Philippians 3:2b-3 "Circumcision or Mutilation?"

Philippians 3:2b-3 and the Safeguard of Christian Liberty

Verses 2 through 3 Philippians chapter 3.

Verses.

2 through 3 for today.

Let us before we even open this up and before we read it. Let's go ahead and pray over it and and make our our minds attentive to the Word of God.

Lord.

God I would ask that as brothers and sisters in Christ Lord that we would rejoice in your name today. That as this is the second message on these verses Lord Lord, I would ask that To go over these things again would be no trouble to any of us that we would recognize it as a Safeguard a thing that keeps us from falling into the ditches along this road of life.

Lord God help us beware of that which you tell us to look out for let us be attentive to those signs of dogs and evil.

Workers. Lord.

Reform refine our minds to your thinking today. Let us not go an ounce beyond what your word is spoken. But let us be built upon your rock Lord. We ask these things in your name Jesus Christ. Let us read verses 1 through 3 for today we're gonna be focusing on verses 2 through 3 though for this morning finally.

My brothers rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me and it is a safeguard for you.

Beware of dogs.

Beware of evil workers Beware of mutilation Some of your translations might say beware of false.

Circumcision.

For we are the circumcision who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and Put no confidence in The flesh. Let us pray again Lord God. Let us cast all to you. Lord. Let us not put an ounce of thought or effort into our own works of the flesh.

Let us be carried along by the same means that we live in you and that is through the Spirit. Let us walk in the Spirit.

Lord.

Open our eyes today.

Open.

Our ears cause our hands to glorify you in the ways that you have revealed for us to do. So Lord God, I'd ask that you would keep my tongue tied to your word today.

Lord.

Encourage convict.

Safeguard each one of us. I asked this in your name Jesus Christ. Amen. It is a blessing to be in these verses that we are in in Philippians chapter 3. This text as we went through last week. I hope you can recall that we talked a lot about the liberty we have in Christ.

We're gonna continue on with that message This week and it just happens that it would almost seem like talking about liberty and freedom in Christ. It sounds like that would be a topical message that we'd have on the 4th of July and around those times.

That's just God's providence and working these things about talking about freedom and liberty around this time that as a nation.

We celebrate the liberty we have.

Physically as a nation. I've been greatly reminded though of this because it's been something that has been captivated on my mind here recently. And in fact, I had the opportunity to go on pastors roundtable this last Thursday and talk about liberty again.

So it's just been this reoccurring theme and topic that has been happening in my last few weeks. So we must remind ourselves of what's going on in this context to understand why it's so important that we recognize the freedom and liberty that we have in Christ and how to Safeguard against those that would want to steal those things from us those that would want to cast a yoke Upon the shoulder of the Christian.

It's important to remember this context. Prior in chapter 2 in in the theme of humility that was spoken of there in chapter 2 the example that Christ gives to us. We are told that we are to be united as a as a body of Christ.

So that we would stand blameless and innocent children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation. We do this by holding fast the word of life to to confess together the truth of God.

And when we looked at this, we then saw right after Paul giving this advice to this Church of Philippi we then would have Paul saying that you ought to hold the men that are doing this in the church with high regard.

That you should look to them and say that these are men of God and they are doing things with with proven quality with proven worth. That they're not hot one day and cold the next but that they're continually putting their shoulder to the will of God.

And they're doing things for his glory. So we have.

In this.

Humility brings about Unity and unity shows the world how we ought to look in this life and within how we ought to look in this life. We ought to celebrate the men that are helping the church and aiding the church and leaning the church through these things.

I think that's then gives emphasis to why now Paul is writing these things for us here in verses 1 through 3. Again this is Paul writing this while he himself is in prison in his second imprisonment. He's writing it to a beloved local body of Christ to himself and He he's eager to express the words here in verse 1 through 3.

He says it's no trouble for him to write it again. And the things prior to this the humility the unity the celebration all those things. This is a safeguard for us to rejoice in the Lord to find joy in Jesus Christ.

And all that we do it is a safeguard for us. And what is it protecting us from. This is where we're at. For today verses 2 through 3. What is it protecting us from? Verse 2.

Beware of the dogs.

Beware of the evil workers beware of the mutilation the false circumcision. Now last week we spoke. I hope that we can remember the context of why Paul would use these words and this is in his day would be known as.

