Philippians 3:1-3

Joy in Jesus serves as a shield against despair.

Have you ever come to the end of something and thought, ‘That went too fast, I could have enjoyed that for longer’? A delicious piece of cake, for example. You take the last bite and look at your plate, wondering where it all went. You could have savored it a bit more!

If your happiness is tied to your sugar intake, this realization could lead to despair!

Truth is, some approach faith this way – or are prone to when we misorder things. I call it our “default” setting.

We get the glory of the gospel, the sweet frosting-like rush of grace, but we live like that goes too quickly, and we are left with a plate of “real life” where I have to prove myself, keep up appearances, power through the tough stuff, all leaving me hungry for really practical cues for a life of “getting ahead.”

If I can’t achieve, keep it together… or if I am just a misfit aching for home – that posture, a faith that has long since lost its savor, can lead to despair.

But Christianity isn’t a dieter's slice of cake. Belief in Jesus is a constant meal of bread and wine that satisfies and is to be savored.

This is why we are going to chew chapter 3 thoroughly; there is so much rich food here for us.

This morning, on our plates are just three verses.

Philippians 3:1–3 “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—” (ESV)

This is Paul’s continued invitation to a better way of faith than the “default.”

Two buckets, Joy with a warning, and marks of true people of God.

He is continuing the theme of rejoicing.

Philippians 1:18 “What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice,” (ESV)

Philippians 2:17–18 “Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. [18] Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.” (ESV)

At 2:17f, Paul was dwelling on the topic of joy, but at that point it was the shared joy of believers. He has more to say on the subject and so, having paused to outline his plans touching on Timothy and Epaphroditus, he now resumes his theme: ‘To proceed, then, brethren …’ (3:1).

Coming back to establishing joy as a central spiritual posture rather than a fleeting emotion.

For us, then, understanding joy in this context requires moving beyond surface-level happiness.

Joy is not mere happiness, nor is it the absence of pain or emotional distress. Instead, it represents a settled state of mind characterized by peace. An attitude that views the world and all of its ups and downs with coolheadedness or calmness, rooted in faith and trust in the living Savior.

That's kind of a framework for interpreting Philippians 3 as Paul discusses abandoning his former religious accomplishments to pursue Christ.

Joy is not primarily a mood or emotion dependent on success or well-being or outward circumstances; instead, it is a basic and constant orientation of the Christian life, the fruit and evidence of a relationship with Jesus. Joy arises from quiet hope and confidence that the Lord will turn affliction into deliverance. That is why Paul can command it!

Paul is putting joy in contexts of God’s saving acts in Christ and the hope for the future that belongs to Christians because of Christ – making the gospel he preached fundamentally a gospel of joy that depends not on health, wealth, or comfort, but on God.

Here specifically, this joy flows from the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus” and the confidence in future resurrection, which for Paul and hopefully us, is transcending present suffering or loss.

This is what he desires for all the churches – for Philippi. But at the same time, he has to warn them of those who would preach another gospel, that would wreck this posture of joy.

Dogs, evildoers, those who mutilate the flesh.

Not merely name-calling, but using words Jews would use to reference Gentiles, who were considered unclean, and some irony as Judaizers, who prided themselves on promoting good works of the law, are evildoers.

What’s going on?

Here we have some of the tension in the early life of the church. It came from some Jewish believers who taught that, yes, you should believe in Jesus, but also keep the covenantal law. So when Gentiles begin believing in Jesus, these teachers say that you are not “fully Christian” until you are circumcised.

Seems harmless, depending on who you are! But it is adding work to salvation. It is a question of how we are justified. The gospel being proclaimed by Paul – and the whole of Christendom is that you are justified by faith. God declares believers righteous through faith in Jesus Christ, not by works of the law, resulting in peace with God.

Galatians 2:15–16 “We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; [16] yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.” (ESV)

Resolved by the Jerusalem council, determined “not to trouble Gentile believers.”

But some were still preaching it; it made them popular, and they could build a following. And since there has been a never-ending slew of successive false teachers preaching Jesus+ something else for salvation. So Paul wants us/the church, to be on the lookout and to stop listening to the joy-stealers.

Then he lays out the contrasting characteristics of the true church.

“The first secret of a joyous life is this: if we are to rejoice in the Lord, then we must be certain that we are holding and practising the true religion.” J. A. Motyer

“For we are the circumcision” – the church is the true covenantal people of God.

