The Flesh and Israel

Today I want to look at the third chapter of the book of Philipians, and examine some of the powerful points of doctrine that is in this chapter: "Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh" (Philip. 3:1-3). I can sure identify with the apostle's remark about 'writing the same things,' as I find the Spirit of the Lord leading me back to write on the same topics often; simply because it truly is 'safe' for the hearers, or readers as he stated. The 'dogs' that he warned these people about were in fact the same that he went on to mention there; that being 'evil workers,' and 'the concision;' meaning those whose pride was in their circumcision, who were also trying to subvert the Gentile converts to believe they had to be circumcised as well (Acts 15:1; Gal. 5:2,4,7,8,12). That is why he went on to say that "we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit... and have no confidence in the flesh." So the apostle Paul was telling these Gentile believers that THEY were the true circumcision, and that neither his or their confidence had anything to do with the flesh. Now a lot of folks will look at a verse like that and think that 'confidence in the flesh' is referring to things like being proud of how smart we are, or how we look, or how talented we may be, etc. But as is the case with most scripture, if we look at what is said next, as well as what was said previously, we will see what is truly being referenced. So with that in mind let's look at the next verse, and on from there: "Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. 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" (Philip. 3:4-6). So 'the flesh' that Paul was speaking of was in fact being a Jew, and being a partaker of the carnal ordinances of the old testament law as a Jew; which in that time meant circumcision above all else, seeing circumcision was the sign of being in covenant with God before the time of the new testament (Gen. 17:10-14).

So Paul made known that he could take confidence in the flesh as much or more than anyone if it actually mattered, which he made clear that it did not. Then he gets down to the meat of the matter and tells it like it is, meaning that this Gospel is all about Jesus, and it's not about anything else! "But what things were gain to me, those 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: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death" (Philip. 3:7-10). Wow! Now that's what I call a mouthful! All of the things that Paul had previously built his little religious empire on were things that he had to let go of in order to fully embrace Christ, who all of those things actually pointed to. I might add that those things he let go of were things that were of God under the old covenant, but they were still only symbolizing what Christ was going to establish. Paul clarified that elsewhere: "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body [substance of those shadows] is of Christ" (Col. 2:16,17). He also made it clear in this passage from Philipians that the only righteousness that the law could produce was one's OWN righteousness, but that faith in Christ produces the very righteousness of God IN those who believe. He speaks also of being identified with Christ in his death, and in his resurrection; and most importantly what the intended result of it all is to believers, as he states next: "If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philip. 3:11-14).

There it is. Jesus has made the way for us to be filled with his Spirit, which Spirit the Bible tells us is also his righteousness and his life; by which Spirit we will be raised from the dead at his return to this world: "For the law of the Spirit of LIFE in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death... And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is LIFE because of RIGHTEOUSNESS. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you" (Rom. 8:2,10,11). That is what we needed, meaning victory over death, and that is what Jesus gave us! Plain and simple. The old covenant nor it's ceremonies provided any such thing, because that covenant could never take away sin and impart eternal life to those who were under it (Heb. 10:4; Gal. 3:21). That is what Jesus came for, and that is exactly what he accomplished by his suffering, death, resurrection, and priesthood in heaven. What believers in Christ are hoping for in reality, is not 'the rapture,' and it's not 'going to heaven;' but rather it IS the resurrection of the dead, as the apostle stated here. This same apostle elsewhere in fact referred to the resurrection of the dead as 'the hope,' and so it is. It is in fact the 'one hope' of the Gospel, "the hope of salvation" (Acts 24:15; Eph. 4:4; I Thess. 5:8). You may note that the apostle stated in Philipians 3:13 that he did not count himself as being guaranteed to attain unto the resurrection unless he did what it took to make that grade. He clearly shows in the last quoted passage from Philipians that the way to attain unto the resurrection of the dead is to "forget those things that are behind, and reach forth to those things that are before [ahead]." In this case he was referring to the things that were behind as the ceremonial ordinances of the law, which never gave life to those who practiced them. The point of all of this was that the observance of and 'confidence' in the symbolic natural ordinances of the law by Gentiles who are already in Christ, can only be detrimental to those who are brought under subjection to them. He more clearly explained that in Galatians: "Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace" (Gal. 5:2,4). This same issue exists among God's people today as well, and it lurks mainly in the ordinances of water baptism, which is old covenant; and in so called 'communion,' which is actually part of the old testament Passover (Mat. 3:15; Mat. 5:17; Mat. 26:19-29).

The ordinances of the law are the "things which are behind," whereas Christ himself, through the holy Ghost, is "those things which are before [ahead]" (See II Cor. 3:17; Gal. 3:27). If we are led by the Spirit of God, it will not lead us to go backward to "the things which are behind;" rather it will only lead us to go forward to the "things which are before." If we go backward we are going in the opposite direction of Christ, and that can only end up in one place, both here and hereafter. Paul spoke of these same things to the Colossians, like this: "If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth" (Col. 3:1,2). He was dealing with the same issue with the Colossians as he was with the Philipians and Galatians, and in telling them to not set their affections "on things on the earth," he was referring to the earthly religious ordinances of the old covenant. In the next several verses in Philipians 3 Paul exhorted the saints to be 'perfect,' which is to say 'complete' in faith, and in pureness of heart (Philip. 3:15-17). He also warned them again about those who were seeking to subvert their faith in Christ by imposing the natural, 'earthly' ordinances of the law on them; and he called these men "the enemies of the cross of Christ," declaring their coming destruction (Philip. 3:18,19). Then he concludes the chapter with the most powerful statement yet: "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself" (Philp. 3:20,21). The word 'conversation' in this passage means our 'citizenship,' meaning we are literally citizens of the heavenly kingdom of God by means of being in Christ (Jn. 3:5; Jn. 7:38,39; I Cor. 12:13). If we keep our spirits and minds "in heavenly places in Christ," by means of "purifying [our] hearts, even as he is pure;" we will be rewarded at his coming with the glorification of our resurrected body, and will be as the verse states, and as John agreed to; "we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is" (Eph. 2:6; I Jn. 3:2,3). And to be certain that the resurrection of the dead, and the glorification of those raised, is indeed the 'one hope' and the salvation of the righteous; we have the powerfully simplistic statement of the prophetic Psalm verse: "For the Lord taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation" (Psm. 149:4). All I have left to say is, WOW! What a chapter! And... amen.