Please take your copy of God's Word and turn to Philippians chapter 3.
And I'm a little note heavy this morning.
So you may find my pace speeding up because I'd like to complete the notes this morning and to do so in a reasonable amount of time and certainly for the sake of parents with children this morning.
So let's get right to it.
But before we read the text, let me remind you, beloved, that this is God's Word to us.
It was written for His glory and our good.
So we would all do well to listen to it in order to believe its promises and obey its commands.
Philippians chapter 3, beginning in verse 1.
Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord.
To write the same thing to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
Look out for the dogs.
Look out for the evildoers.
Look out for those who mutilate the flesh.
For we are the circumcision who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.
Now, the Christian church has a problem in our day.
The problem of false conversion.
I believe this is largely due to the nature of our gospel presentations.
We offer the free grace of God to all people as it is and as we should.
But we have largely neglected to balance this offer with the costly call of following Christ.
Today's church has almost altogether ignored texts like Mark chapter 8, verse 34 and 35, where Jesus said,
If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
For whoever would save his life will lose it.
But whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it.
The cross was a place of death.
Someone who is willing to give all that they are for the sake of gaining Christ can have Christ.
And Luke chapter 14, verse 28 and following.
Jesus says,
For which of you desiring to build the tower does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?
Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying,
This man began to build and was not able to finish.
Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with 10,000 men to meet him who comes against him with 20,000?
And if not, while the other is a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
What is Jesus talking about when he gives these examples?
Verse 33 tells us,
So, therefore, if any one of you does not renounce all that he has, cannot be my disciple.
So, many people have made professions of faith in Jesus Christ, but have not truly been converted.
This kind of easy-believe-ism, cheap-grace type of gospel that the church today presents so often.
These people are false Christians, not genuine Christians.
This should be a sobering thing to realize.
It is altogether possible to declare that you are in the faith and not be in the faith.
It is possible to think that you are saved and your end be destruction.
This is not the first time we have considered this, and it will not be the last,
because the Bible is packed with teaching on the matter.
New Testament writers are very concerned with this, that people would not truly respond to the gospel of Jesus Christ,
that they would think they're saved and find that they're not in the end.
Let me just give you a few quick examples of this teaching.
Jesus was concerned about it.
Matthew 7, verse 21 and following.
He says,
Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven,
but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
On that day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, do we not prophesy in your name,
and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?
The people who claim Christ as Lord and do powerful signs in his name.
Verse 23 says,
And then I will declare to them,
I never knew you.
Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.
Jesus also told the parable of the sower.
You can find it in Matthew chapter 13 and Mark 4 and Luke chapter 8,
where there's seed that falls on the ground,
and it's snatched away by birds, which represent the devil,
steals the truth away.
There's seed that falls on rocky soil,
and because it has no depth,
because it brings forth plant,
but there's no root.
The sun of tribulation comes and withers away.
So people make professions,
and they seem to be in the faith,
and yet we find that they're not.
And there's some that falls amongst the thorns,
and the thorns represent the cares of the world,
and the cares of the world choke out.
The truth of the gospel.
Paul's also concerned about this in our text today,
and in many other places.
Here's a few examples.
He writes to the Corinthians,
chapter 13 and verse 5.
Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.
Test yourselves,
or do you not realize this about yourselves,
that Jesus Christ is in you,
unless indeed you fail to meet the test.
He writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3, 5,
as he's warning him about false teachers.
He says,
they have the appearance of godliness,
but deny the gospel's power.
And then to Titus in chapter 1 and verse 16,
same type of warning.
They profess to know God,
but they deny him by their works.
They are detestable, disobedient,
unfit for any good work.
You see,
this problem that we have today
is not a problem new to our day.
In the various earliest days of the church,
people sought what they could gain
by professing to be Christians,
but gave no evidence of their conversion.
Take some time on your own
to note the life of Simon in Acts chapter 8.
This is just when the first dispersion
of the church from Jerusalem had happened.
And we already see this kind of thing taking place.
As Paul writes to the Philippians,
he has a particular group of false converts in mind.
These false Christians did not seek
to subtract from the requirement of faith,
but to add to it.
In the ESV translation,
which I'm preaching from today,
I know that many of you have in front of you.
They are called the dogs, the evildoers,
those who mutilate the flesh.
But the NASB translation,
which is a wonderful translation of the Bible,
renders the phrase,
those who mutilate the flesh,
as the false circumcision.
