Trust in Christ Alone. Philippians 3.1-11

Had prison made Paul crazy?  I mean, maybe when Paul was stoned or flogged, he had been hit in the head one too many times. . . maybe he just was not thinking straight any longer, because he advised the Philippians, ‘No matter what, >My brothers and sisters, be full of joy in the Lord.  His admonition is to you and me too:  Be full of joy in the Lord.  Period.  Hmmm . . . I can read some of your thoughts:  “Be full of joy, Paul?  How?  Do you know how messed up my life has become?  My family is in shambles, all I do is work to pay the bills, and I am still behind.  I am so lonely . . . and you are saying, ‘be full of joy’?” 

Or from a Nigerian reader, “another extremist Muslim group—bent on establishing Sharia law in our country--has burned our churches with people inside; they destroyed banks and offices, and many were killed … and you say ‘be full of joy in the Lord’, Paul?  How?” 

         Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, Child . . . in Him alone.  Your outward life may be in shambles, but your inner life of peace in Jesus can and must remain strong.  Christian joy is indestructible.

Paul continues, >It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it will help you to be more ready. Watch out for those who do evil, who are like dogs, who demand to cut the body.  Now when Paul warned about ‘dogs’, we must understand what he meant--in the middle east, stray dogs roamed the streets, hunted in garbage dumps, snarled and snapped at those they encountered along their way.  Just so, there were those, (and clearly, Paul had strong feelings about them!), who taught that folks had to become Jews, and men had to be circumcised, which was a misrepresentation of the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Their teaching was circumcision + Jesus = salvation, or the Law + Jesus = salvation.  NO!  Jesus + nothing, except our faith = salvation.  Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, Child . . . in Him alone. 

Paul assured his Philippian brothers, >We are the ones who are truly circumcised. We worship God through his Spirit, and our pride is in Christ Jesus. We do not put trust in ourselves or anything we can do . . . Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, Child . . . in Him alone

Our pride is in Christ Jesus.  “You wanna go?”  My older son says to the younger, after he has done something to provoke him . . . what he is saying is, ‘do you really wanna get that started? (the ‘dead leg’ or ultimate flick in the head or snapping the wet towel on a bare leg, or any other physical thing that the bigger, stronger boy would surely best his little brother in…he turns around and says, ‘you wanna go?’)  “Because if it is a physical contest you want, I will shut you down.” (of course he will—three years older, 70 pounds heavier…)  Similarly, Paul stacks up his pedigree—a big reason to boast-- if trusting one’s self is the path to take.   >although I might be able to put trust in myself. If anyone thinks he has a reason to trust in himself, he should know that I have greater reason for trusting in myself. I was circumcised eight days after my birth. I am from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin. I am a Hebrew, and my parents were Hebrews. I had a strict view of the law, which is why I became a Pharisee. I was so enthusiastic I tried to hurt the church. No one could find fault with the way I obeyed the law of Moses.

Those things were important to me—my Jewish heritage and upbringing--but now I think they are worth nothing because of Christ. Not only those things, but I think that all things are worth nothing compared with the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him, I have lost all those things, and now I know they are worthless trash. This allows me to have Christ and to belong to him. Now I am right with God, not because I followed the law, but because I believed in Christ. God uses my faith to make me right with him.  Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, Child . . . in Him alone.

I want to know Christ and the power that raised him from the dead. I want to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death. Then I have hope that I myself will be raised from the dead.  Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, Child . . . in Him alone.

Now I am right with God … because I believed in Christ . . . yes, in Him alone.

Grace and Peace,

Christine