INTRODUCTION: The joy of the saint is counterintuitive to the mind of this world system. In fact, it’s typically diametrically opposite. We don’t express our satisfaction, contentment, peace and joy by the things in our lives or even of this world so much as by the Person of Christ. It’s why this truth resounds so powerfully in our hours of trial and woe:
“the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (NEH 8:10c; PSA 21:1).
This is also why we acknowledge the fruit of the Spirit as something apart from mere human emotion. I can be happy in my circumstances that are favorable – and equally unhappy about those that are not!
But our peace and joy are based on the grace of GOD that runs independently of our circumstances. This allows the saint who is walking in the Spirit to have a life of stability, on the ROCK of our salvation – even when the floor drops out from under their feet!
1 SAMUEL 2:2
"No one is holy like the LORD, For there is none besides You, nor is there any rock like our God. (See EXOD 15:11; De 3:24; 4:35; 32:4,30-31; 2Sa 22:1-51; Ps 86:8; 89:6,8)
So we continue now in our study of PHILIPPIANS and take half of Chapter 3…
PHILIPPIANS 3:1
1 Finally [that is, “furthermore, something yet remaining, besides, henceforth”] my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.
The apostle Paul was the consummate preacher man. Like so many of us, when we say “finally” or “lastly” in our sermons – we don’t really mean it (ha, ha!) What the Greek implies here, I’ve included in the text in brackets. He uses the same Greek word in 2 COR 13:11; EPH 6:10; and PHIL 4:8.
What he instructs the saints at Philippi to do is “rejoice in the LORD” without any additional commentary such as “rejoice when times are good” or “rejoice in suffering (for suffering’s sake)”.
He speaks of suffering for a purpose that brings service to the body of Christ, for the glory of GOD (COL 1:23-25) as does apostle Peter (1 PET 4:13). We can suffer because of the adversities of this world (JOHN 16:33) which everyone is subject to. We can suffer from our own unwise (read that, foolish) decisions that bring bad consequences upon us. We as Christians can also suffer because of persecution from the world (2 TIM 3:12) and from the spiritual attacks by Satan (EPH 6:16).
Apostle Paul speaks of “the fellowship of His sufferings” later in vs. 10 (which we will address when we get there).
Popular Christianity won’t teach on suffering and struggles, but rather focuses on blessings and benefits, prosperity and temporal victory but we are not of that crowd that identifies themselves with a Word-Faith, Positive Confession, Prosperity sort of Gospel (which is NO gospel at all!). Try teaching that sort in Third World countries and see if the church truly prospers there spiritually!
Suffering and sorrows are truly unpleasant and undesirable in themselves, but they should nonetheless be accepted into our lives – why? Solely because the LORD can work in and through us things that He normally wouldn’t by any other means.
Why is this so? Consider the sufferings of Christ – what did all of that accomplish if not our sure and steadfast salvation? GOD is able to do awesome things through our times of sorrow, grief, suffering and persecution. When we suffer, recognize we are vulnerable, that we need help; suffering humbles us. This is useful to the LORD when we admit these things before Him.
When we endure such hard times, and as we call out to the LORD to minister His grace and peace to us, as well as His comfort, we can be certain to receive such from His generous heart.
And this brings about two results:
1) Growing in the character of Christ (PHIL 3:10; EPH 4:2,15; 2 PET 3:18) and (2) being granted the ability to become vessels of His blessings to others (2 TIM 2:20-21; 2 COR 1:3-10). THAT is all the reason we need to “rejoice in the LORD”!!
“…For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.”
We in our modern society dread redundancy. We so often don’t see the point of repetition and going over the same things over and over again. I’ve heard many young believers (myself included way back then) say, “Oh, Genesis again? Yeah, I already heard all about that. There’s nothing more I can learn from that book – let’s hear something new!”
This is why I love the expositional methodology in studying and teaching the Scriptures. We start with GENESIS, move on to EXODUS and the rest of the Torah, then JOSHUA and the rest of the Old Testament and then through the New, until we do a wrap-up on the book of REVELATION – then what? Back to GENESIS!! And start all over again!
The eternal GOD provided eternal truth in the Holy Scriptures with a depth that no one can plumb in a single lifetime! Who can honestly say (with humility, not arrogance), I know the Bible forwards and back, and don’t need to read it anymore because I know it all already?? Not me!! In a few more years I will have been a student of the Bible for half a century, and there are STILL treasures that the LORD has enabled me to unbury (with more to come without a doubt)!
PSALM 119:17Just as it was never “tedious” for Paul to teach the saints at Philippi “the same things” may it never become tedious for us to read the Word nor to hear “the same things” taught again and again! It’s best for us to accept such redundancy – why? Because as apostle Paul said, “it is safe”! And spiritually speaking, we tend to leak!
Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word. 18 Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law.
