Philippians 3

3:1-4:1 3RD HORN - THROUGH THE OF CHRIST Simple mind - The antidote to things

C. The knowledge of Christ produces a simple mind

1. To Count all (1-11)

2. To Press on (3:12-4:1)

A simple mind causes us to have joy, for a submissive mind do not put its trust or care in worldly things nor in man. A simple mind is the antidote to things, for a simple mind focuses on God, it have a heavenly perspective and rejoices always in the purchased salvation. A simple mind can even give up all things in order to be found in Him, to know Him and to behold Him.

This chapter deals with a three-fold aspect of salvation: “ found in Him” - justification. v. 9

“ know Him” - sanctification v. 10

“ wait for Him” - glorification v. 20

Paul’ s Past. (I count) v.1-11

Paul’ s Present. (I Press) v.12-16

Paul’ s Future. (I look) v.17-21

The new Value. v.1-11

The new Vigour. v.12-16

The new Vision. v.17-21

The Accountant. v.1-11

The Athlete. v.12-16

Philippians 3:1-11

1. To Count all (1-11) Salvation is not by works. v.1-6 Salvation is by faith. v.7-11 Exhortation. v.1-3 Example. v.4-6

V.1 a) Copy - Writing the same.

Paul is going to repeat himself by explaining our hope in Christ, this time he did it from a different angle.

V.2 b) Caution - Watch out.

I. The 3 bewares:

II. Dogs - The opponents to God’ s Truth. Mat.7:6; Is.56:10-11 III. Evil workers - The people who work with wrong agenda’ s: Evil character.

IV. Mutilation - The Judaizers who proclaimed salvation also by circumcision. Acts 15:1 V.3 c) Circumcision - We Worship God.

I. True circumcision is of the heart that is the new nature in Christ. Rom.2:29 II. The 3 declarations in opposition to the 3 bewares:

1. Worship God - In Spirit and in Truth. John 4:23-24

2. Rejoice in Christ - Rest and be joyous in His purchased salvation.

3. No confidence in the flesh - Trust in God and His salvation, the old man saves no man. Rom.7:13-25

III. The Triune God is mentioned in this verse: God, Spirit and Christ.

V.4 d) Confidence - Witness of the flesh.

Paul now uses himself as an example of one who could have confidence in the flesh.

V.5 e) Citizenship - Worthy through family and the law.

I. Circumcision - Paul was an Israelite by birth, not a Gentile Jewish proselyte.

II. Tribe of Benjamin - He was of the family of Abraham.

III. A Hebrew of the Hebrews - He was brought up as a strict Jew, one who learned the Hebrew language. IV. A Pharisee - The most orthodox of the sects within Judaism in his day. They not only tried to keep the written law but also the oral law: The interpretive traditions of the Scribes. Acts 5:34; 22:3; Gal.1:14 V.6 f) Character - Works concerning zeal.

I. Zeal - He was a serious promoter of Judaism, even killing for the cause.

II. Righteousness - His external behaviour was without blame. Paul had enough morality to be kept out of trouble, but no Righteousness to get him to heaven.

V.7 g) Counting - Withdrawal from these.

I. His Jewish heritage and zeal gave him a name, respect, a job and authority, that was his gaining.

II. Paul counted it all loss, he rejected it as means of life and a way to heaven for the greater and better things in Christ. (Hebrews deals with this issue)

V.8 h) Cause - Withdrawal from all.

I. Everything was of less value and Christ was the loftiest value for Paul.

II. His past life was rubbish in the light and value of the promises of inheritance in Christ.

III. Rubbish (Gr. skybalon) means excrement or food gone bad.

Do we view our whole past life as that?

IV. He knew this was necessary if he was going to know Him by experience. Know (Gr. gnosis) is an experiential knowledge.

V.9 i) Condition - Way of faith.

I. Our lives are found in Christ hidden to the world but present before God. Col.3:3 II. Paul realized in Christ light that all his work was filthy rags. Is.64:6 Filthy (Hebrew word means menstrual cloth). III. By faith we can have God’ s own righteousness. Rom.3:21-24 V.10 j) Conforming - Way of His life and death.

I. We come to know Him by:

1. Forsaking ourselves.

2. Abiding in Christ.

3. Obtaining His righteousness.

4. Believing Him.

5. Objective knowledge deals with facts about the person, personal knowledge deals with fellowship with the person.

II. As we begin to know Him and practice these 4 areas we will also know experiential His resurrection power:

1. The spiritual resurrection - Justification. Eph.2:5-6
2. The soul’ s transformation in to His resurrection - Sanctification. Heb.10:39
3. The physical resurrection into His likeness - Glorification. 1.Cor.15:35-54
4. The first 2 we know now and the second at His coming.

III. Those who will live a godly life will suffer:

1. Because the Devil persecute the children of God. 2.Tim.3:12
2. Because suffering brings us to our knees. 1.Peter 4:1; Ps.119:67
3. Because suffering produces patience. Jam.1:3; 1.Peter 1:6-7
4. When we suffer, Jesus suffer with us. Mat.25:31-40
5. V.7-10 Paul deals with experiencing the death of Christ - Loosing. and experiencing the resurrection of Christ - Gaining.

IV. Summery: Christ will be for us during our earthly journey -

1. Personal knowing.

2. Powerful living.

3. Painful experience. V.11 k) Completion - Worthy Walk.

Resurrection (Gr. exanastasin) means out-resurrection There are 2 good interpretations of the out-resurrection.