There's a particular group in mind,
as Paul is writing here to the Philippians.
These people were Jewish people
who had professed to be Christians
and made it their aim
to convince Gentile converts
that they must be circumcised
in order to be genuine Christians.
They were adding the work of circumcision
to the faith of these Gentile believers.
And this made Paul furious.
Many times in the scripture we read
his indictment of these particular people.
Paul was very clear
about the matter of circumcision.
Romans chapter 2,
beginning in verse 25.
For circumcision indeed is of value
if you obey the law.
But if you break the law,
your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.
Everybody's broken the law.
So if a man who is uncircumcised
keeps the precepts of the law,
will not his uncircumcision
be regarded as circumcision?
And how do we keep the law?
We keep it in Christ.
Then he who is physically uncircumcised
but keeps the law
will condemn you
who have the written code
and circumcision,
but break the law.
For no one is a Jew
who is merely one outwardly,
nor is circumcision outward and physical.
But a Jew is one inwardly,
and circumcision is a matter of the heart
by the Spirit,
not by the letter.
His praise is not from man,
but from God.
Righteousness,
or perfect law-keeping,
comes by faith
in Jesus' perfect law-keeping.
We are incapable of keeping the law.
The Old Testament
is predominantly about proving
this very point.
We're given a standard
that we cannot keep
so that we would look to
another source
for our salvation.
Right?
The law is a teacher to us
of our need
of a Savior.
We cannot find ourselves
approved before God
by our works.
It will never happen.
Listen to the words of Paul
to the Galatian believers
whose consciences
have been swayed
by these Judaizers,
as they were called.
He says in chapter 3,
verse 1 and following,
O foolish Galatians,
who has bewitched you?
It was before your eyes
that Jesus Christ
was publicly portrayed
as crucified.
Let me ask you only this.
Did you receive the Spirit
by works of the law
or by hearing with faith?
The answer is by hearing with faith.
That's how they received
the Spirit.
Are you so foolish?
Having begun by the Spirit,
are you now being perfected
by the flesh?
Did you suffer so many things
in vain,
if indeed it was in vain?
Does he who supplies
the Spirit to you
and works miracles among you
do so by works of the law
or by hearing with faith?
Just as Abraham believed God
and it was counted to him
as righteousness.
Abraham's righteousness,
the father of the Jews,
was given to him
not because of works,
but because of faith.
Today's text is meant to serve
both as a warning
and as an encouragement.
For those not in Christ this morning,
weigh out whether or not
you have repented of your sin
and thrown yourself
on the mercy of God.
For those of you who are
in Christ this morning,
have your hope in the gospel
of Jesus Christ spurred on.
We have a great hope in Christ.
In Philippians chapter 3,
verses 1 through 3,
Paul means to juxtapose for us
the false Christian
and the genuine Christian.
So our outline for this text
will be as follows.
genuine Christians,
Christians,
excuse me,
questions,
clear my throat,
genuine Christians,
one, rejoice in the Lord,
two, look out,
the way ESV renders that,
look out,
three, worship in the spirit of God,
four, glory in Christ Jesus,
and five,
put no confidence in the flesh.
And I'll repeat all those for you,
of course.
Genuine Christians,
number one,
rejoice in the Lord.
He says in the first part of verse 1,
finally my brothers,
rejoice in the Lord.
Finally could also be rendered
furthermore or so then.
In this case,
it's a transitional word.
Half of the letter still remains,
so it's reasonable to feel
like this conclusion word
is out of place.
I think we do well
when we get to chapter 3
and go,
finally,
what do you mean?
He's not about to wrap
the letter up.
And I don't think that Paul
gets to this place
and makes a mistake.
Like he thought he was about
to conclude the letter
and yet he didn't quite.
So I think we ought to see here,
furthermore,
my brothers,
rejoice in the Lord.
Paul has spoken much
in this letter so far
about rejoicing.
You can see chapter 1,
verse 4,
and verse 18,
and verse 25.
Chapter 2,
verse 2,
verse 17 and 18,
and verse 28 and 29.
There's much of the theme
of the book of Philippians
is about joy or rejoicing.
Here he specifically says
that genuine Christians
rejoice in the Lord.
Joy should not be seen
as happiness.
We confuse those two words
in our English vernacular.
Happiness is a feeling
that is based in circumstance.
