This is the second blog post this week dedicated to helping us remember the Gospel for God’s glory and our joy. It was preached on February 6th, 2005, by Dan Mc Intosh of Sovereign Grace Community Church. I encourage you to take the time to read this sermon. You will not be disappointed because it will give you opportunity to rejoice afresh in the Gospel.
Sovereign Grace Community Church
February 6, 2005
Philippians 3:1-7
I don’t know about your family – but my kids love to answer the telephone. If you didn’t know better, you might think that the electrical current that signals the ringer in the phone was somehow connected to their rear ends. Because when the phone rings there is only a nanosecond delay before they jump up from wherever and whatever they are doing and rush for the phone. And they are not necessarily discerning about who they are willing to talk to. Me for instance, if I look down at the caller ID and see Alpine Lending or IMC Marketing or Craftsmen Home Improvements, I don’t answer. The kids, on the other hand, they don’t care – they just want to talk to somebody.
One of the kids came to me once to inform me that he had purchased tickets to a Beatles Concert. He wasn’t sure how he did it but he felt sure that he had. Of course I informed him that the Beatles were no longer performing together nor did I think it was possible for a telemarketer to sell over the phone to a minor - but he was sure – and he was, because a about a week later 2 tickets @ $15 a piece arrived. Not for the Beatles, unfortunately, but for a group singing Beatles songs. We got that mess cleared up.
And this has given me the opportunity on a number of occasions to impart my wisdom to my children. And often, the wisdom I find my self dispersing after these phone calls is the old axiom “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Or maybe I say something like this “Nothing is free” But Dad – the guy said you and mom won a free 3 day vacation to Florida – no strings attached, really. To which I reply there are always strings attached. Tell them no thank you. I have sat through the 3 hour vacation presentation and had my arm twisted as they tried to get me to buy a time share condominium in Oklahoma. I have been accused of not loving my wife and children for denying them the right to vacation in Toledo. That, to me is a string. Tell them no thank you, Nothing is free, if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. You get what you pay for – and when you pay nothing?
We want our children to be wise – we don’t want them to be played for the fool or taken advantage of. We want them to understand how life works – you get out of it what you put into it. You get what you deserve. You work hard and you reap the results and the rewards. Nothing is easy and nothing is free. And if some one tells you any different be on your guard, read the fine print, look for some stipulation or condition, look for some if, and or but.
This morning in our text here in Philippians 3:1-7 Paul challenges that kind wisdom. He challenges this wisdom when it is carried over into our understanding of the gospel and our standing before God.
Let’s read the passage
Philippians 3:1-7
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 real circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh- 4 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: 5 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; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness, under the law blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
Let’s pray!
Martin Luther tried everything but nothing would help. His sense of sin was too deep. In reflecting on his life as a monk Luther wrote:
“I myself was a monk for twenty years. I tortured myself with praying, fasting, keeping vigils and freezing – the cold alone was enough to kill me – I inflicted upon myself such pain as I would never inflict again, even if I could. If any monk ever got to heaven by monkery, then I should have made it. All my monastery companions who knew me can testify to that – if it had lasted much longer, I would have killed myself with vigils, praying, reading and other labors” (Martin Luther, Stephen J. Nichols page 29.).
But for all this labor and work and effort Luther found no resolution to his spiritual crisis. Again writing about life in the monastery he says:
In the monastery I did not think about women, money or possessions; instead my heart trembled and fidgeted about whether God would bestow grace upon me …for I had strayed from faith and could not but imagine that I had angered God, whom I in turn had to appease by doing good works” (Sovereign Joy, John Piper page 84).
One final quote from Luther brings us face to face with our passage today,
“If I could believe that God was not angry with me, I would stand on my head for joy” (Sovereign Joy, John Piper page 84).
Here at the beginning of Philippians 3 Paul’s instruction to “Rejoice in the Lord” is only possible when we understand the true nature of our salvation. And the true nature of our salvation is this – we are made right before God and remain right before God not by our works but by His grace as a gift.