To grow in our knowledge of the truth, to allow it to penetrate our hearts and minds, to inundate ourselves in their spiritual nourishment is safe (that is, “to be secure, to be free from failure”) because it causes us to grow in Christlikeness.
JOSHUA 1:7-8ISAIAH 28 has something interesting in vss. 9-10, 13, 16. What’s described here are prescriptive tools of construction by analogy (precepts – “stakes” and lines – “cords” tying them together one by one).
7 "Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
PSALM 1:2-3
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
ISAIAH 28:9-10This is the method of outlining the parameters of a building, using the cornerstone (vs.16) as the guide to measure accurate angles and thus boundaries. This is how “the Word of the LORD” is itself constructed. It brings us declarative points of truth (the precepts) and then the connecting truths that bring it all together (the lines), all of which originates with our Cornerstone that is Christ (EPH 2:20-22; 1 PET 2:4-7).
9 "Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? 10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little."
ISAIAH 28:13,16
13 But the word of the LORD was to them, "Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little," That they might go and fall backward, and be broken And snared and caught.
16 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, A tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act hastily.
If we as saints dwell within the parameters of Scripture, being mindful of its truths, commands, its exhortations, its instruction and admonitions we shall be safe. It’s only when we overstep the boundaries of GOD’s Word that we expose ourselves to false teachings and thereby the wolves, the hirelings, the demonic forces of our great enemy and are no longer safe! Like a sheep that wanders away from the corral and their shepherd!
This is why apostle Paul issues the following warnings:
PHILIPPIANS 3:2-3
2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,
The Jews called the heathen dogs, and the Mohammedans call Jews and Christians by the same name. The term dog also is used to denote a person that is shameless, impudent, malignant, snarling, dissatisfied, and contentious, and is evidently so employed here. It is possible that the language used here may have been derived from some custom of affixing a caution on a house that was guarded by a dog to persons approaching it.
~ Quote by Albert Barnes
Beware of those profane and impure men, which open their unhallowed mouths against the truth of God: beware of those false teachers, which, under pretense of edifying God’s Church, pull it down, by their life and erroneous doctrine: beware of the Judaizing opposers of the Gospel; who, while they talk of circumcision, do indeed make a concision and rent in the Church. ~ Hall’s Explication of Hard Texts
Those that labor in evil beyond that which is common sin among humanity earn ‘bonus pay’ on top of the wages of sin that we all earn. These workers of iniquity, who ceaselessly toil to achieve immoral, ungodly, wicked ends by corrupt means are doubly cursed – such are those who adamantly seek to divert, distract and discourage those who seek Jesus Christ for salvation. This was common among the Judaizers of Paul’s day, and this ties into what the apostle here calls “the mutilation” (or “concision” in the KJV).
These Judaizers prided themselves in redirecting their Jewish countrymen back to the Old Testament Law and Sacrifices and away from Christ Jesus and His atoning death. They seek to steal away the glory of GOD in the Person of Christ and rather credit themselves for those circumcised (these Judaizers “glory in [their] flesh” GAL 6:13).
The apostle then contrasts himself and those who’ve been saved by faith as those that are circumcised of the heart (ROM 2:29). This expresses the transformational atonement that is spiritual, not carnal, that affects the spirituality of a person over a mere cutting away of the flesh.
Christians who adhere to baptismal regeneration fall into the same error; thinking that the physical submersion in water affects the spiritual condition of a person and is a necessary additive to faith in Christ for salvation. We are saved by faith, the atonement was made by blood, not water, and baptism is a command by Christ that all Christians by faith must obey. As I often tell my congregation, “If a person gets baptized but they haven’t exercised saving faith in Christ, you only end up with a soggy sinner!”
Apostle Paul had zero confidence in anything he could bring to the table for his salvation in its various aspects of justification, sanctification and glorification.
Quite obviously we can’t do anything at all for our glorification (when we shall be “made like Him” – Christ when our bodies are redeemed (ROM 8:23).
All we can do in our justification is believe in Christ by faith and receive the Gospel Truth of Calvary. For our sanctification, we can’t do a thing apart from the Holy Spirit, but in cooperation with the Spirit, yielding to His influences in the renewing of our minds (ROM 12:1-2).
If anyone could come remotely close to bragging (and not really having any justification for doing so!) it would be apostle Paul:
PHILIPPIANS 3:4-6
4 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
He could boast himself for being a Jew (ROM 3:1-2), of the stock of Israel and thereby be a recipient of the blessings of GOD given to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Israel (PSA 105:9-10), of the tribe of Benjamin, renowned for its warriors (JUDGES 20), being a “Hebrew of Hebrews” attesting to the purity of his lineage, not tainted with Gentile blood. The strictest sect in Judaism was the Pharisees, and among these, he could boast that he was blameless concerning the Law.