The root word of happiness
is the same as the word
for happenstance
or circumstance.
Happiness is not bad.
Don't hear me say
that it's bad to be happy.
It's a joyful thing
to go to a birthday party
and enjoy the cake.
Happiness comes from that.
But joy is much better.
Joy is the superior emotion
to happiness.
Joy is a divine emotion
rooted in the future promises
of God regardless
of our circumstance.
Let me say that again.
Joy is a divine emotion
rooted in the future promises
of God regardless
of our circumstance.
We cannot produce it
on our own.
It's divine.
It's birthed in us
by the power of the Spirit
and so it is a mark
of genuine Christians.
Bulletin says,
the quote on your bulletin
says by Martin Lloyd-Jones,
God's people are meant
to be people
who are always rejoicing
in the Lord.
Who he is to us
and that we belong to him.
I hope that when we speak
of joy,
you know what we mean.
And when I talk about it
being this divine emotion
rooted in future promises,
you can say,
yeah, yeah,
I have that joy.
I recognize that regardless
of the circumstances
I'm walking through,
there is promise for me
that you get pulled
through the sorrow
that this life delves out
and it is full of sorrow.
Young people,
the longer you live,
the more you will feel
the weight of the utter
brokenness of this world.
And if you don't have
gospel joy
to override that,
you will be left
despondent.
But if you are in the Lord,
if you are in Christ,
you have much
to have joy in.
I hope you know
what we're talking about
when we say this.
If you don't,
you may not
be in Christ.
You may not have a reason
for joy
at all.
So do you experience
this joy
in the deepest recess
of your soul
despite what's going on
around you,
despite the sorrow
that this life
just serves up
again and again?
Do you rejoice
that you are God's
and He is yours?
Do you hang
on His promises?
Genuine Christians
rejoice in the Lord.
Secondly,
genuine Christians
look out.
Last half of verse 1,
Paul writes,
to write the same things
to you is no trouble
to me and is safe
for you.
The verse numbering
is not inspired.
And I think
that in this case,
we need to move
that little two
elsewhere in the text.
I don't think
he's writing about joy
when he says
to write the same things
to you is no trouble
to me and is safe
for you.
It's about the warning
he's about to give
to these believers
and to us.
Verse 2,
look out for the dogs.
Look out for the evildoers.
Look out for those
who mutilate the flesh.
The text says,
look out.
Some translations say,
beware.
I want you to see that
what Paul means
is discern.
Actively be looking,
being careful,
thinking clearly
and biblically
about what it is
you're being told.
Genuine believers
are to grow
in their knowledge
of the truth
and,
therefore,
their ability
to spot
counterfeit
truth.
If we know
the truth,
if we are versed
in the Bible,
it's not all
that difficult
to spot
those things
that are untrue,
those things
that don't reconcile
with what the Scripture
teaches.
Paul says
to write the same
things to you,
which means
that he must be
reiterating a point
that he has
previously
made.
I think sometimes
this is why our mind
ties to the idea
of joy
because he's
repeated joy,
rejoicing over
and over again,
but I think he's
referring back
to Philippians 1,
verse 27 and 28,
where he wrote,
Only let your manner
of life be worthy
of the gospel
of Christ,
so that whether
I come and see you
or am absent,
I may hear of you
that you are
standing firm
in one spirit
with one mind
striving side by side
for the faith
of the gospel.
The faith of the gospel.
Right?
And not frightened
in anything
by your opponents.
This is a clear sign
to them of their
destruction,
but of your salvation
and that from God.
This is the writing
the same things
to you,
I believe that he's
referring to,
that we would be
as a church,
as churches,
the Philippian church,
would be standing
together,
firm,
right?
Discerning
the truth.
We are to discern
those who teach
in contradiction
to the gospel
of Jesus Christ.
The good news
that we are saved
by grace alone,
through faith alone,
through Jesus Christ
alone.
There are so many
false gospels
and peddlers
of false gospels,
right?
They abound.
And the genuine
Christian must be
trained in the word
in order to not
be led astray
by such teaching.
Paul exhorts us
to look out,
beware,
discern,
because it is safe
for us.
Open-mindedness
in the church
is the siren call
of the false teachers,
right?
Oh, tolerance
seems to be
the highest order
of our day,
right?
As long as
somebody's intentions
are good,
then let them say
what they will.