“The covenant became the basis of prophetic predictions of the glorious future of God’s people. Isaiah foretold an eternal ‘covenant of peace’ wrought by the Servant of the Lord upon whom ‘the chastisement of our peace’ was laid. Jeremiah looked forward to a ‘new covenant’ resting upon such a settlement of the sin-problem that God says, ‘I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.’ Ezekiel saw that there would come ‘a covenant of peace … an everlasting covenant’ of which the central blessing would be the eternal dwelling of God in the midst of his people.17 The Lord Jesus brought this glorious sequence of prophecies to its climax: ‘On the night when he was betrayed (he) took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood …” ’

When Paul says we are the circumcision he is claiming for himself and the Philippians the privilege of being the undoubted heirs of this age-long divine programme of salvation.” J. A. Motyer

“This came to be seen as the essential heart of the covenant promise and the most quoted verse in the Bible: ‘You shall be my people, and I will be your God.’ Paul, the Philippians, the whole company of Christian believers down the years—we are the chosen people of God, individually born again, individually and collectively heirs of the Lord’s purposes of grace. It is as though Paul said: We may be sure that God has set his personal seal of choice and ownership upon us, for we are the circumcision.” J. A. Motyer

Then he gives three marks of the true people of God. We worship by the Spirit of God, we glory in Christ Jesus, and we put no confidence in the flesh.

Let’s take these in turn as our own diagnostic for joy.

Worship by the Spirit of God

Right off the bat, we have some language that could be manipulated by modern false teachers to require something of you. A type of “worship.” External evidence of spirituality. Having grown up in a Pentecostal environment, I am well acquainted with much of this.

But I am also a continationist – so I see the Holy Spirit functioning today in the same way he did in Scripture. And especially in the way Paul has in mind.

You worship by the Spirit of God.

If you worship – desire to worship Jesus – it is by the Spirit of God.

Worshiping by the Spirit of God means offering worship that is genuinely spiritual, acceptable to God, rooted in grace rather than legal observance. Contrasting with Judaizers, who push external compliance with the law.

The Spirit serves as the initiator who enables Christians to serve and please God in a comprehensive manner, encompassing not merely formal prayer or singing worship but the totality of life.

Living for Christ in all of life. With a new heart.

“True believers have all received a heart change: circumcision of the heart, not the flesh.” James M. Hamilton Jr.

Romans 2:28–29 “For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. [29] But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.” (ESV)

Worship not by practicality, or research, but by the Spirit. When the Spirit works, we are given this new posture to life – new desires, purposes, including a wish to obey God and respond to him.

In the flow of Philippians, such worship is expressed in self-giving love for others and rejection of anything that would hinder liberty of grace in the believing community.

Worshiping by the Spirit of God is a recognition that you are made new in Christ, in union with him.

The Spirit that isn’t out to gain attention for himself but for Jesus. Lives to spotlight Christ.

“I remember walking to a church one winter evening to preach on the words, “He shall glorify Me,” seeing the building floodlit as I turned a corner, and realizing that this was exactly the illustration my message needed. When floodlighting is well done, the floodlights are so placed that you do not see them; you are not in fact supposed to see where the light is coming from; what you are meant to see is just the building on which the floodlights are trained. The intended effect is to make it visible when otherwise it would not be seen for the darkness, and to maximize its dignity by throwing all its details into relief so that you can see it properly. This perfectly illustrates the Spirit’s new covenant role. He is, so to speak, the hidden floodlight shining on the Savior.” J.I. Packer, Keep in Step with the Spirit

This leads to the second mark.

Glory in Christ Jesus

We are those who boast in Christ Jesus.

He is our confidence, our satisfaction, our Savior, our friend.

We are excited in Jesus about Jesus.

I really like this mark of God’s people because I really like Jesus!

“The outward mark of the people of God is that they glory in Christ Jesus. If we give this word more vigorous translation the meaning will be plainer, ‘boast about Christ Jesus’. He is their joyous theme. The word indicates a buoyant satisfaction in him; they enthusiastically appreciate who he is and what he has done, and glorify him as alone worthy of all praise: the Lord Jesus Christ.” The Bible Speaks Today

This is us boasting in Jesus with profound joy, making him – rather than personal achievement or status – the sole ground of confidence and pride. Who Jesus is and what he has done for us.

This is more than anything, the part we savor!

This is fundamentally different from human pride; it redirects all credit away from oneself. Believers boast, or exult, in what they find their confidence in, and any success that we have in our lives is attributed to the Lord.