Did that mean he obeyed the Law perfectly and was therefore considered righteous by his own merit? Not at all (as the following verses reveal). What he meant by this was that he followed the Law, and where he failed, he offered up all of the appropriate animal sacrifices required for his sin. He could also attest to his fidelity in keeping all of the Feasts of Israel.
No one could doubt Saul of Tarsus’ zeal as it could be readily observed and measured by his persecution of Jews who converted to “that way” – which is what the church was called in those days (ACTS 19:8-9) and followed the teachings of the ‘heretic’ Y’shua of Nazareth.
PHILIPPIANS 3:7-8
7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.
Any other Pharisee would have admired Saul’s accomplishments as desirable and worthwhile, and perhaps even viewed them with a bit of envy. Yet here, apostle Paul, in his estimation of all of these things “count[ed] them as rubbish”!
His own righteousness in comparison with “the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” was an embarrassment – and so say we all! The very best that the best of us could offer in the way of our highest morality would be viewed by GOD as “filthy rags” (ISA 64:6)! And if that’s how He sees the best we’ve got to offer, think about how He views our sins!!
JEREMIAH 9:23-24The knowledge of JESUS – not merely knowing about Him, and His teachings (which are awesome in and of themselves!) but to know Him personally – I’ve said this countless times: Take all of the “wow factors” of heaven away (streets of gold, pearly gates, the wonders in store at the New Jerusalem, and the New Heavens and Earth, all of the saints we’ve read about in Scripture, as well as all the beloved saints we’ve known personally...) – take all that away and leave just JESUS: THIS IS HEAVEN ENOUGH FOR ME!
23 Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; 24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.
JOHN 17:3
"And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (See also COL 2:2)
And yet our Abba is so generous and goes so overboard according to His grace and lovingkindness, that He grants us all of the rest this besides! HALLELUJAH!
This is why I get so angry at the Peace and Prosperity Movement: their leaders focus almost exclusively, or at the least, disproportionately on the temporal, physical blessings of financial security, good health, worldly possessions – which will all turn to dust in a century or sooner! Whereas those riches that we have in Christ are ETERNAL!!!
I think Satan does his best at distracting us and stealing from us when he gets us focused on the things of this world:
MATTHEW 13:22PHILIPPIANS 3:9
"Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.
1 TIMOTHY 6:9-10
9 But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. 10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (see JOHN 10:10a; COL 3:1-2).
9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
Is “the Law” the righteousness which is from GOD? Not according to this verse! If righteousness could have possibly be obtained by some Law, GOD would have provided it – but there is no such law (GAL 3:19-20) This verse clearly states that righteousness is not by the law, but “through faith in Christ”. We even have the testimony of the Law and the prophets that says so:
ROMANS 3:21-26PHILIPPIANS 3:10-11
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
JEREMIAH 31:31
"Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah - 32 "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. (See also: GEN 15:6; JER 32:40; 33:14; EZEK 36:26-33; 37:26; HEB 8:8-12; 10:16-17).
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Knowing Christ is the sense that the apostle here refers to is not a singular experience, anymore than with our human relationships. Given enough quality time, you can get to know another person rather well, but your knowledge of them doesn’t have a termination, where once achieved, there’s no more you can learn about them.
So, what Paul is expressing here is that he desires to grow in his personal knowledge of Christ. I would contend that of all the New Testament saints, Paul probably knew the LORD the best, and yet, as he says here in effect, “there’s more! And I want it!” in regard to the deeper and “unsearchable riches” in Christ (ROM 11:33-36; EPH 3:8).
We Americans have had a history of the “can do” attitude. We admire people who are capable, talented, powerful, independent and accomplished. As Christians when we read about “[knowing] the power of His resurrection”, our response is “AMEN!”. But that power must, according to the spiritual law of the Kingdom of GOD be preceded by “being conformed to His death” by means of “the fellowship of His sufferings”.
We don’t like that part so much!
We all should shout with resounding conviction along with John the Baptist, “I must decrease, and He must increase!” Or as we say at our fellowship, “MORE GOD, less me”!
Again, we are reminded of the predominant theme of this epistle: “Joy through suffering”. We somehow equate suffering with being weak, defeated, being the proverbial “underdog”, but this isn’t how GOD sees it – He certainly didn’t see it that way with the Passion of His Son! We’ll close this study with this awesome poem!
For more about the Law and the Grace of GOD, check out this two part article (A link to Part 2 is included at the end of Part 1)!HIS BE THE VICTOR’S NAME
His be the Victor’s Name
Who fought the fight alone;
Triumphant saints no honour claim,
His conquest was their own.
By weakness and defeat,
He won the meed and crown;
Trod all our foes beneath His feet
By being trodden down.
He, Satan’s power laid low;
Made sin, He sin o’erthrew;
Bowed to the grave, destroyed it so,
And death by dying slew.
Bless, bless the Conqueror slain,
Slain in His victory;
Who lived, who died, who lives again –
For thee, His church, for thee!
We will continue in Chapter 3 next time!
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