Knowing Christ & Advancing the Gospel
Philippians 3:1-16: To know Christ we must give up our self-vindicating style of relating to God and others.
Beware of those who “put confidence in the flesh.”
1. Paul is previewing the message Timothy and Epaphroditus are to deliver.
2. They are to rejoice: the Gospel is going out…but there are dangers to beware of:
3.
The dogs…the evil workers…the false circumcision (the castration…Jewish opponents who rely on their own good works)…but we are…
4. The true circumcision: those who put no confidence in the flesh.
What “confidence in the flesh” is.
1. Circumcised the eighth day.
2. Best nation.
3. Best tribe.
4. Best purity of lineage: Hebrew of Hebrews
5. Best keeper of the purity and tithing rules.
6. Greatest zeal.
7. Best at possessing a
self-vindicating righteousness, but these things must be considered worthless.
To Know Christ is our life.
1. Paul considered these “prizes” worthless.
2. Nothing is worth more than knowing Christ.
3. Knowing Him, we must have His righteousness
4. Paul continues at his post, pursuing the Gospel just as Christ pursued him.
So how do we get to know Christ?
1. Forget what lies behind: the self-vindication of his past. (3:13-14).
2. Reach to what lies ahead: holding forth the Gospel as it advances.
3. This attitude is absolutely crucial to the advance of the Gospel, 3:15-16.
Self-vindication is “religious flesh.”
1. Some “flesh” is about “blatant” sin.
2. But this is about religion, it is not about following Jesus: it’s about “look at what I did” to God and others.
3. It is characterized by defensiveness as first response.
4. It is characterized by refusal to take responsibility and tendency to assign blame to others.
5. It is characterized by image-management.