The genuine Christian
will not lay aside
loving kindness
and gentleness,
but they will
contend
for the truth.
They will consider
those who add to
or subtract from
the gospel of Jesus Christ
dogs
and evildoers.
We must
hold
firm
the gospel
once for all
delivered
to the saints
because it's good
for people.
We must not
tolerate
false
teachers.
And beloved,
I will tell you
that they are
in our backyard
and they're
influencing your
friends
and your
co-workers
and your
classmates
and your
family.
There are
false
teachers
abounding
around us.
The dogs
that Paul
is referring
to were not
the domestic
cedokine
that may come
to your mind.
This is not
your lap dog
that he's
referring to
here,
but they
were wild,
ravenous,
dangerous
dogs.
In fact,
he's doing
a turn of
phrase here
because often
the Jews
referred to
Gentiles
as dogs
and here
he's calling
Jews who
would lead
the Gentiles
astray
from the
true gospel
of Jesus
Christ
dogs.
They were
dangerous
men
that he's
talking about
here.
He's calling
these teachers
destructive
for the good
of people.
He further
declares
their teaching
evil
and calling
them
evil
doers.
Beloved,
we tend
to give
ear to
many false
teachers
because
of this
presumed
good
intent.
Paul does
no such
thing
and exhorts
us
to the same.
And let me
just as an
aside say
of pastors
who are
false
teachers,
they bear
a responsibility
for the
word that
they preach.
We can be
heartbroken
for them,
but they
have the
same text.
It is
inerrant
and it
is sufficient
and all
they need
to do
is open
it and
read it.
Deliver
it to
their people.
They really
have no
excuse and
I can tell
you they'll
have no
excuse on
the day
of judgment.
If we're
going to
love our
community
with the
love of
Christ,
we must
be
discerning.
We must
help people.
We must
lead them
to the
truth,
the truth
that is
safe
for us
and for
them.
We must
look out.
We must
each of
us be
more and
more like
the Berean
brothers and
sisters we
can read
about in
Acts chapter
17.
Paul came
to them,
to the
Jews in
Berea,
teaching them
of the
gospel of
Jesus Christ,
saying this
Jesus is
the Messiah
that the
Old Testament
speaks of.
In Acts
17 verse
11 says,
they were
more noble
than those
Jews in
Thessalonica,
who had
rejected
the gospel
because they
received the
word with
all eagerness.
They were
willing to
be taught
something new.
What do
they do
with it?
They
examine
the
scriptures
daily to
see if
these
things
were so.
This is
how we
are meant
to be,
to hear
things,
take it,
discern it
by the
scripture,
the only
standard
of truth.
truth.
So,
genuine
Christians
look out.
Are you
working to
be trained
in the
truth?
Do you
read your
Bible?
Do you
sit under
faithful
teaching?
Not
personality
driven
teaching,
but truth
driven
teaching.
Someone who's
willing to
open up the
text and
show you
what it
says.
Help you
to see it
for
yourself.
I know
we move
so fast,
but it's
why I
reference
everything.
I don't
want to
just say,
and
somewhere
in
Matthew
it
says.
I'm
going to
give you
the
reference.
You
can
go look
at it
for
yourself.
This
is the
standard
of
truth.
Are
you
part
of
a
community
of
faith
that
values
the
truth?
Genuine
Christians
look out.
Third,
genuine
Christians
worship
in the
spirit
of
God.
First
part of
verse
three,
for we
are
the
circumcision
who
worship
by the
spirit
of
God.
Again,
I'll
refer to
the
NASB
translation
of
this
verse
which
renders
circumcision
as
true
circumcision.
So the
NASB
calls
the
one
group
the
false
circumcision
and
the
Philippian
believers
the
true
circumcision.
You
see,
circumcision
was a
sign
of the
covenant
that was
always
meant
to
point
to
a
greater
reality
that
will
be
realized
in
Jesus
Christ.
The Old
Testament
speaks of
this.
Let me
give you
one example.
Jeremiah
chapter
four,
beginning
in
verse
one.
If you
return,
O Israel,
declares the
Lord,
to me,
you should
return.
If you
remove your
detestable things
from my
presence and
do not
waver,
and if you
swear as
the Lord
lives in
truth,
in justice,
and in
righteousness,
the nation
shall bless
themselves in
him,
and in
him shall
they glory.
for thus
says the
Lord to
the men
of Judah
and
Jerusalem,
break up
your
fallow
ground
and
sow
not
among
thorns.