The Judaizers.

Those that are trying to add To that which is Christ those that are trying to say you have to do X Y Z things in order to have true Christendom to have true salvation you you're not truly a Christian unless you are circumcised of your flesh.

That is their argument that they would make and we look at that and we'll talk. He will probably no doubt going deeper into this idea of Judaizers. The keeping or the earning of their salvation that they were teaching as a part of their sanctification or as a part of them progressing to Christ.

They have added these Judaizers have added to God's Word.

That.

Should be the very first thing that makes us say these Judaizers do these Judaizers were wrong was because they added to God's Word. Galatians chapter 2 verse 21 says I do not nullify the grace of God for if righteousness comes through the law then Christ.

Died.

Needlessly if we believe the gospel is the perfect life of Christ his atoning death and his Resurrection if you add a single sentence more to that as the means of how we are saved. You have made Christ die.

Needlessly if you put an ounce of hope in your own flesh beyond that which is the gospel itself the core principle of all Christendom. You have made Christ himself dying needlessly His salvation his work on the cross is actually in vain for you.

This is why it's so important that we understand these Judaizers. It's so important that we understand the gospel itself because it's a safeguard it protects us from dogs evil workers and mutilation. Last week we we went into depth on how today we might not have men or women coming into our church saying to Cast off the foreskin to circumcise yourself.

We don't see that today. That was a common theme in the day of Paul that was a common theme in the days of the Apostles. That's why we have so much written for us about how to avoid or why to avoid these Judaizers for us in the New Testament.

But we went into why or that we do have men and women in the church today. That come to try to place a yoke upon the Christian and we looked at many examples of that. We'll talk about those examples again here in a second.

But I want to remind us that the freedom we have in Christ is a true thing. But as was reminded to me after the service is that we only really talked about one ditch In the side of the road and there's actually two ditches on both sides of the roads with this if we Try to use our freedom in Christ as a covering to do that.

Which God's Word tells us not to do. You have fallen into the other side of this ditch. Just as easily as if you try to take away someone's freedom that is not spoken of in God's Word. The freedom that we have in Conscience to have faith in God in all we do if that is a yoke that has bonded us.

We have fallen into the other side of this ditch. These things are a safeguard for us when we consider what this text has to say. Let me give you an example of one way that we could fall into the ditch many people today would say well God says to love your neighbor and.

So that means that you have to love without a shadow of doubt accept care for. Promote even Sexual immorality of any kind that would be falling into the other side of this ditch. If God's Word calls it sin it is sin.

That is the issue with this. So do not let the freedom we have in Christ Be that which excuses God's Word that we we don't take it seriously. We don't take it as for what it says to us and excuse Sin that is being called by the culture an okay thing.

So back in Philippians chapter 3 we see beware of dogs beware of evil workers beware of mutilation. We've already read from Galatians chapter 2 verse 21 about if we believe righteousness comes through the law then Christ died needlessly.

We spoke of last week that these dogs Historically and contextually would have been known as the Gentiles and yet Paul's now saying actually the dogs are not the Gentiles that have been Grafted into the grace of Christ that no those aren't the dogs.

The dogs are the ones the Jews Who are saying that in order to be truly a Christian you have to do something that those are the dogs. Those are the ones that will seek and devour and take you away from the grace of Christ.

Christ Died in vain if that's the case you've added to the gospel as Paul's argument.

Beware of dogs.

Beware of what what are these dogs? They're evil.

Workers.

They're evil.

Workers.

Beware of.

False circumcision mutilation again. This is directly tied to that context of the Judaizer going into the church saying you Adult male Christian if you are really claiming to be a Christian, where's the knife at?

We'll do it right here right now. Because you are not truly saved unless we perform this act. Beware of mutilation. Paul saying that that is not something that glorifies God. That is not something that it merits any sort of salvation or righteousness through the gospel that that itself is actually a false Circumcision that itself is a mutilation to one's own flesh.

What were some of the examples that we gave last week of how men or women today. No one carried a knife in here today and said we have to circumcise everyone in here for you to have true salvation. No one has done that today.

But we do have men and women in the church across the United States and not maybe necessarily our local body but in the entire body of Christ. We do have men and women that come into the church that undermine the authority of Scripture and Disregard that a lot of the commands therein and and in both of these things.