Joy for the Christian is truth based not performance or experience based.
The liberating, and humbling, and joy producing truth of the gospel of God’s grace is this – and we sang it this morning – “Nothing in my hands I bring” we contribute nothing to our salvation. Not one thing.
And to rejoice in the lord and to live out life confident of God’s love and acceptance requires us to know and live in the truth of the gospel daily.
At the time of Luther and Calvin and the Reformation the gospel was nearly lost. Now of course God would not allow this to happen. But during the middle ages believers were constantly reminded by the church that their relationship and right standing before God depended on them. The official teaching of the church at this time was one of infused or imparted righteousness or grace; which essentially meant that God’s grace was a “boost to help them live a holy life.” It was an aid or a means whereby their right living secured their salvation. And through rituals and spiritual exercises and pious formulas and various routines of the church and through indulgences lost grace could be recovered and weak strengthened. The reason many joined monasteries was because they understood their significant role in their own salvation and they felt the power and the allurement of sin and in fear sought to shelter themselves from the world, but to no avail as Luther soon realized. Sin is not out there (point out ward) but resides in here (point to my heart) and no monastery or any other external barrier can protect man from its power.
In reference to salvation and the believers right standing before God, what theologians call our justification, 3 phrases sum up the main struggle of the Reformation. Grace Alone, Faith Alone, & Christ Alone.
Paul here in Philippians 3 with a harsh and critical and angry tone takes on those who would seek to add stipulations and conditions and rule keeping as necessary for salvation. We know that throughout Paul’s ministry he was hounded by men who sought to add the burden of circumcision and law keeping on to the backs of the gentile believers. It was a major issue in the early church – a church that was predominately Jewish at the beginning but soon found acceptance and significant growth among the gentile peoples.
In Acts 15 we read that men from Judea came to Antioch, which served as Paul’s sending church for his missionary journeys, and they began to teach that unless you are circumcised according to the law of Moses you could not be saved. And others who were called the circumcision party were teaching that Gentile believers must not only be circumcised but they must keep the law of Moses. The Jerusalem council met to debate these claims and judged against those who sought to add stipulations and conditions to the gospel.
But that did not stop these men who trailed behind Paul seeking to profit from his evangelistic efforts by convincing his new converts of the benefit and necessity of human effort in salvation. And so here, Paul reminds the believers in Philippi what he apparently had spoken to them many times when they were together – adding any thing to the gospel is evil and dangerous and joy stealing and must be guarded against.
We experience and grow in joy by knowing and guarding the truth of the gospel.
It is interesting in this passage how quickly Paul moves from Rejoice in the Lord in verse one to anger in verse 2; especially when you look back at chapter 1 and Paul’s response to those who were preaching the gospel out of rivalry and selfish ambition. There he says this:
Philippians 1:18
What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
No anger there in chapter 1 – but now in chapter 3 we get anger and sarcasm:
Philippians 3:2
Look out for the dogs (not a compliment) look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh.
What is the difference? The difference is that when we add anything to the Gospel we no longer have the gospel. Grace + anything nullifies the Gospel, Faith + anything nullifies the Gospel, and Christ + anything nullifies the gospel. It is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone! No human additions needed no human additions allowed. And when men seek to add stipulations and conditions to the gospel the gospel is lost. And Paul knows it and he is angry – and rightfully so.
But he not only knows the difference he knows the danger. Paul understands the appeal of adding human effort and works to the gospel. He understands our desire for self –justification. He knows what it means to be religious and that self-righteousness is no righteousness. And that those who are the true decedents of Abraham, the true children of Israel are those who place their confidence outside of themselves. What distinguishes Christianity from all other religions of the world is this – your salvation comes by believing and boasting in the accomplishments of another and has nothing to do with you. It is Free. It must be free. By works and human effort no man is justified. The wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. There are no strings attached. If there were it would not be the gospel. There is nothing we do to earn God’s favor or grace – it has been earned and could only be earned for us by Jesus. He alone could satisfy God’s holy demands – Yes we must believe – but that believing is not a work but a gift. And now because of Christ’s work on the cross we don’t get what we deserve, we get what Christ deserved.