Circumcise
yourselves to
the Lord,
remove the
foreskin
of your
hearts.
O
men of
Judah
and
inhabitants
of
Jerusalem,
lest my
wrath go
forth like
fire and
burn with
none to
quench it
because of
the evil
of your
deeds.
The
prophet
Jeremiah
is already
getting them
to learn,
helping them
understand that
circumcision was
not merely
an outward
thing.
It was
meant to
be an
inward
change.
Recall
Paul's
case from
Romans
chapter 2.
I read
to you
previously
verse 28
and 29.
For no
one is a
Jew who
is merely
one
outwardly,
nor is
circumcision
outward and
physical,
but a
Jew,
here God's
people,
is one
inwardly,
and circumcision
is a matter
of the heart
by the
spirit,
not by the
letter.
His praise
is not
from man,
but from
God.
Salvation
does not
come from
our keeping
of the
law because
this is
impossible.
Salvation
comes by
faith in
the completed
work of
Jesus Christ,
imputed or
given to
us by
the power
of his
spirit.
Let's look
briefly at
a longer
explanation of
this in
John chapter
4.
So join me
there if you
would to
John chapter
4.
I'm going
to read
the account
of the
Samaritan
woman at
the
well.
This
sets up
the same
problem
of,
in this
case,
a woman,
not these
Judaizers,
but a
woman who
was looking
to the
outward
expression
of what
it meant
to belong
to God.
And Jesus
says something
striking and
helpful too
here.
So we're
going to
begin to
verse 1
and I'll
read fairly
quickly and
maybe pause
and make
some remarks
along the
way.
I don't
have any
remarks planned,
but we'll
see how it
goes.
Beginning
in verse 1.
Now when
Jesus learned
that the
Pharisees had
heard that
Jesus was
making and
baptizing more
disciples than
John,
although Jesus
himself did
not baptize,
but only his
disciples,
he left
Judea and
departed again
for Galilee.
And he had
to pass through
Samaria.
Now Samaria
was an area
of the land
where people
who were
half-breeds
lived.
People who
in the
return from
exile had
gone intermarried
amongst the
people of the
land, so they
were seen as
lesser people.
They were
kind of
cast out
from the
Jewish
purity
otherwise.
They were
looked down
on people.
So verse 5.
So he came
to a town
of Samaria
called
Sakaar,
near the
field that
Jacob had
given to
his son
Joseph.
Jacob's
well was
there,
so Jesus
wearied as
he was
from his
journey,
was sitting
beside the
well.
It was
about the
sixth hour
midday.
A woman
from Samaria
came to
draw water.
Jesus said
to her,
give me a
drink.
For his
disciples had
gone away
into the
city to
buy food.
The
Samaritan
woman said
to him,
how is it
that you,
a Jew,
ask for a
drink from
me,
a woman of
Samaria,
for Jews
have no
dealings
with
Samaritans.
Jesus
answered her,
if you
knew the
gift of
God and
who it
is that
is saying
to you,
give me
a drink,
you would
have asked
him and
he would
have given
you living
water.
The woman
said to
him,
sir,
you have
nothing to
draw water
with and
the well
is deep.
Where do
you get
that living
water?
Are you
greater than
our father
Jacob?
He gave
us the well
and drank
from it
himself as
did his
sons and
his livestock.
Jesus
said to
her,
everyone
who drinks
of this
water will
be thirsty
again,
but whoever
drinks of
the water
that I
will give
him will
never be
thirsty
again.
The water
that I
will give
him will
become in
him a
spring of
water
welling
up to
eternal
life.
So Jesus
is speaking
metaphorically
of life
of the
spirit and
she's still
thinking real
practically,
right?
She just
wants to
have her
physical
thirst
met.
Verse 15,
the woman
said to
him,
sir,
give me
this water
so that I
will not be
thirsty or
have to
come here
Jesus said
to her,
go call
your husband
and come
here.
So he's
exposing her
sinfulness.
He's showing
her her
need of
living water.
The woman
answered him,
verse 17,
I have no
husband.
Jesus said
to her,
you are
right in
saying I
have no
husband,
for you
have had
five husbands
and the
one you
now have
is not
your
husband.
What
you have
said is
true.
The woman
said to
him,
sir,
I perceive
that you
are a
prophet.