I. It’ s the Rapture, for only the spiritual watchful Christians experience rapture. 1.Thes.4:15-18: Mat.25:1-13 II. Or it’ s a better resurrection according to ones faithfulness and reward. Heb.11:35; 1.Cor.15:40-44; Dan.12:2-3

Philippians 3:12-21

2. To Press on (3:12-4:1) V.12-15 6 ways in going forward - (Go on to perfection. Heb.6:1)

Cross. v.12-13 Crown. v.14 Christian. v.15

V.12 a) Dissatisfaction - Laying hold by Pressing.

I. One of the way to press on is to be dissatisfied about our character, to never be satisfied and to remain humble before God. Jam.4:6 II. No one reach perfection by works but we are made perfect in the Spirit. Heb.12:23 III. As we acknowledge our imperfection in character and ministry it causes us to press on.

IV. Dissatisfaction alone will depress us but God also causes a pressing on within us. (De-press Vs. press-on) V. These two will cause us to lay hold, even as Christ laid hold of us through dissatisfaction of our damnation and therefore pressed on to crucifixion. V.13 b) Devotion and Direction - Prospective Promise.

I. Forgetting - We were born again when we believed and the past with its idolatry, evil and ungodliness will only slow us down and depress us. Luke 9:62

II. What did Christ do with our past life? He crucified it - That means worthlessness and uselessness.

III. No one runs well while looking backward?

IV. Paul did only one thing not two and that was press on to the high calling.

V. Reaching - Forward and not backward. Heb.12:1-2 V.14 c) Determination - Pressing for the Prize.

I. Our race is a long-distance race and too many Christians start out well but fail to finish the race.

II. What is our goal in life? Paul’ s goal was the high call in Christ.

III. Every Christian has a prize, a reward and joy in heaven, but not all get it, some loose it. 2.Cor.5:10; Mat.6:19-21; Heb.10:35-36; 1.Cor.9:24; 3:12-15 IV. (Gr. tes ano kleseos) The upward call - the term was used in the Olympian games, which included foot-races. After the event they had a herald to announce the name of the victor, his father’s name and his country, and the athlete would come and receive a palm branch in his hand.

V. No one becomes an athlete nor wins the prize through lectures or watching others run, we ourselves must run the race.

VI. Samson could have been, should have been, but wasn’ t.

VII. Did Paul finish the race and get the prize? 2.Tim.4:6-8 V.15 d) Development - The mind of the Perfect.

I. Those that are mature have this mindset of finishing the race. Mature means perfect “ running the race faithfully with a perfect conscience, he speak concerning his ministry and not holiness” 2.Cor.1:12; 2.Tim.1:3 II. Those that are immature have not yet attained to this mindset but God will help them to be serious, to run and finish the race if they allow God. V.16 e) Discipline - Proper Prescriptive Progress.

I. The rule is pressing on to the high call with discipline.

II. What level are we at:

1. The outer court -

Outside (living in the world) yet inside (a part of the Church). Only satisfied with preaching and forgiveness.

2. The holy place -

Inside (living for God) yet not by His side (walking daily with God). Satisfied with the Word, daily spiritual bread, prayer and worship.

3. The most holy place -

Satisfied in God alone, deep intimacy with God, gazing on God and pressing toward the high call in Christ.

V.17 a) Example - Walking the Way.

I. Paul continues exhorting them to press on as he did.

II. God notes the faithful and so should the Church, by honouring them. In Ezek.9:1-4 we also see a marking (noting) and weeping of the faithful.

V.18 b) Enemies - Weeping for the Walk of the Wicked.

I. They were Christians by name but enemies of the cross (worldly believers v.19). Jam.1:26-27 II. In v. 17 Paul said follow my example and now he says do not follow these.

V.19 c) Earthly ones - The 3 Wicked Worldly Whose.

I. These Christians will not inherit the kingdom of God. Heb.10:39; Gal.5:19-21; 1.Cor.6:9-10; Mat.7:21-23 II. These Christians sell their inheritance for food. Heb.12:16-17 III. They boast in their riches and sins. 1.John 2:15-17 IV. They are not pilgrims or heavenly minded but earthly. Rom.8:5-8, 12-13 “ If we have something we can’ t live without then we don’ t own it - because it owns us.” V.20 d) Enlighten ones - The heavenly Saviour we are Waiting.

I. We are heavenly citizens and not earth dwellers. Roman citizenship meant a lot to the Philippians but Paul points to the heavenly.

1. We speak the language of heaven.

2. We obey the laws of heaven.

3. We are looking for the King of heaven.

II. What do we wait for and in whom is our expectation.

V.21 e) Exalted One - Transformation by God’ s Working.

I. The end of our salvation is the redemption of our body. Rom.8:23-24; 1.John 3:2 II. All things will be subjected under Christ, every knee will bow before Him and every tongue will confess His Lordship. 2:10-11; 1.Cor.15:24-28 V.4:1 f) Establishment - In the Lord Withstanding.

I. My crown - People are our crown, our reward consist in what we did to His people. Matt.25:31-40 II. We have to stand fast at least in 8 ways:

1. In one spirit. Phil.1:27
2. In the Lord. Phil.4:1
3. In prayer. Mark 11:25
4. For a cause. Rom.14:4
5. In faith. 1.Cor.16:13
6. In the liberty of Christ. Gal.5:1
7. Against the Devil. Eph.6:11-14
8. In the Word. 2.Thes.2:15