exhortation. Paul says, finally, my brethren,
rejoice in the Lord. What a commandment. Rejoice in
the Lord. God commands us to rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord. He used
this word 10 times in these four short chapters in Philippians.
He means for us to understand that as believers, we ought always,
from the depths of our souls, to rejoice in the Lord. No matter what our providential
experiences are, no matter what our present circumstances may
be, we have reason, abundant reason, to rejoice in the Lord. Not in our circumstances. If
your joy is found in your circumstances, your joy won't be much and won't
last long. He doesn't bid us to rejoice
in our experiences. If your joy is found in your
experiences, your joy won't last very long. He says, rejoice in
the Lord. Now, if Christ is my joy, if
he is my cause for joy, if he is that in which and in whom
I rejoice, then I always have reason to rejoice in the greatness
of his person as my substitute. I go through the same thing you
do, frequently, far too often, far more often than I like to
admit to myself, much less to you. I have pity parties, you
know. I like to sit down and kind of
grovel in what I think are my woes. And I try my best to remedy
some of that foolishness by rejoicing in the fact that Jesus Christ,
the Son of God, has put away my sins. Now really, not much
else matters. Not much else matters. I have
reason to rejoice in the power of his blood. Constantly, effectually,
his blood is that upon which God forgives my sin. In the perfection
of his righteousness, by which I stand before God, justified. We have reason to rejoice in
the abundance of his grace, which is always sufficient. In the
immutability of his love, which never fails. We ought to rejoice
in his providence, even when his providence squeezes bitter
tears from our hearts. Rejoice, for his providence is
God's sovereign dominion over the universe, by which he wisely,
graciously works all things together for our eternal good. We ought
to rejoice in the Lord continually because of the fact that his
intercession, the Son of God, try to get hold of this, the
Son of God sits continually upon the mercy seat, the throne of
grace, and intercedes for us. Constantly makes intercession
for the saints according to the will of God. Children of God
rejoice in the Lord all way and again I say rejoice Rejoice if
you got no other reason to rejoice you can think of rejoice for
this your names are written in heaven Rejoice fear not little
flock. It's your father's good pleasure
to give you the kingdom for your names are written in heaven Now
then look at verse 2 Here is a serious serious warning beware
of dogs Now if you want to write in the
margin of your Bible what that means, that means preachers.
Beware of preachers. False preachers. He warns us
to beware of false prophets and he calls them dogs because that's
just about as low a term as the word of God uses for a man. He
calls them dogs because that's how the word of God describes
male prostitutes. Those false prophets are men
who have for their own sakes prostituted the gospel of Christ
and the glory of God. Now let me show you two Old Testament
passages, and I'm certain Paul has these in mind. Deuteronomy
chapter 23. Deuteronomy chapter 23. Here is a prohibition concerning
how the house of God is to be financed, the cause of Christ
to be financed in the Old Testament. He says in verse 18, Thou shalt
not bring the hire of a whore. Don't bring the hire of a whore
or the price of a dog into the house of the Lord thy God. Now
that's a male prostitute. He's not talking about, and I've
said this to you so many times, people get silly, foolish notions
in their head. I've heard fellas say all their
life, you ought not sell dogs or you couldn't pay tithe on
dogs. That's not what he's talking about. He's talking about male
prostitutes. He says, don't bring the price
of a whore or of a male prostitute into the house of God. Now then
turn to Isaiah 56, Isaiah chapter 56 and verse 10. The prophet described those men
who are called God's watchmen. Men who are set in these dark
days when God's judgment has come. And he says his watchmen
are blind. And yet they're responsible for
their blindness. They're blind because they can't, they won't
see. They claim to be his watchmen. They study this book. They say
they speak from this book, but his watchmen are blind. They
are ignorant. Willfully so. They are all dumb
dogs. And you thought I was part. They're
dumb dogs. They cannot bark. I can't think
of anything more useless can you? Sleeping. Lying down. Loving to slumber. Lazy. No camp fellas. Yea, they
are greedy dogs. which can never have enough.