Our
fathers
worshipped
on this
mountain
where they
are,
but you
say that
in Jerusalem
is the
place where
people
ought to
worship.
So she's
getting it,
right?
Jesus is
teaching her
a spiritual
thing.
She's
recognizing
her
sinfulness
and she's
trying to
understand
how it
is she's
to be
restored
to God.
We
worship
here,
but you
say we're
supposed
to worship
there.
Outward
sign.
Verse 21,
Jesus said
to her,
woman,
believe me,
the hour
is coming
when neither
on this
mountain nor
in Jerusalem
will you
worship the
Father.
You
worship what
you do
not know,
we worship
what we
know,
for salvation
is from
the Jews.
But the
hour is
coming and
is now
here when
the true
worshipers
will worship
the Father
in spirit
and truth,
for the
Father is
seeking such
people to
worship him.
God is
spirit and
those who
worship him
must worship
in spirit
and truth.
inner devotion,
change of
heart.
We will
do things
as outward
expressions
of who
we are,
but at
the core
of it,
we must
be fundamentally
changed.
We're going
to worship
in the
spirit of
God because
we have
the spirit
of God.
And I
think in
this moment,
she's being
changed.
verse 25,
the woman
said to
him,
I know
that Messiah
is coming,
he who
is called
Christ.
When he
comes,
he will
tell us
all things.
And Jesus
said to
her,
I who
speak to
you
am he.
So,
we worship
God in
the spirit
of God.
We are
given the
ability to
bring forth
fruit,
bring forth
devotion to
God because
we have
the spirit
of God.
So,
do you
place
confidence
in anything
other than
the power
of the
spirit of
Christ to
effectually
apply the
work of
Christ on
your behalf?
If you
place confidence
of your
worship in
the mode
of worship,
in the
feelings you
have in
worship,
all the
good things
you do,
it's very
likely that
it's
misplaced.
Many of
you know I
worked for
some time
at a local
university
called
Truett
McConnell
and I
was the
director of
admissions
and part
of the way
the school
expressed that
it was a
Christian
college is
that the
application
had a
testimony
section on
it.
We didn't
grade them.
It wasn't
like you
got demoted
points and
couldn't get
into the
school if
you weren't
truly a
believer.
It was just
a way of
saying,
oh,
don't miss
the fact
that we
are a
Christian
school.
How people
got to
that point
and missed
it,
I don't
know,
but they
seemed to.
And I
had to
stop reading
most of
them
expressed
the things
I do
that make
me a
Christian.
And I
go to
church and
I go on
mission trips
and I
go and
like listing
out the
things that
are these
evidences in
their minds
that they
were in
fact in
the faith,
but very
little talk
about the
completed work
of Jesus
Christ.
Do we
have evidences
that we're in
the faith?
Absolutely.
But more
than that,
when you're
sharing your
testimony,
you want to
talk about
the completed
work of
Jesus,
right?
Because
it's because
of that
that we're
found in
Christ and
we can
worship in
the Spirit
of God.
So genuine
Christians
worship in
the Spirit
of God.
Fourth,
genuine
Christians,
glory in
Christ Jesus.
Never fear,
these are
going to get
faster.
Glory in
Christ Jesus,
the last
half of
verse 3,
and glory
in Christ
Jesus.
John
MacArthur
in his
commentary on
this text
stated,
glory describes
boasting
with exultant
joy about
what a person
is most
proud of.
I really
like that,
and I knew
I couldn't
pass off
exultant as
my own
word.
So,
John
MacArthur
said,
glory describes
boasting
with exultant
joy about
what a person
is most
proud of,
right?
It's what
we brag
about.
Genuine
Christians know
that we have
nothing to
boast in
except for
the person
and work
of Jesus
Christ.
If we
glory,
we glory
in him.
We do
not commend
ourselves
to God
or to
anyone else
by anything
that we
have done,
but by
what God
has done.
2 Corinthians
chapter 10
verse 17
and 18,
let the
one who
boasts
boast
in the
Lord.
For it is
not the
one who
commends
himself
who is
approved,
but the
one whom
the Lord
commends.
in
contrast,
the
false
Christian
boasts
in
their
works.
This
must not
be and
will not
be so
among
genuine
Christians.
To be a
Christian is
to be
humbled
before
God.
So,
do you
glory in
Christ
alone.
Would you
say that
you are
accepted by
God
because
of
Jesus
and because
of Jesus
alone?
