Philippians 3:1-11

Philippians 3:1-11

Joy In Jesus

I.                    True joy in life is being made right in Christ, so our confidence must be in Him (Vv. 1-6)

a.       Throughout his letter, Paul’s overall message has been to rejoice, even in the worst and most unpredictable circumstances in life. So as we begin the third chapter, Paul says, “Finally”, or literally “so then”, in light of all that he’s said so far, he literally calls them and us to “keep on rejoicing in the Lord”. He unashamedly exhorts us to keep rejoicing because it’s a safeguard. Continually rejoicing in the Lord requires that we constantly tend to our perspective on life and what’s worthy of our confidence. Paul warns the Philippians that there are people among them, “Judaizers”, who desire to lead them astray, promising them joy, but only delivering emptiness. Paul refers to them as ravenous, dangerous, and diseased coyotes who seek to attack and scavenge the weak. Further, he declares their motives and intentions as evil because they desire to lead people away from the truth of the complete sufficiency of Christ. Lastly he warns that they seek to lead people away from Christ by literally being “mutilators of the flesh”, teaching that one can only be saved by adding the requirements of the law, circumcision in particular, to the gospel. In contrast, the lives true followers of Christ are marked by different characteristics. We are the true circumcision, not in the cutting away of flesh, but those whose hard hearts have been cut away and been made new. We have access to true joy in life because we serve God by the power of His Spirit and in obedience to His Word of truth, and we do all things for the glory of Christ in complete confidence in Him. So because we walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh, our confidence must not be in the flesh. However, the natural tendency of all humanity is to place our confidence in our own flesh or the flesh of others. Paul recognizes this reality, and holds himself up as an example. He essentially says, “look at my privilege and my accomplishments, if anyone has a right to boast in and be confident in the flesh, it’s me.” But it will prove to be empty and joyless. What is most valuable to you and why? If we truly want to discern where our confidence is, we must look at what we do and not what we say or think. Our minds and words can fool us. When we truly assess our actions we might see that our success and achievement in our vocational or educational career, our financial security or physical health, our family and worldly happiness, our political concerns, or even our activity in following the rules and “doing church” is most valuable. Many of these are good things, but if we seek our confidence and joy in them, we’ll perceive joylessness every time they are threatened and will ultimately be disappointed. If our confidence isn’t in Christ, we forfeit our growth in Him which produces true joy in life, and are in real danger of having never trusted in Him for salvation in the first place. (Vv. 1-6; Ps. 32:11; 33:1; Jer. 9:23-26; 31:31-34;  Ezek. 36:25-27; Matt. 23:15; Luke 18:18-23; John 4:23-24; Acts 9:1-2; 15:19; Rom. 2:25-29; 8:1-9; 10:2-4; 12:1-2;         1 Cor. 1:26-31; 15:9-10; Gal. 1:13-14; 6:12-16; Col. 2:8-23)

II.                 True joy in life is being made right in Christ, so our trust must be in Him (Vv. 7-11)

a.       Paul uses very strong language to describe how everything that seems valuable in the flesh, results in a total loss, and is feces compared to an intimate relationship in Christ! All of our accomplishments, accolades, and labors of any kind gained in our own strength don’t even measure against knowing Christ. Putting our confidence in these things will never result in satisfaction or joy in life, they deter us from laying hold of Christ, and produce an aroma of waste from our lives. So the supreme ambition of our lives must be knowing Christ and trusting in Him that we might be “found in Him”. We’re completely unable to pay the penalty for our sinful rebellion against God, but through faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross, we receive His righteousness as a free gift and are justified in Him, and declared “not guilty”. At that point, the same power of God which resurrected Jesus from the grave resurrects our dead hearts, brings us to new and eternal life in Him, and begins to workout the process of sanctification, as we’re grown progressively more in His image as we desire to know Him and share in fellowship with Him. Even further, when we trust in Christ, we gain the eternal confidence and perspective of our certain glorification in Him. We experience the fullness of the hope and joy found only in Christ which shapes our perspective, and adds true value to all of life on this side of heaven, even in suffering. (Vv. 7-11; Gen. 15:6; Ps. 143:11; Isa. 64:6; Hab. 2:14; Matt. 6:33; 13:44-46; 16:24-27; Luke 9:23-25; John 15:4-11; 17:3; Rom. 3:9-27; 4:1-5; 6:1-11; 7:13-25; 8:18-39; 1 Cor. 13:12; 15:3-5; 2 Cor. 4:3-10; 5:17, 21; 11:22-30; 12:7-10; Eph. 2:8-9; Phil. 3:20-21; Col. 1:9-14; 1 John 3:1-3; Rev. 21:5-7)