Philippians 3:1-21
No Confidence in the Flesh
1 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
John 17:3
Now This is Eternal Life
3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
Jesus said this about eternal life...Now this is eternal life: that they know You, our One and Only true God, and that we would know Jesus Christ, whom you have sent...
Paul, in his epistle to the Philippians, goes about explaining what his life was before Jesus, and now what it was like after meeting Him and having a relationship with Him...The accomplishments and gains in Paul's life He now considering them as a loss for the sake of meeting Jesus...So Paul in his letter to the Philippians uses his what I might call a two part life as example for us, about his personal life...He explains his life to us before Jesus and he explains his life to us after Jesus...Paul's faith was a mature faith, that took some time to grow and change...
Before Jesus, Paul had put confidence in the flesh and those things around him...Paul was like many of the Pharisees of Israel...Paul had served God by his Spirit, and he boasted in Christ Jesus, the One who put no confidence in the flesh—though Paul himself had his reasons for such confidence of the flesh...If someone else thought that they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, Paul even had more...Paul had many accomplishments...He had been circumcised on the eighth day, was a person of Israel, he was of the tribe of Benjamin, he was a noted Hebrew of Hebrews; in regards to the law -he knew it well as any Pharisee; and as for zeal, he was persecuting the church that Jesus had started; as for righteousness based on the law, and Paul had thought that the law was faultless....
Now things had changed Paul after he met Jesus Christ...Whatever had been gains to him, he now considered a loss for the sake of Christ...What is more, Paul had considered everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus his LORD, for His sake he would lose all things...He now knew Jesus...Paul considered all the past things garbage...He now had gain in Christ and was found in Him...Paul's faith had matured and grown in Jesus Christ—the righteousness that comes from God is on the basis of faith of knowing Jesus...Paul wanted to know Jesus and have a relationship with Him—yes, and to know the power of His resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead...
Our earthly passions and desires are something we should watch and keep tabs on...We often pay less attention to our Spirit and soul...Paul's will now had a complete back seat to God's will in Jesus...Knowing Jesus had surpassed all earthly greatness...Paul's faith had matured and became more than just studying Him and preaching about Him, it was about knowing Him...The mind is set on many earthly things...Knowing Jesus is as much knowing Him with our heart's as it is our minds...Knowing Him is personal and it is in the form of a relationship with Him...Paul knew that knowing Jesus and God are the keys to eternal life...