Protecting the Fellowship from Without

Philippians 3:1-9

In this fifth study we come to the greatest section of the book defensively. In section three we saw the danger of internal strife and the defense against it. Now we consider the dangers from without, that is, of false religions and the defense against them.

The section opens with a warning — a warning as to the nature of the false teachers. They are dogs! They are evil workers! They bring in schisms! What a condemnation this is, yet the description is accurate. Dogs symbolize unbelievers, and the false teachers are just that. Their labors, while meant to be for God, are against Him; therefore they are evil. The result of their work is always schism.

The second point of emphasis is given to us in verses three to six. Verse three states that emphasis and other verses develop it.

"For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh!"

This threefold declaration is the death-knell to every false religion:

We "worship God in the Spirit,"

We "rejoice in Christ Jesus,"

We "have no confidence in the flesh."

We shall treat these in reverse order. Once a Christian really sees the truth about the flesh he will abandon all efforts to make it acceptable to God and will rejoice only in Christ Jesus. We therefore turn to the Word to set forth those things God has said about the flesh. As we do, we remind you that the flesh as used in these passages does not indicate man's body alone but rather the earthly nature of man while in the body with his whole being confined to earthly things. He is definitely an earth creature and all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.

Here is God's case against the flesh:

"By the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in His sight" (Rom. 3:20).

"For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing" (Rom. 7:18).

"With the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin" (Rom. 7:25).

"They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh" (Rom. 8:5).

The word used here for "mind" is not the word for mentality but rather means "to pay attention to."

"They that are in the flesh cannot please God" (Rom. 8:8).

"If we live after the flesh, we shall die" (Rom. 8:13).

"The flesh lusteth against the Spirit" (Gal. 5:17).

"He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption" (Gal. 6:8).

"We all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh" (Eph. 2:2-3).

These nine passages of Scripture set forth the nature and character of the flesh and should convince every person of the futility of trying to please God through it. Before we became Christians we walked in the flesh. Why did we ever need to come to Christ for salvation and a new life if the flesh was sufficient? All that any soul ever reaped from the flesh was corruption. The flesh is the avowed enemy of the Spirit and lusteth against it. Those who live after the flesh die and cannot please God. Moreover, they who are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh, that is, they are so occupied with the things of the flesh they have no time for the things of the Spirit. With the flesh one serves only the law of sin for in his flesh dwelleth no good thing. He cannot possibly be justified by the works of the flesh.

Law keepers are flesh workers. Paul says in verse four, "If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more; circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." Then why did not Paul trust in the flesh? Because this is a record of the flesh! It is all human goodness but not godliness. We would remind you that morality and culture are the very highest attainment of human nature — excellent in the eyes of the world but with God left out therefore they are not godliness. The very highest and best of human attainment falls far short of that Christ-likeness produced by the indwelling Christ when the Christian is led of the Spirit. Even though culture, refinement, and morality are enviable from the earthly standpoint they bring only corruption and death because they have kept the possessor from yielding himself as the channel of the Spirit of God; and most certainly Christ-likeness does not fall short of culture and refinement even in this world. Paul also said that he was glad to call his flesh-work, through the law, loss and refuse that he might win Christ. Little wonder that he had no confidence in the flesh! Who could have any confidence in it after he saw its true character?

We rejoice in Christ Jesus! The false religionist has little joy. He has only the flesh to rejoice in, but the Christian has Christ! Yes, we do rejoice in Him. When folk find that salvation is by grace they begin to talk about Him, rather than about themselves. And why should not we rejoice in Him?

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8:1).

"In Whom we have redemption, even the forgiveness of sins" (Col. 1:14).

"He is our peace" (Eph. 2:14).

"By Whom we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand" (Rom. 5:2).

"We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous" (I John 2:1).

"He hath made us accepted in the Beloved" (Eph. 1:6).

"But thanks be unto God who giveth us the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ" (I Cor. 15:57).

"Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself" (Eph. 1:5).

"When Christ Who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory" (Col. 3:4).

"Christ liveth in me." (Gal. 2:20).

"Him that cometh unto Me (Jesus) I will in no wise cast out" (John 6: 37).

We could go on, but we need a bit of space to speak of the two remaining thoughts to be included in this portion of study five.

"We worship God in the Spirit." Jesus said to the woman at the well, "the hour cometh and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for the Father seeketh such to woship Him." The Father seeketh such! Are they that hard to find that He must seek them? How easily the Father is pleased! He rejoices in the humble lifting of the heart to Him in praise and thanksgiving. It is the fruit of the Spirit. Whom does man seek to impress by the bringing in of the much sought after worship center of our day? God or man? Surely God cannot be impressed by outward display if the heart is estranged from Him; and if the heart is not estranged will He need the outward display? Has man ever needed it?

"A broken and a contrite heart thou wilt not despise!"

We raise the question, Did anyone ever see a false religionist do these three things? Did you ever see one who worshipped God in the Spirit, and rejoiced in Christ Jesus and repudiated any value of the flesh? This trio belongs to Christianity alone. Or did any ever see one among the false religionists who wanted to exchange his (self) righteousness for the righteousness of God through Christ? That is exactly what Paul speaks of doing in verses seven to nine. He wanted to be found in Christ, not having his own righteousness which was of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. Paul's righteousness was the best he had been able to do as a result of a strict life under the law. He had striven for it with great zeal, only now to fling it aside as a worthless thing in comparison to that which he had received.

He had the righteousness of God by faith. This righteousness of God through Christ has two definite sides to it. First, there is the side of imputed righteousness which through the work of Christ is the basis of our salvation. To impute means to record. God has given to them who believe in Christ a perfect record. This is even more than appears at first, for it is not merely a record of our deeds with the sin all blotted out thus resulting in sinlessness. According to Rom. 4:3 God accounted Abraham had lived by a righteous faith and his righteousness had been recorded on that basis.

Then there is the revealed side of the Righteousness (Rom. 1:17). This is the side to which Paul was referring in Phil. 3:9. He wanted to be "found" in Christ with His righteousness, and not with his own self-righteousness. "To be found" is to be seen; and the imputed side of righteousness is taken by faith while the other side is revealed to the eyes of men. The law and all human efforts had failed to reveal the righteousness of God in the lives of men. This was accomplished only through the Gospel for "therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith."

This fifth study will be concluded next month when we finish the study on the defense against false religions.