Whether it's forms of legalism or lawlessness. Both things are an abomination to God both things are. The the examples that we covered last week with some Christians out there would say that hunting is wrong.

Hunting is not okay because you're killing God's creation. That's not a Christian thing to do. So in order to be a Christian, you have to just you actually have to be a pacifist. You can't do such a thing.

Beware of.

Mutilation.

Many Christians would argue that dancing is Actually, not okay or allowed and in the life of a Christian that you can't be a Christian if you go to dance. Many Christians would argue that you can't drink alcohol.

Many Christians would think that that's not okay. Many Christians would argue that you can't have contemporary music. The music that you hear on the radio as you're driving around. You can't do that. Many Christians think that it is not okay to listen to that which is on the radio.

Many Christians would argue that you you're not truly a Christian unless you have your good old King James Version Bible. I'm not reaching against the King James Version. What I'm saying is that's a ridiculous requirement to consider somebody a Christian.

Well, what about even examples of Amish? They would say that driving vehicles or owning possessions of too much vibrance and color makes you not a Christian. Gasoline-powered vehicles. Many Christians would argue that you're hurting God's creation outside when you drive around something that causes emissions.

So you shouldn't be doing that. Celebrating holidays. How many praises and prayers did we have today about birthdays. Many? Christians would say how dare you celebrate something that is in this life like life itself or holidays that we have throughout the year.

The list goes on and on and on because the offense of man goes on and on and on. What is the fix of this? What what are the considerations that we should have when we think through these examples that we're given all these examples that we have listed?

Above.

We don't have a Bible a Recorded place in the Bible where it talks about is it permissible for a Christian drive a vehicle? We don't why because vehicles we didn't exist back then. So, how do we process this?

How do we think about this? How do we use freedom, but we don't violate God's Word. How do we do this? For this example for our consideration for today in In regard to be wearing the dogs be wearing of evil workers be wearing a mutilation.

Let us consider dancing. Does the Bible say one way or the other if a Christian can dance. It doesn't it does not. Could a person sin while dancing. Absolutely, yes. Yes, they could. Why why could a Christian dance and sin?

There's two ways that come to mind and to my mind the first one is obvious as someone was dancing as a means to cause sexual immorality to take place and if the intended if that Was the intended purpose of that individual that is sin.

Why. Because God word calls sexual immorality sin. So if that is the purpose for dancing sin period dancing therefore is sin. Second one if someone in their mind Could not dance Because they can't focus on God their mind is taken away from his glory or they find it difficult To have faith in God while dancing.

What if they danced anyway? Well, it wouldn't be a place from faith in God and therefore to sin. Romans 14 verse 23 says but he who doubts is Condemned if he eats because his eating is not from faith and whatever is not from faith is sin.

But let us examine. I think the obvious that is from all this dancing in and of itself is not a sinful thing. Therefore it would be wrong for someone that could not dance the glory of God. For them to still make a standard.

For all Christians because I can't dance you should see me on the dance floor. You would say it's in right because of how bad it is. But if I said I can't dance to the glory of God. Therefore I think you can't dance to the glory of God.

I have make made a standard a yoke that has been placed upon you beware of false mutilation false circumcision beware of evil workers beware of dogs if I'm going around and saying Last week I saw you over at the dance club with your wife.

You're not a Christian. Here's the chain and the lock to the door. Let us go put a chain around it and it'll prove to me that you're a Christian. I am a dog. I Am an evil worker and I am false chain false mutilation in that way, right?

1st Corinthians chapter 7 verse 21 through 23. It says were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it. But if you were able to also become free rather do that. So crisis is what Paul is saying in here live as a free Person for he who is called in the Lord while slave.

What is it speaking of a slave to sin a slave to the law if the Lord's free man? Likewise so is the Lord's free man. If you've been called in the Lord while you were a slave to sin, you are now a free man in the Lord.

Likewise he who is called while free is Christ's slave. You were bought with a price. Do not become slaves of men when we let the yoke of Man come upon our shoulders. We're denying the slave the the ways that we are slaved and chained to Christ himself.

We're no longer in Christ in that point. We are false Mutilation false circumcision. Likewise, it would be wrong. Let's consider this. It would be wrong for the person that can dance for the glory of God.