They move from place to place, here and there, seeking more
for themselves. They are shepherds that cannot understand. They
all look to their own way. Everyone for his gain from his
quarter. What a warning. Read on. Beware
of evil workers. Now, this is not talking about
Folks you find down in the brothel, or folks you find out in the
gutter, or folks you find down in the prison house, or folks
you find involved in robbing banks, or drunks, or dopeheads,
that's not what he's talking about. This warning is against
those who teach, preach, and promote any system of man-centered,
works-based, free-will religion. And I want you to see this from
the Scriptures. Turn to Matthew chapter 7. When Paul says here,
beware of evil workers, this is what he's talking about. Matthew
chapter 7, verse 22. You see, man-centered, works-based,
freewill religion is the single greatest cause of wickedness
in this world. I said that deliberately. I hope
you get it. Man-centered, works-based, freewill
religion is the single greatest cause of evil in this world. The good works of religion without
Christ are the most abominably evil works there are in this
world. Now listen to how our Lord speaks
here in Matthew 7, verse 22. He's talking about the day of
judgment. He says, Many will say to me in that day, Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name
have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful
works. We've prophesied, we've taught
the word of God, and we've cast out devils, we've spoken in tongues,
we've performed miracles, and we've fed the poor, and we send
out missionaries all over the world, we encompass land and
sea to build up the church, we've done wonderful things. Then will
I profess unto them, look at this, I never knew you, depart
from me, Ye that work iniquity. You see, the works of religion
by which men and women hope to gain God's favor, the works men
and women do by which they hope to justify themselves before
God Almighty, are works that rob God of His glory, for they
rob Him of the glory of His saving operation. They trample underfoot
the blood of Jesus Christ, for they declare that Christ shed
his blood for men who perish after all in hell. They do despite
to the Spirit of grace, for they declare that the Spirit of grace
really doesn't make any difference. They gradually abase men to the
lowest, most contemptible estate man knows in this world. Read
the first chapter of Romans and you'll see what I'm saying. The
homosexuality, the moral perversity, the fornication, the adultery,
the base ungodly lives that we see men and women living in our
day, and living them openly so as to have no shame, glorying
in that which ought to be their shame, is just the result of
freewill works religion. Romans chapter 1 says so plainly,
because men and women worship the creature more than the Creator,
therefore God gives them over to a reprobate mind to do that
which is not convenient. Evil workers then, as Paul uses
the term in this context, are Arminians, free willers, and
legalists. People who teach that God's salvation
somehow depends upon man, or is somehow determined by man.
Now, I've shown you that clearly from the Word of God. Our Lord
says, depart from me, pointing to these lost religious people
who thought their works would stand them in good stead with
God. He says, depart from me, you workers of iniquity. Now
then, look at the next line in this passage in Philippians 3.
Beware of the concision. The concision. I'm sure that
most of you, every time you read that word concision, you wonder,
what on earth does that mean? It means mutilators. People who
cut themselves. Those who torture their bodies
by mutilating and cutting themselves, hoping to win God's favor. You
remember how the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, when Elijah
challenged them, and they leaped and danced before their gods
on their altars, and they cut themselves. That's the word,
the concision. They do penance, hoping by that
to put away their sins, to turn away God's wrath. They observe
special holy days. During the time of Lent, they
give up using ketchup on their French fries, and they give up
silly stuff that's not important anyway, but by doing so, they
hope that they'll win God's favor. They join monasteries and nunneries
and separate themselves from the world and they walk around
like a bunch of sissies with skirts on and wrap themselves
up in wool robes and shave their heads and say, look here now,
I've separated myself from the world. Surely God will accept
me. Take a vow of silence. Don't
talk. Might be a good idea for most
of us sometimes, but they think by these things, by doing things
to their bodies to make themselves suffer, thereby they win God's
favor. The religious taboos of our day,
the religious asceticism by which the whole world is infected.
You tell me, which of you, which of you has not at some time in
your life been associated with, been related to, lived with,
mom, dad, brother, sister, husband, or wife, somebody who didn't
think that somehow what you do, now if you just dress the right
way, make sure your skirts aren't too short, Make sure your hair's
not too long, fellas. Make sure you don't smoke. Make
sure you don't drink. Make sure you don't go to the
picture show. Well, you can go to some of them, but make sure
you choose the right ones. And you do this, and you do that,
and you don't do this, you don't do that. Now, now, now that's
bound to make some difference. That's the religion of asceticism.