But when I say free, when I say no strings attached, when I say that God is not treating you as your sins deserve, do you feel yourself wanting to add stipulations and conditions? Of course it’s free but…but what? Of course there are no strings attached but you have to…have to what? Well, what I mean is I know that I am counted righteous in Christ but only as long as…as long as what? Once the sinner stops trusting in himself and his own works and his own morality for his salvation and repents and places his hope in Christ and his work and his perfect righteousness and believes that the penalty for his rebellion against God was paid for on the cross by Jesus, he is saved, freely saved by God’s grace. Now of course the new believer will have to maintain certain things in order to…hah! Don’t you still feel like I must add something to it!
One of the greatest dangers we face as Christians is the desire to stray from the gospel and to put our confidence in our own performance. As a result Paul’s command to rejoice in the lord – to have joy in God – is only realized on the days we meet our own expectations for right living. Some how we have gotten it in to our heads that we must constantly earn, daily earn God’s approval and on going forgiveness through our performance. And it is a trap.
Philippians 3:4-7
If others think they have reasons to put 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; in regard to the law, a Pharisee, as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless (NICNT, Philippians, Gordon Fee, Page 305).
Legalistic Righteousness:
We experience and grow in joy and in God I might add, by knowing and guarding the truth of the gospel.
And one of the greatest hindrances to joy in the Christian Life is legalism. C.J. Mahaney gives a simple definition of legalism in his book. “The Cross Centered Life.”
“Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through obedience to God” (pg. 25).
A legalist is not just someone who doesn’t smoke or drink or go to movies or listen to music with a beat. A legalist is someone whose actions betray an underlying belief that they can and must somehow earn God’s approval through their personal performance. And a lack of joy in the believer is one of the ways we detect legalism.
Tom Schreiner writes,
“Legalism has its origin in self worship. If people are justified through their obedience to the law, then they merit praise, honor, and glory. Legalism, in other words, means the glory goes to people rather than to God” (As quoted in; The Cross Centered Life, C.J. Mahaney, Page 25).
But here in Philippians Paul tells us that the true, the real, the genuine people of God are those who glory or boast in someone else. See it right there in
Philippians 3:3
For we are the real circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh
Now while we may know mentally that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone all of us have a natural drift toward a performance based relationship with God. Remember, a legalist is someone whose actions, not their right theology, but their actions betray an underlying belief that they can and must somehow earn God’s approval through their personal performance.
Now, I couldn’t continue any further – at least not with integrity – if I did not confess that this is a struggle I often face. As a matter of fact for the last month or so I have experienced the reemergence of anger and impatience to a degree I have not felt for a number of years. I have lacked joy. I have felt heavy and sad and irritated. My sadness and my anger and my impatience only worked to tighten the grip of legalism within in my soul. I was caught in the performance trap. So while my theological belief was grace alone my functional belief was grace plus my works. While my theological belief was faith alone, my functional belief was faith plus human effort, and while my theological belief was Christ alone, my functional belief was such as to call into question the sufficiency of Christ’s work on the cross and the truth of the gospel.
It might surprise you, it might not, that my turn away from the Gospel began at a spiritual high point. Pastor Tim Keller says that this legalistic tendency “will lead either to self-hatred because you can’t live up to the standards or self-inflation because you think you have lived up to the standards” (Sermon notes: The Centrality of the Gospel, Tim Keller, Page 3). In my case I began in my heart to take credit for my spiritual growth and took my eyes off the cross and off the gospel and wham – Have you ever said this to yourself concerning your walk with God, “How did I get here, things were going so well!” That is precisely what happened to me.
