Monday Devotion - 24th August 2020
Scripture Reading: Philippians 3:1-3
1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—
Confidence is an important attribute to have in the modern world. Whenever we walk into a room for a job interview, an exam or a sales opportunity we want to be confident.
Our confidence always derives from somewhere. It isn’t random. So that should want to make us think deeply about where we place our confidence.
There is certainly nothing inherently wrong in having self-confidence. Having an inner belief that we can achieve a goal, that we have the ability to succeed. In-fact that is good and healthy. We are not mere robots. God has uniquely formed us with gifts and abilities that we should gladly use in our everyday lives.
The problem is, whenever we place our ultimate confidence in what we do, who we are, the job we have, the money we have in the bank or the people we know. When those things are what make us happy, then we are walking down a treacherous road.
Paul is about to turn to this subject in Philippians 3. Where does the Christian place their ultimate confidence? Where in this world should we locate the assurance of our salvation? These are massive questions, and Paul takes time to deal with them, as the Philippians have been offered some harmful answers.
Paul is about to state exactly where confidence is to be found. But before he gets into that he has a couple of matters to deal with.
The first thing he has to say is that he has full and total confidence in the Philippians (verse 1). For the Apostle to write to these dear brothers and sisters was no trouble at all. He knows the intimacy of their relationship. Paul knows that they will humbly listen to what he has to share with them at this point. And what he is about to say is very serious, but it is ultimately for the well-being and safety of the Philippians.
As we arrive at verse 2, there is a sharp change of tone. Paul employs stern language to signal the seriousness of his point.
He wants to warn the Philippians of a particular group of people who are causing serious harm. He says ‘lookout’ or ’be aware’, depending on your translation, three times. And the Christian is to be on guard for a group of people who Paul characterises as dogs, evildoers and mutilators of the flesh.
Bible commentators will identify this group as the ‘Judaizers’. This group had several run-ins with Paul. They did not see eye to eye. The Judaizers were a group of converted Christians from Judaism. However, they had not fully embraced the uniqueness of Christianity. They had sought to carry over many of the laws and regulations from the old covenant. Paul’s letter to the Galatians is consumed with these issues.
The main issue at hand is the practice of circumcision. This was the sign for male members of God’s covenant people. And the Judaizers were trying to carry this over into the new covenant. They were enforcing circumcision as an essential element upon an individuals salvation. Therefore they were stealing the joy of new converts. Their practice was subtly placing confidence in the flesh rather than the finished work of Christ.
The Judaizers are what we would call nowadays; false teachers. They were promoting a false gospel. And any gospel that isn’t the true gospel, is a gospel that does not save.
And this is a timely reminder for all of us that we should be on guard to false teachers. We need to be careful as we listen to sermons and read blogs. The Judaizers were saying a lot of good things, but unfortunately, they were enforcing a faith plus works form of salvation. And that method and teaching is still widely available and taught. It may be subtle, but it could be presented in the form of ritual following. Whether one is a church member, has been baptised, takes communion, gives generously etc. Those things are all good and important but none of them impinges upon our salvation. They are simply a fruit of our salvation.
In steering the Philippians away from these false teachers, Paul offers his defence strategy in verse 3. This is where true and total confidence is to be found. It is not to be found in the flesh, in whether someone has been physically circumcised or not, but whether one has had their heart circumcised.
Colossians 2:11;
‘In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ’
For Paul, he is leading the Philippians toward where true joy is to be found. It is found in worshipping God in and through his Spirit, it is boasting in Christ Jesus and finding no saving assurance in their works but only in the finished work of their loving saviour.
Ultimately this should liberate us. Praise God we do not have to do anything to earn our salvation. Christ has taken care of that unassailable task for us. We have been totally justified in the eyes of God. And that gives us cause to be confident.