That's the religion of Rome that says the priest, you know, they'll
be celibate, now they're more godly if they don't marry. That's
the religion of the world that suggests that somehow men and
women will be more godly if they kindly pull aside and live in
a commune, separate themselves from everybody else, and just
make themselves suffer, do without things, don't do this and do
do that. That's the religion of the world.
the religion of asceticism, the religion of evil workers, the
concision, those who mutilate themselves. Now, this is what
Paul's saying. He's saying, fellas, beware of
Christless religion. Beware of any religious custom,
doctrine or service that is centered in yourself and encourages you
to focus attention on yourself. Now look at verse three. Here's
a description of true religion. I quote it or read it at least
every other time I preach. We are the circumcision which
worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have
no confidence in the flesh. You see, true religion is not
man-centered but Christ-centered. It is not ceremonial but spiritual. It is not a religion of creed
but of conviction. True religion is not outward
but inward, for we are the circumcision. Now this is what Paul said when
he uses that word circumcision, Samuel, when you read through
the scriptures and you read the circumcision, the Jews said we're
the circumcision. Paul says we are the circumcision.
That is, we are the true people of God. We are God's covenant
people. That's what the circumcision
was. It was a seal of the covenant. Paul says we are those who have
been sealed by God's grace in his covenant. We are the circumcision. We are the true people of God.
We are the true Israel of God, not who wear the name Baptist
or Methodist or Pentecostal. No, that's got nothing to do
with it. We are the true people of God, the true Israel of God,
Abraham's true children, which worship God and worship him in
the spirit. The word worship in this particular
context is the word serve. We are the circumcision, we are
God's true people who serve Him spiritually, who serve Him by
His Holy Spirit in our spirits and serve Him in a spiritual
way. God is spirit, and they that worship Him must worship
Him in spirit and in truth. And those who serve God in the
spirit rejoice in Christ Jesus. The word rejoice there means
to have confident joy in. To be confident while rejoicing
in Christ Jesus the Lord, because we're complete in Him. Of Him
are you in Christ Jesus, who of God has made unto us wisdom
and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, that according
as it is written, he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. And
look at the next line. These things all go together.
True believers are people who worship God in the Spirit. And
they have confident joy in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. And
they don't have any confidence in the flesh. Now, just how far do you carry
that? Just as far as flesh goes. No confidence in the flesh. No
confidence in the experiences or the emotions are the imaginary
excellencies of our flesh. The privileges of flesh, the
feelings of the flesh, and the works of the flesh are no basis
of confidence before God. None. You ask somebody who claims to
be a believer, how do you know you're saved? Well, I was there
when it happened. Well, what makes you think you're a child
of God? Man, I had a real experience. I remember, I remember, boy,
boy, I had an overwhelming, overpowering experience. And it was serious. It was serious. No confidence
in the flesh. No confidence. Well, preacher,
what do you base your hope on? Christ? That's all. That's all. The believer is a man or a woman
who simply trusts Christ. That's all. Oh, would to God! He would graciously knock from
under you every prop on which you rest your soul except this
one, Christ the Lord. Now then, look at verses 4, 5,
6, 7, and 8. Here's an example of self-denial.
Now here Paul's going to tell you what he's talking about when
he says, no confidence in the flesh. Though I might have confidence
in the flesh, he said, now if any of you fellows think you've
got a reason to boast in the flesh, you listen to me. If any other
man thinketh he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh,
I more. I was circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel,
of the tribe of Benjamin. He said, buddy, I wasn't just
a Hebrew, I was a Hebrew of the Hebrews. as touching the law
of Pharisee. Concerning zeal, none of you
held a candle to me. Persecuting the church, touching
the righteousness which is in the law, I was blameless. But
what things were gained to me? What things? My parentage, my
birth, my training, my religion, my zeal, my education, my devotion,
everything, everything. what things were gained to me,
I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all
things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord, and do count them but dull. Self-denial is an essential part
of faith. There's no such thing as faith
in Christ without self-denial. It increasingly comprehends every
aspect of a believer's life as we grow in the grace and knowledge
of Christ. But self-denial begins right
here. This is where it begins. Larry,
it begins with the denial of all personal worth and merit
before God Almighty. That's where it begins. Self-denial
doesn't begin with not doing this, not having that, or saying
no to this thing or that thing so that I might serve Christ
better. Self-denial begins with a denial of all personal worth
and merit before God. What am I before Him? What are
you before God? What are we all together before
God? Nothing! Less than nothing in
vanity! less than a drop in the bucket.
Maggots wiggling in the downhill of fallen humanity before the
thrice holy God. That's all we are, the whole
lot of us. Here is a legalist of the highest
order, laying aside the filthy rags of his self-righteousness
for the blessed, pure, perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Paul counted all his fleshly carnal natural privileges, his
religious distinctiveness, his educational advantages, just
to be dung before God. How come that he might win Christ? He said, listen, fellas, I found
the pearl of great price and I sold everything for it. I found
the treasure here in the field for which I gladly have sold
everything that I might buy that field and have that treasure.