Let's think about this. So let's say I can't dance but day Lynn can dance. Is it is it okay if dealing ever he comes to my house. Non-stop wanting to dance in my living room. Kelly saying no. He can't do it if he came to my house Purposely trying to dance in my living room to attack me in my faith not being able to dance.

Is that okay thing to do?

No, it's not.

Why would that not be an okay thing to do? He's trying going out of his way being purposeful in his motions to make me stumble in my own faith. Who's weaker and who's stronger in their faith if daily can dance for the glory of God and I cannot.

I'm the weaker brother. He's the stronger one. He should know not to try to make me fall in my faith. I I want to read to you something real quickly because the next question is what about Christian perception?

What about our brothers and sisters in Christ in this room or the ones that are not in this room at the other local churches? Around this town or in this world. What if they see you dancing to the glory of God.

What what happens if that if I think it's sin for you to dance The glory of God. What happens if I see you dancing? My perception is is flawed. Let's think about that. What about my perception as a Christian?

This is a wonderful book. I would encourage everybody to get it. It is from Sam Waldron. He is one of my favorite individuals to listen to. But this book it is an exposition of the 1689 on page 309. He he says this and he's speaking about Christian Liberty the freedom We have in Christ the ability to go and dance to the glory of God is what he's speaking about.

Not directly about dancing, but just the concept. The other problem concerns offended brethren so offending other Christians. Romans 14 verse 21 and 1st Corinthians 8 13 is what he references. There are some who read these passages as if they require Christians to cease doing anything to anyone.

Regards as wrong to anyone that regards it as wrong. This reading is encouraged by the authorized version which uses the word offend to translate the keyword. From this many have concluded that I must do nothing which offends Upsets or angers another Christian in the first place such an interpretation would spell the end of any freedom of Conscience and lead to a new bondage the bondage of the fear of the brethren.

One could never know when one might sin by doing that which another Christian thinks is wrong. Secondly Christ did not practice such a view in Matthew 15 more verses 1 through 4. The Pharisees were professing worship.

Were professing worshipers of Jehovah. There was nothing wrong with hand-washing. Why did not Jesus in the spirit of 1st Corinthians 8 and 9 become all things to all men? They were offended. The Pharisees were offended.

The word used here is frequently used in Scripture as apostasy at that very time. This word means to leave weak Christians to follow your example and thereby Seriously violate their conscience. If however, there is no danger of the offended brethren.

Violating his conscience or a following your example. Then these passages simply do not apply if they win knows I am weak in the flesh when it comes to dancing and it is seriously an injury to me in my Confidence my faith in Christ to participate in any dancing.

It would be very wrong for him to come over to my house and try to dance in front of me. Very very wrong. It'll probably be wrong in general. Let's not ever do that regardless.

However.

Can Dalin dance with his wife at his house? Can Dalin do that at the at the at the dance hall with his wife. Yeah, he can. If Dalin lived his life. Worried about what Brayden would think about well how he behaves as a as an issue or a topic that's not talked about in the Bible.

Oh, he would become a canatonic Christian. Who can't get out of bed because he's so worried about offending me. This is where legalism breeds and festers in the minds of Christians.

The wrong.

Assumptions of others. The wrong assumption of others intentions compared to your own conscience.

There.

There's so many different ways that we could talk about this and try to understand this. But the next question must be asked that so we covered why it would be wrong to have a perception. About my reasoning why I can't dance to the glory of God to place that yoke upon somebody else that could.

What about public profession and public perception? Does the culture and beliefs about morality that are set before us dictate if we sin against God or not based on how the world?

Sees us.

May it never be. If I if the government said it is. Which they might say it again if they saw me dance. If they said it's not okay for you to dance. That that's wrong the or if the world had that perception that that built-up morality that there's nowhere found in the Bible.

That's what they have set up as a standard upon men. Is it okay for me to still dance? Is it sin if I still dance because of how they perceive me. Matthew 11 verse 19 the Son of Man Speaking about Christ came eating and drinking.

And they say the public perception of Jesus Christ. The Jewish Pharisees those that have perception about who Christ is they say this. And they say behold a Gluttonous man and a drunkard a friend of tax collectors and sinners.

Yet Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds. If our standard is public perception is what causes you to sin. Then Jesus himself sin right there. May it never be. The world around us does not dictate what sin is.