But instead of simply repenting of my self righteousness and self-sufficiency, instead of repenting of my pride and arrogance – and the accompanying sins of anger and impatience, instead of doing that I moved from self-righteousness to self-loathing and self-pity which then led to the desire for self atonement. Whew, a lot self talk isn’t it? I want to punish myself, do penance – and then I want to be able say to God look I did it I’m worthy again, I am ready to come back into fellowship and eat at your table. I got myself into this funk and it is my job to dig my way out, I must pay for my mistakes, I must bear the brunt of God’s displeasure with me, Well actually it is all wrong – yes I got myself into this mess but only Jesus can get me out.
Yes, it is biblical and beneficial to feel sorrow for our sin – but it is not biblical nor beneficial to assume that through that sorrow we pay anything to God. Jesus paid it all – Jesus completely satisfied God’s righteous demands. There is nothing left, you have no outstanding debt – it was cancelled
Colossians 2:13-14
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
We are free! Why do we continue to act as if we are not? Why do we respond to God as a debt collector rather than a father?
Richard Lovelace says that most people’s problems are just a failure to be oriented to the gospel – a failure to grasp and believe it through and through.
If you are depressed this morning or caught like I was trying to dig yourself out of the mess you made of things – Only the truth of the Gospel can restore joy in the heart of the believer – true joy blooms from a constant watering of your soul in the gospel.
We experience and grow in joy by knowing and guarding the truth of the gospel.
Remember, the true nature of our salvation is this – we are made right before God and remain right before God not by our works but by His grace as a gift. This is the good news – on going good news. God’s grace not only saves but it eternally secures. The gospel gives joy, none of your efforts today to grow in God and please God add one thing to your standing before God. That’s where we put our confidence, not in the flesh or human performance. But in the work of Christ on the cross for us!
The truth of our justification before God is intended to produce overflowing joy in our hearts. The truth of the Gospel lifts our burdens:
Matthew 11:28-30
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
The truth of the Gospel gives us joy and makes us strong,
Nehemiah 8:10
“for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Rejoice in the Lord – and again I say rejoice in the Lord! Be happy in God. You are forgiven you are counted righteous before God. Let that truth flow through your soul!
Some of you are still waiting for me to pull the rug out from underneath you – you, like my children and me have grown up hearing the conventional wisdom that if it sounds to good to be true it is –you still want to believe or feel you must believe that it could not be totally free, there must be a string somewhere. And many of you think you know what that string is – your on-going obedience to God. Huh? What about that – I can’t just forsake all of God’s commands can I? If I do that I am out so I must obey to be in.
Well I came across a passage this week that really struck a blow to that kind of thinking – at least for me.
John 14:15
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
My obedience to God is not intended to earn his favor but rather flows out of a heart of love. And love for God is fueled, and thus obedience to God is fueled by feasting and watering ourselves in the amazing grace of the Gospel, the unbelievably good news of complete acceptance by God because of Christ’s work on the cross.
Obedience is not a string it is a response. And because I know that I am secure before my God, because I am confident in my standing before him – When I fail to obey I should run to him – and ask his forgiveness and receive his grace and his help. Not away from him until I have paid what I feel is the appropriate price for my mistake. We have a savior who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses, and who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yes without sin, that essential but he understands
Hebrews 4:16
16 Let us then with confidence (let me not in the flesh but in the Gospel) draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
This includes our disobedience, absolutely.
So our obedience is not a string – it is a response.
We experience and grow in joy by knowing and guarding the truth of the gospel.
Do you see how the truth of your justification, this great truth that was nearly lost 500 years ago, the truth that it is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, do you see how it gives joy? Does it not fill you with joy and confidence that your righteousness, your right standing before God, was secured and made sure by another? And your sins are not on you, but on the cross of Christ! Does it not fill you with joy to know that your obedience is not a string, a stipulation, a condition to be met, that your duty is not to earn or deserve Christ, but to depend on Christ? Does this not make you glad? Does this not make you want to leave behind your foolish self focus whether that is self-righteousness or self loathing?
Luther said,
“If I could believe that God was not angry with me, I would stand on my head for joy.”
Well Luther finally realized the truth of the gospel and it set him free and filled him with joy.
I can hear a different voice whispering in my mind, If it sounds to good to be true, it can only be one thing…it must be the Gospel.