It was done on the Damascus Road. In verse 7, he says, he says,
What things were gained to me, I counted lost for Christ. That's
talking about past tense. When he looked up and said, Lord,
who are you? And the Lord Jesus revealed himself
to him. Paul said, I counted everything lost for Christ. But verse 8 is talking about
present tense. He says, Yea, doubtless, and I count all things
but lost for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord. So what he's saying is that this is a decision, though
it began at this point in time when I counted all things lost
for Christ, it is a decision that is made every day. It is
a growing, increasing determination of commitment and consecration
to Christ. Why? Why was this man willing
to count everything lost for Christ? Because he had four great,
overwhelming, life-controlling ambitions. Here they are. That I may win Christ. What an
ambition. The life of faith is the lifelong
pursuit of Jesus Christ the Lord. Faith looks upon Christ as the
most precious, most desirable, most lovely, most valuable person
and object in all the world. The more he's known, the more
he's wanted. Therefore, faith willingly forsakes all to follow
him. Willingly. I get so sick of These
star athletes and these fellows want to look what I gave up so
I could serve Jesus. Shoot, you gave up hell. What's
that to brag about? The faith willingly gives up
all to follow Christ and doesn't brag about it. You see, he's the one thing needful. I mean the one thing needful. who must be chosen and chosen
every day. Mary hath chosen that good thing
which shall not be taken from her. Here's the second ambition. Verse nine, and be found in him. Oh my God, I want to be found
in Christ. not having mine own righteousness
which is of the law, but the righteousness which is through
faith of Christ. That is, through faith in Christ
I receive it. But the text is talking about
the faithfulness of Christ by which the righteousness was earned,
the righteousness which is of God. The Lord Jesus, by his faithful
obedience to God Almighty as the representative of his people,
has established perfect righteousness. I won't be found in him without
any righteousness of my own, none whatsoever, but being robed
in his perfect righteousness. You see, believers are people
who are in Christ. The scripture describes us as
being grafted into him. In order to have a graft, you've
got to have two cuts. You've got to have a cut in the tree
into which the branch is being grafted, and you've got to have
a cut in the branch to be grafted in the tree. The Lord Jesus Christ,
the Lamb of God, slain for us. He was cut in his very heart,
so he cries, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And
then he comes in his grace and mercy rod and he cuts the believer
to his heart and causes us to be grafted unto him by the power
of his spirit so that we're in him. To be in Christ is to have
the righteousness of God. To be in Christ. Here's the believer's
position. In Christ, Perfectly righteous. Perfectly righteous. Because
God has imputed His righteousness to us. As I stand before the
Holy Lord God, oh, I want to be in Christ. Living in this
world, as I endeavor to offer God any service, any prayer,
or any sacrifice, only in Christ. Oh, God, don't let me offer strange
fire. but only that which you've appointed
and you accept, Christ Jesus the Lord. When I leave this world,
I want to leave this world in Christ, not having my righteousness,
but his. And when I stand before God in
judgment, oh, let me be found in Christ, not having my righteousness,
but his righteousness, and all shall be well. All right, here's
the third ambition, that I may know him. Oh, I want to know Him who is
the great benefactor of my soul. Let me never take my eyes off
Him. Spirit of God, make Jesus Christ
to be the all-consuming object of my being and of yours. I want to know Him in the power
of His resurrection. I want to know the power of that
resurrection by which I am justified, and I want to know the power
of that resurrection by which I believe, and I want to know
the power of that resurrection to live in this world walking
with Him in the newness of life. I want to know Him in the fellowship
of His sufferings. I want to walk before God in
the constant knowledge of my personal interest in what Christ
did at Calvary. That'll make me rejoice. And
I want to walk before God constantly knowing and increasing
in the knowledge of what Christ accomplished when he died for
me at Calvary. And as his sufferings are his
glory, God make his sufferings for me
to be my glory. That's what Paul meant, Paul,
when he said, God forbid that I should glory save in the cross
of our Lord Jesus Christ. I want to know him being made
conformable unto his death, being consecrated perfectly to the
glory of God, being submissive totally to the will of God, being
motivated by nothing but love for God and his people. And here's the last thing. If
by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead, Those are my ambitions. That's
what I live for.