Thursday, January 12, 2006
Philippians 3 (NIV)
Philippians 3
No Confidence in the Flesh
1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.
2Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. 3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Pressing on Toward the Goal
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
17Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. 18For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.
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Phil 3 (NLT)
8Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ 9and become one with him.
12I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be. 13No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be,[c] but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.
Nothing really to add here other than
Father God, help us to adopt daily the attitude Paul has displayed above. God Bless you guys,
cas
Phil 3:
This is one of my favorite sets of passages for a few reasons:
14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.
1) It allows me to live my life like a competition, which isn't the right way to live, EXCEPT that I'm now striving for the prize that God wants me to strive for, which makes it okay.
2)I always hear v. 15 as the voice of an old wise lady, like the oracle from the Matrix. "And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. " I hear that as a half-joking warning, like "If you don't want it God's way, he will correct you, and it will hurt more that way"
Father, help us to see it, do it and live it Your way first, as mature Christians, and strive to succeed for Your will.
In Jesus' name,
crb
crb, I also love this chapter and am challenged by the athletic metaphor woven throughout most of it. Success and greatness never seem to happen in athletics by happenstance. Instead it takes intentions, sacrifice, passion, and commitment. This chapter really encourages me to press into the Christian life and move ahead.
Lots of great verses and truths. Another one that struck me more than ever before was vs. 16 16Only let us live up to what we have already attained. So often I feel like I need to know more, when in reality I simply need to live up to what has been revealed and what I have faithfully lived out in the past. Regression is not an option for the believer.
Lord, thanks again for Your grace. Help us to press forward each day...not just in efforts or intentionality, but also in prayer and faith. Forgive my slothfulness.
In Christ,
er
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