Word@Work Phil29 - Philippians 3:2-3
Published: Tue, 11/03/09
Word@Work from BeaconLight
MARKS OF INSECURE RELIGION
Phil. 3:2-3 Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh ... (NIV)
Despite many attempts to dispose of religion, human beings have an inbuilt urge to seek out the God who made them (see Ecclesiastes 3:11 and Acts 17:27). Even those who scoff at the idea, find it will not easily leave them ... as their atheistic challenges betray. But for those who want to securely identify themselves with their religion, permanent physical marks, including circumcision and tattoos have been common for centuries. Of course, God commanded circumcision in the Old Testament, as a way to remind His people about their special national identity. But when Jesus came as the final revelation of God's love, everybody could be saved irrespective of nationality or past religion, and so circumcision was redundant to faith.
Christians do not have to wear anything physical to identify themselves to Christ. Instead we remember the crucifixion wounds of Christ in our temporary encounter with bread and wine, and identify with Him in baptism; but there is no permanent physical mark on our bodies. We live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and died for us (see Gal 2:20) - the marks were on Him and not on us. However the church has always been pressured to think that faith is not enough. Paul repudiates that idea. Indeed he says here that those who follow Jesus have chosen to cut out from their inner desires everything which offends God - not an external mark but a radical internal spiritual surgery.
Whatever pressure you may be under to adopt external religious identifiers, never forget that the Bible does not require any of them. Even the wearing of a cross or fish badge is not essential. No, the real mark of believers is that they have the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 1:21-22) who enables them to worship and look confidently towards a glorious future when Jesus returns. We cannot do that by ourselves, however religious we are. We need the Holy Spirit to work in us, stirring our faith, so that we learn to rely on the promises of God for our salvation and sanctification; and nothing else. And we need a clear head, lest we get trapped by human inventions which purport to support our faith, but which really deny it.
Prayer: Father God. Thank You for sending Jesus so that I could be saved. Thank You for Your Word of Truth which I have believed with the Holy Spirit's help. Forgive me when I wander into thinking that physical reminders will strengthen my faith, even though the Bible does not agree. Help me to be clear sighted so that I can identify traps which would drag me away from my freedom in Christ: and help me to gently assist my friends who have got caught up in such diversions. For Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.
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You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
Despite many attempts to dispose of religion, human beings have an inbuilt urge to seek out the God who made them (see Ecclesiastes 3:11 and Acts 17:27). Even those who scoff at the idea, find it will not easily leave them ... as their atheistic challenges betray. But for those who want to securely identify themselves with their religion, permanent physical marks, including circumcision and tattoos have been common for centuries. Of course, God commanded circumcision in the Old Testament, as a way to remind His people about their special national identity. But when Jesus came as the final revelation of God's love, everybody could be saved irrespective of nationality or past religion, and so circumcision was redundant to faith.
Christians do not have to wear anything physical to identify themselves to Christ. Instead we remember the crucifixion wounds of Christ in our temporary encounter with bread and wine, and identify with Him in baptism; but there is no permanent physical mark on our bodies. We live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and died for us (see Gal 2:20) - the marks were on Him and not on us. However the church has always been pressured to think that faith is not enough. Paul repudiates that idea. Indeed he says here that those who follow Jesus have chosen to cut out from their inner desires everything which offends God - not an external mark but a radical internal spiritual surgery.
Whatever pressure you may be under to adopt external religious identifiers, never forget that the Bible does not require any of them. Even the wearing of a cross or fish badge is not essential. No, the real mark of believers is that they have the Holy Spirit (2 Cor 1:21-22) who enables them to worship and look confidently towards a glorious future when Jesus returns. We cannot do that by ourselves, however religious we are. We need the Holy Spirit to work in us, stirring our faith, so that we learn to rely on the promises of God for our salvation and sanctification; and nothing else. And we need a clear head, lest we get trapped by human inventions which purport to support our faith, but which really deny it.
Prayer: Father God. Thank You for sending Jesus so that I could be saved. Thank You for Your Word of Truth which I have believed with the Holy Spirit's help. Forgive me when I wander into thinking that physical reminders will strengthen my faith, even though the Bible does not agree. Help me to be clear sighted so that I can identify traps which would drag me away from my freedom in Christ: and help me to gently assist my friends who have got caught up in such diversions. For Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.
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