“The result is profound: the one who is always glorying in the Lord Jesus Christ and serving the Spirit of God, seeking and finding security and satisfaction in him, is the one who has abundant joy.”

Glorying in Christ becomes the foundation for the joy that Paul repeatedly emphasizes throughout this letter. A joy rooted not in circumstances but in the person and work of Jesus himself.

“We boast because it is not our hold on Christ that saves us—it is Christ. We boast because it is not our joy in Christ that saves us—it is Christ. We boast because it is not even our faith that saves us—it is Christ. Christ becomes the Divine Obsession of the real circumcision. Christ becomes the singular concern and focus of his people. The evidence of the fullness of the Spirit is a one-track mind and a one-theme tongue that speaks perpetually of Christ. Christ becomes the source of all satisfaction.” Kent Hughes

You are safest in Christ when you are most satisfied by Christ.

For Paul – willing to count all else as loss for “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

He that created all things, yet took on flesh, to live blameless, untainted by sin, to give up his life for us, paying the wages of our sin, giving us his righteousness, defeating death by walking out of the grave. Salvation for all who will believe in him, forgiveness proclaimed in his name.

The Savior who ever petitions the Father on our behalf and awaits the day when he will dine with us at the completion of all things, when he declares, “it is done.”

And he looks at you, in all your splendor, all your lack, all your baggage, hurt, sin, trauma, anxiety, rage, uncertainty, and he says, “I love you. You are mine. You are forgiven and free.”

In him we are kept, secure, free from sin, by his work, not our own, and this changes everything.

It is the key distinction from the false gospel.

No Confidence in the Flesh

“Flesh sums up what a person is apart from the grace of Christ—the human being as yet unchanged by God’s regenerating and redeeming work.” J. A. Motyer

Also has in mind any work you can endeavor to do, laws you can obey, actions you can take, and expressions you can make.

What we bring to our salvation is our need. Period.

We don’t earn it, we don’t maintain it. We are given faith by grace, empowered to live in response to it.

Even if we have accomplishments, the strongest of will power, the greatest of resumes, it is nothing, it is dung, garbage, rubbish, that we may gain Christ.

We get this as the entry point into faith in Jesus.

But the flesh can also cloud our boasting in Christ.

I can be so focused not on my success, but on my own failure and despair over whether I am really kept in Christ…

Thinking I have to “do better and try harder.” Neglecting what is already finished.

A negative confidence in the flesh ruins what we have in Christ. This despair is the currency of the false teachers – if they can get you to doubt, you will pay to get out of it, you will take on a burden to get better, you will go under the knife to belong.

Of the uncertainty of transformation fogs over our boasting. We are never as far along as we hope to be. Just and still sinning.

Escondido trail. Under renovation - slated for beautification. Taking forever! New signage, still the same asphalt. New fencing. Weeks later. Bridges and ironworks. All declaring the change, with more to come.

Restless at the perceived delay. We can feel like that in our own walk. The thing is, we are just like the trail; it is not renovating itself. It is an external actor bringing the beauty, and it merely receives and yields to the change. When we surrender confidence in the flesh, we embrace the same thing.

You see, the currency of the church is joy – rooted in the finished work of Christ. His ability to bring us all the way home.

We put no confidence in the flesh, to gain my salvation, or to lose it.

I am in Christ.

We live instead trusting Jesus, his way, come what may. Because he is worth it.

These are the marks of the true people of God. Are they yours?

To worship by the Spirit of God, do you glory in Christ Jesus, put no confidence in the flesh?

Look out for those who would lead you to despair; you need not stay there.

Surrender your confidence in your ability to Christ’s surpassing power to save. Believe in him, have joy, and live.

Joy in Jesus serves as a shield against despair.

Rejoice in the Lord - Rejoice in the Lord means, ‘Let the Lord be the one who makes you happy,’ ‘Find your joy in him and in him alone.

Jesus has been glorified as God, Savior, Example, and Lord. So then, rejoice in the Lord. He is about to be displayed as the Christian’s pride, choicest possession, ambition, pattern, possessor, the crucified and coming Savior. Should we not, then, rejoice in the Lord?

Boast in Jesus - Know him, savor salvation, live rejoicing in him. Let this carry you, by His Spirit, for all of life.

This good thing never runs out. His grace never diminishes; it never needs your help to work. But it is fresh and sweet, abundant every day. Embrace it and rejoice in the Lord.