Philippians 3:1-3

COMMENTS

I’m finding Philippians to have many unexpected connections:  love leading you to the ability to discern what’s best; not complaining leading to shining like stars amidst the culture around me.  There seems to be another one in today’s study.

NOTES

Paul starts chapter 3 by reminding the Philippians to rejoice.  My Bible’s introduction to Philippians says that he uses the words “joy” and “rejoice” fourteen times in this letter.  (My OCD had a strong desire to count them, but I resisted!)  Interestingly, he says that rejoicing is a “safeguard” for us.  But not just rejoicing, rejoicing in the Lord.  While it may be good for me to rejoice in the time I spend with my family, it’s rejoicing in the Lord that is my protection.

What am I protected against?  Note verse 2.  When I first read this, this verse seemed to be just thrown in from nowhere with nothing to do with the verses around it.  But I’ve studied the Bible enough to know that God doesn’t work that way!  If it’s here, it has a purpose.  Theologians may tell me I’m way off the mark, but this is what I see in this passage.  Evil, when we succumb to it, can quickly steal our joy.  Satan loves to lure us in with attractive sin and then close the prison door to lock us in.  Paul first warns us of the importance of rejoicing in the Lord, then warns us to watch out for “those dogs, [and] those who do evil, [and] those mutilators of the flesh”.  The natural flow of this seems to indicate that my joy in the Lord will safeguard me against these evil men.  How can I be consumed by evil while I’m full of Him?

But this begs the question, “What are these evil men trying to do?”  The next verses were unexpected.  Paul takes off on a reminder that we as believers are God’s people, that we “worship by the Spirit of God” (who, by the way, is in us), that we “glory in Christ Jesus”, and that we “put no confidence in the flesh”.  We, not the evil ones, are God’s children, filled with the Spirit, and saved by our precious Jesus, NOT by the works of the flesh.  I believe that’s what Paul is warning us about—that evil men will try to deceive us into believing that our works will save us.  More on this works thing tomorrow. 

Today’s mystery:

Rejoicing in the Lord protects me from evil men who try to make me count on works for my salvation and forget that I’m God’s child, filled with His Spirit, and saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone.

Lord, let your Truth permeate our hearts and minds today as we rejoice in the Lord and turn away from the evil one and his messengers….