1 Finally, my
brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same
things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for
you it is safe. 2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil
workers, beware of the concision. 3 For we are the
circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and
rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in
the flesh. 4 Though I might also have confidence in
the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath
whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5
Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel,
of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews;
as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6 Concerning zeal,
persecuting the church; touching the righteousness
which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to
me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea
doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the
excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord:
for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and
do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And
be found in him, not having mine own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the
faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God
by faith:
Certainly, whatever
rejoicing we do we should rejoice in the Lord. There
are many things in life that we can find temporary
happiness in. We can be happy about the outcome of a
sporting event or of a political race. We can be happy
about something that we have accomplished or something
that someone we are close to has accomplished. These
are fleeting moments of happiness. They do not last
very long. The things that the Lord has accomplished
for us are eternal. His love to us is eternal. His
watch care over us is always. Our rejoicing over the
truth and Christ having delivered us from our sins does
not have a time limit on it.
Beware of dogs. Sometimes we see signs in
someone's yard that reads "Beware of dog." The person
is warning us of a dog that could do us harm. Dogs have
a nature about them that can bring us harm. Dogs bark
and sometimes bite. They sometimes devour and nearly
all dogs will eat their own vomit. Obviously, the
warning in the above scripture is not to ward us of
natural dogs. It is a warning that some people have a
nature about them that resembles the nature of a dog.
Some people will bark at the truth. They loudly
proclaim that the truth is a lie. They call great
negative attention to those who believe and proclaim the
truth and warn people about these believers in truth and
seekers of truth.
Other people are like
dogs in that they will bite (persecute) the believers of
truth. They will go out of their way to try to bring
harm to those who believe and teach the truth.
Still other people are
like dogs in that they have lived ungodly lives in the
past and then seemingly turn to walk uprightly, then
turn again to live ungodly lives and thus eat their own
vomit.
Beware of evil workers. There are evil
workers that are readily known as evil workers: they
steal, they kill, they promote drunkenness, they sell
illegal drugs, they rob banks, they promote pornography,
they engage in all sorts of licentiousness and obviously
wicked works. These are easily recognized and we should
beware of them and avoid them as they can do us natural
harm. Others, however are not so easily recognized, but
are evil workers nonetheless. Please note the following
scriptures:
1. 1
John 3:12 "Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and
slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his
own works were evil, and his brother's righteous." The
work of Cain that was referred to as evil was when Cain
brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the
Lord. Cain sought the praise of God in his work, rather
than to praise God. God teaches us that that is an evil
work.
2. 2
John 1:10 "If there come any unto you, and bring not
this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither
bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed
is partaker of his evil deeds." If a man comes teaching
a false doctrine or hinders the teaching of the
doctrines of grace, then he is committing evil deeds.
He is an evil worker.
3.
Matt. 7:22 "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord,
have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have
cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful
works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never
knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." These
are proclaiming to have done things that the Lord had
not appointed them to do. Thus, they are evil
workers.
4.
Matt. 7:15 "Beware of false prophets, which come to you
in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening
wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men
gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so
every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt
tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot
bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring
forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth
good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20
Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." These
are religious evil workers that appear to be
righteous.
5. 2
Cor. 11:13 "For such are false apostles, deceitful
workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of
Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is
transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is
no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as
the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be
according to their works."
Religious evil workers
are much more hard to spot than natural evil workers.
The way that we recognize religious evil workers is by
the fruit of their lives and by the false doctrines that
they proclaim.
Beware of the concision. The word,
"concision," comes from a Greek word that means to
"mutilate." There are religious professors that
mutilate the truth and try to destroy those who believe
and preach the truth. Paul's particular reference seems
to suggest that he had under consideration those Jewish
professors of Judaism or a works system of salvation
through the keeping of certain aspects of the law.
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the
spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no
confidence in the flesh. True circumcision
is not the natural circumcision of the flesh, but is as
set forth in the following verses:
1.
Rom. 2:29 "But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and
circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and
not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of
God."
2.
Col. 2:11 "In whom also ye are circumcised with the
circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body
of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of
Christ:" True circumcision is the spiritual
circumcision of the heart that is made without hands but
by the Lord Jesus Christ. This circumcision takes place
when we are born of the Spirit of God.
Paul said that the true
circumcision are those that:
1. Worship God in the
Spirit.
2. Rejoice in Christ
Jesus.
3. Have no confidence in
the flesh.
Only those that have been
born of the Spirit can worship God in the Spirit.
Christ said that those who worship Him must worship him
in Spirit and in truth. We must, therefore, have the
spirit before we can worship him in Spirit and in
truth. We rejoice in Christ Jesus, because it is by the
grace of God through the atoning blood of Christ that we
are saved from out sins and given eternal life. We have
no confidence in the flesh because our flesh cannot
assist or aid in any way the work of eternal salvation.
Paul said, "I know that in me, that is, in my flesh
dwelleth no good thing."
If any
other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust
in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the
stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of
the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning
zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness
which is in the law, blameless.
Paul lists the things
that he had that some men think we can have confidence
in the flesh. Of all men, especially Jews, that were
alive during his day, none had more pedigree than Paul
had in which a man may claim confidence in the flesh.
Yet Paul had this to say about that pedigree:
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss
for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but
loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all
things, and do count them but dung, that I may win
Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own
righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is
through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is
of God by faith…
Paul equated those things
in his pedigree that a man might think he could have
confidence in as simply the dung of the earth. Paul had
ceased to seek his own righteousness through the works
of the law. Rather he sought to "win" Christ. That is,
he sought to gain a proper belief in what Christ had
done for him and for his covenant people. Paul sought
to make his own calling and election sure to himself.
He knew that the imputed righteousness of God came
through the faith of Christ and not by any works or
belief system of the individual. It did not come
through the faith IN Christ, but through the faith OF
Christ. In other words, the imputed righteousness of
God to the elect is through the faithfulness of Jesus
Christ to perform the covenant of redemption. This is
consistent with what we read in 2 Cor. 5:21 "For he hath
made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we
might be made the righteousness of God in him."
