Philippians 3 - Our Citizenship Is In Heaven!

Philippians 3 - NIV

Enduring Word Commentary

No Confidence in the Flesh

3 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

When Paul says, "no confidence in the flesh", he is talking about relying on our own good works, or our religious pedigree to be right with God. The "mutilators of the flesh" were those who wanted adult, male, Gentile converts to be circumcised according the the Law of Moses. 

What does Paul mean when he says, "We are the circumcision"? It seems like a very odd statement to make. Circumcision was commanded in the Old Testament as part of God's covenant with Abraham. The circumcision of boys when they were eight days old, set them apart as God's children. It outward sign of being one God's chosen people and part of his family. It distinguished them from every Gentile young boy and man. 

When Paul says, "We are circumcision", he is saying that we are relying on Jesus Christ, not the law. Jesus has circumcised our hearts through the work of the  Holy Spirit, who made us God's own children. 

"These Jewish legalists considered themselves the ones truly circumcised and right with God. But Paul declared that he and his followers were the true circumcision." - Guzik

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put 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; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

Paul then offers up his own religious pedigree. If anyone had a fine religious resume surely it was him. Paul checked all of the boxes. He was from the tribe of Benjamin, which was the tribe of Israel's first king, King Saul. He was a law keeping Pharisee, who apparently thought he was pretty faultless when it came to his own religious scorecard. Of course, this is just the letter of the law, not the Spirit of the Law Jesus talks about in the Sermon on the Mount. Paul was so zealous, he even persecuted and rounded up Christians to be killed, as he was at the stoning of the first Christian martyr, Stephen. 

This tells us that among an elite people (the Jews), Paul was of an elite sect (the Pharisees), who were noted for their scrupulous devotion to the law of God. “There were not very many Pharisees, never more than six thousand, but they were the spiritual athletes of Judaism. Their very name means The Separated Ones. They had separated themselves off from all common life and from all common tasks in order to make it the one aim of their lives to keep every smallest detail of the Law.” (Barclay) The concern that Pharisees had for keeping the law is reflected in passages like Matthew 23:23.

7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

As Paul compares his religious resume to what it means to be "found in Christ", he says all the things he mentioned, he considered as "garbage".  Literally the word means "dung" in the original language, Greek. When Paul came to faith in Jesus Christ, he realized the futility of trying to manufacture a righteousness based on good deeds. Paul realized he was justified by faith in Jesus. He put his faith in Jesus' perfect righteousness. He was freed from the bondage to measure up to what he could never attain, which gave him the gifts of peace, hope and joy. 

Most of all, Paul wanted to "know" Christ and become more like him. He wanted to grow in his understanding of  Jesus by becoming like him in his death. If Jesus suffered before he was raised from the dead, Paul was willing to go through that. He knew that by picking up his cross to follow Jesus, he too would be filled with the power that Jesus raised from the dead. He knew that through death came resurrection! 

That I may know Him: This was the simple plea of Paul’s heart. It was a plea unknown to the legalist, who must necessarily focus on his own performance and status to find some kind of peace with God. But Paul wanted Jesus, not self. - Guzik

 “He wants to know in an experiential way the power of Christ’s resurrection. That is, he wants to experience the same power that raised Christ from the dead surging through his own being, overcoming sin in his life and producing the Christian graces.” (Wuest)

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Paul realized that he had a long way to go. If your goal is to become like Jesus Christ, you will never completely reach that goal. But that doesn't mean we should not try. Jesus had taken a hold of Paul when he called him and sent him to be his chosen instrument to the Gentiles. It didn't matter what Paul had done in the past, it only matter what he did going forward. 

Many of us had lives before meeting Jesus that we are not particularly proud of. But it does no good to stayed mired in the guilt of yesterday, when the Spirit of God has set us free to pursue the prize today. The prize is our what we will receive when we get to heaven. The prize is what we will receive as a result of running a good race, and keeping our eyes fixed on the cross. The prize is what we will receive when we are faithful with mission we have been to "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit."  

Because Paul realized that he had not arrived, there was only one option open for him. He had to press on. There was no turning back for Him. 

We often let those things which are behind distract us, whether they be good things or bad things. Looking at what is in the past often keeps us from what God has for us in the future.

Because it is such a glorious call, it is worth reaching forward for it. “The Greek word points out the strong exertions made in the race; every muscle and nerve is exerted, and he puts forth every particle of his strength in running. He was running for life, and running for his life.” (Clarke)

Following Paul’s Example

15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

We often talk about "Christian maturity". For Paul it is someone who thinks the same way in which he just outlined in the verses above. There is one sense in which we have attained our "righteousness in Christ", but there is another sense of living our whole life out of this righteousness we have been given as a free gift. 

17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. 18 For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

As Paul is rallying the Philippians around their heavenly calling, he realized that many would try to subvert what God wanted to do in them. One of the ways he described these people was, "Their god is their stomach." These were people who were all about following after their earthly desires no matter what the cost. They had no shame because their focus was only on earthly pleasure. They took a very short view on life. 

By contrast Paul tells the Philippians that their "citizenship is in heaven". Though they would face troubles in this life, including the likes of the people he just described, they were headed to a heavenly destination. We also call this place "paradise". As they pursue their high calling to follow Jesus, at the same time they were waiting for the day when Jesus would return. When Jesus returns all things will come under his power, and all of his followers will become like him with glorious bodies. 

With great sadness, Paul realizes that there are many who walk in a manner contrary to what he teaches. He regards these people as enemies of the cross of Christ. The enemies of the cross were really the opposite of the legalists, who celebrated their supposed liberty in Christ to the indulgence of their flesh. - Guzik

Paul had to contend with people like this in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 and Romans 6, who thought that salvation comes without repentance and conversion, and who thought that as long as your soul was saved, it didn’t matter what you did with your body. - Guzik

What do you have to leave behind so that you can pursue your heavenly calling? What distracts you from running the race and striving for the prize that awaits you in heaven? How does knowing your citizenship is in heaven, help you deal with the suffering you experience now?