Today we are reading Philippians 3. In this chapter we read about righteousness that is by faith. “though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—”
Philippians 3:4-9 ESV Why is Paul writing about “confidence in the flesh”? He is writing to the church in Philippi where they are currently being undermined in there faith by teachers who want them to be bound by Jewish laws and traditions—most dramatically, circumcision. So, “confidence in the flesh“ means confidence in the fact they are circumcised. The message of Jesus is against this thinking. The message of Jesus is that we are saved by grace through faith. In today’s thinking, we are not saved because we have bought in to the latest social dogma, we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. All the swirling rhetoric brings nothing but confusion and anger. Trust in Jesus. May God give you His peace today! Pastor Tim
