A Warning

Continuing in the book of Philippians, Chapter 3:1-13. Paul presents the Philippian church with a difficult issue in this passage. A group called Judaizers were telling them they must follow the law and therefore must be circumcised to follow Jesus.

His warning against this group is for their safety and to clarify how they are made right before God. As a Jew, Paul, had it all. He was a super Jew. There wasn't anyone who was better, his list of accomplishments here and in other letters, reads like an experts resume. Yet, it is all rubbish. If his righteousness depended on those things then they would be gold, but his righteousness came from God who isn't impressed with our accomplishments. Righteousness from God depends on faith.

The judaizers derived a sense of confidence in following the law. Paul argued confidence can't be found in our flesh, but in Christ alone. The question we must ask ourselves is where do we find our confidence? Some have said if we want to answer this question we should look at our checkbook. Some have said we should look around at how we insulate ourselves from harm. I think these are helpful. We place our confidence in money, things, jobs, people. Perhaps it is time to realize were we have piles of rubbish in our lives, and were we have life.