Do you
find yourself
believing that
you have
anything to
offer God
apart from
Christ?
Genuine
Christians,
glory in
Christ Jesus.
And lastly,
genuine
Christians,
put no
confidence
in the
flesh.
You see
this in
the last
part of
verse 3.
The flesh
represents our
unredeemed
humanness.
It represents
any work that
we can do
apart from
the working
of God
in us.
Genuine
Christians
recognize
that the
words of
Jesus in
John 6
verse 63
are true.
He said,
it is the
spirit who
gives life.
The flesh
is no
help at
all.
And
agree with
Paul's
declaration in
Romans 7
verse 18,
for I know
that nothing
good dwells
in me
that is
in
my
flesh.
Genuine
Christians
put no
confidence
in our
flesh.
We'll
explore this
idea much
further next
Lord's
day.
The
genuine
Christian
places no
confidence in
the flesh
because the
genuine
Christian knows
that they
have no
reason to
place confidence
in the
flesh.
The
genuine
Christian is
aware of
their own
sin
brokenness
apart from
the delivering
grace of
Jesus
Christ.
Galatians
chapter 6
beginning in
verse 12.
This might
feel a little
bit familiar
to you.
As a quick
pause, I am
so thankful
for how often
the Lord
knits together
our services.
I know that
you don't have
the text for
the morning
living in
your head,
but I often
do.
I've been
preparing notes
all week.
how often
the cross
references
used,
this text,
at least a
portion of
it, maybe
more of it,
I'm not sure
now, Darrell
read this
morning.
I think it
was just
verse 14
that he
read this
morning.
Some songs
that we
sang earlier
directly speak
to this very
issue that
we're talking
about.
It's just a
glorious thing
that the
Lord orders
our time.
Even as
we're making
plans, he
plans in
and through
our planning.
So Galatians
chapter 6,
beginning in
verse 12,
it is those
who want to
make a good
showing in
the flesh
who would
force you
to be
circumcised
and only in
order that
they may
not be
persecuted
for the
cross of
Christ.
These are
Jewish people
who wanted
to take up
Christianity
but didn't
want to leave
behind Judaism
because they
were being
persecuted
for being
Christian.
So they
still were
keeping these
outward signs
and convincing
others to
do the same.
Verse 13,
for even
those who
are circumcised
do not
themselves
keep the
law,
but they
desire to
have you
circumcised
that they
may boast
in your
flesh.
But far
be it
for me
to boast
except in
the cross
of our
Lord Jesus
Christ,
by which the
world has
been crucified
to me
and I
to the
world.
For neither
circumcision
counts for
anything
nor
uncircumcision,
but a
new
creation.
So do you
ever place
any measure
of confidence
confidence in
your flesh?
It should
not be
so.
Now if
you are in
Christ this
morning,
I hope in
looking at
these things
you have
been encouraged
that you've
been able to
say,
I do rejoice
in the
Lord.
I care to
be discerning.
I want the
true gospel to
be preached
for my good
and for the
good of
others.
I don't
think that I
can worship
God unless
by the
Spirit of
God.
I glory
in Christ
Jesus and
I put no
confidence in
the flesh.
I hope this
is massively
encouraging to
you.
Paul here
in the text
would call
you brothers,
brothers,
beloved.
It's a
wonderful thing
to be found
in Christ and
as we're
gauging out
whether or not
we are in
Christ to see
evidence that
we are in
fact in
him.
If you have
any concern
of this this
morning,
if you're
just not
sure,
let me just
invite you
to repent
and believe.
To recognize
that you have
nothing to
offer,
that's the
beauty of
the gospel,
that you
need nothing
to offer
except your
faith.
Just believe,
just believe
that Christ
came,
he lived a
life that we
could not
live,
perfect
righteousness,
he fulfilled
every requirement
of the law,
that he died
the death that
you deserve,
so that by
faith in him
you can have
his righteousness,
God will see
you,
declare you
righteous,
and that your
punishment will
be taken away
by him.
Believe that he's
resurrected,
that he's seated
at the right hand
of the Father,
that he rules
over all things,
that he has
sure promises
for you,
one day he will
return for you,
throw yourself
on the abundant
mercy of God
in Christ.
grace.
It's a wonderful
free offer of
grace that will
cost you
everything,
but it is so
worth it.
Let's pray
together.