Their perception of what you do and how you behave does not make it so. You sin against God.

This is.

Legalism again legalism if you bound your own conscience with legalism and you bind other Christians with legalism. You have made Jesus himself out to be a sinner then but what about making someone stumble by your dancing look again?

If I'm purposely going out like footloose and trying my hardest to make it so that you sin against God and dancing. Because you yourself can't dance It it's absolutely sin for me to behave in such a way.

The intention is no longer to glorify God in the act, but the intention is to make you stumble in the act. We have to be weary of this and we even see this example in legalism itself. An example of this is that legalism itself is a stumbling block to me and To many Christians around us.

I was raised LDS Where legalism was the norm where workspace salvation was taught and promoted? So if you want to be a legalist around someone like me or other Christians like me. Well, then you are making me or them stumble.

You see how this this logic does not work in a world where we're free in Christ.

So.

Again, the the side the side rails that the ditches. What what is the safeguard for us? How do we beware of evil workers beware of those that promote false ideas? We run to God's Word we rejoice in him we we.

Look.

To holding fast the word of life. And so if God's Word calls it sin adultery fornication sexual immorality Infeminate drunkenness all these kind of things that are considered for us as sin. Let us call it sin.

Do not violate scripture do not sin against God. That is the one side rail. But the other one is do not make unreasonable things that yoke yourself to the burden of other men.

Dancing.

Contemporary music. All those things you can and should glorify God and those things if you would like to. If You can't do those things the side rails there. Don't don't fall into that ditch either. But don't put that yoke upon another individual who could or can do something to the faith something to the glory of God.

That's what Paul's whole argument is in first Corinthians chapter 10 verse 31 whether you eat or whether you drink. The argument is is. Is it okay for us to eat and drink and do these things that are talked about here in this chapter chapter 10 of first Corinthians.

And Paul says look. Whether you eat or you drink Do all things to the glory of God? Because eating or drinking is not explicitly said you can't do in Bible. So if you can do it to the glory of God do it.

If you can't do it to the glory of God then don't.

Do it for the glory of God.

Do it all things into the glory of God. Verse 3. So so again beware of dogs. Beware of those that are trying to introduce false Morality into the church. Beware of those that are trying to introduce false works of legalism into the church.

Beware of those That are trying to take you away from the freedom of Christ that are trying to put you under a new yoke. Who are trying to make a new law a law that was never there a law? That's not transcended a law that does not come from God.

Beware of those individuals. Why. Because they make Christ die needlessly? For we maintain that a man is justified by faith in Christ and not from the works of the law. So here in verse 3 now you have a comparison to that of a beware of the mutilation.

Paul is now saying we are that circumcision those individuals that are coming around with the knife in their pocket going to church. Saying let's cut this off. Let's do this now. Let's make it so you're a Christian.

It's gruesome and it's bloody to talk about this and it should make every man in here shudder at their knees at the idea of this circumcision. Paul saying ignore those individuals there to beware of to identify to point out.

For we are already that true circumcision. Don't let the individual take a knife to you. You have already been circumcised in Christ. Let me read a couple of verses for us this topic of circumcision is so Imperatively important for us to understand in the New Testament.

Ephesians chapter 2 you can turn there if you'd like but Ephesians chapter 2 verse 11 through 16. I would love to read the entire chapter in the entire book of Ephesians on this topic, but verses 11 Through 16 we're just gonna read a whole bunch of verses right now about circumcision in the New Testament.

Therefore.

Remember that formerly you the Gentiles in the flesh who are called uncircumcised by the so-called circumcision. So again Gentiles who are called uncircumcision those that are not doing a works based salvation works based Righteousness are called such by those that are circumcised those that are pushing this idea.

Circumcision is what is saved by the so-called circumcision. Which is performed in the flesh by human hands. Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ. Excluded from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the world.

But now in Christ Jesus you who were formerly were far off Have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace who has made both groups into one and broke down the barrier the dividing wall by Abolishing in his flesh the anemone which is the law of commandments contained in ordinances.

So that in himself he might make the two into one new man thus establishing peace and might reconcile them both in One body to God through the cross by it having been put to death the anemone. Brothers and sisters when we build up new walls of anemone to separate us from those that are also free in Christ.

We are no better than the Judaizer.

No better than them.

Colossians chapter 2 verse 10 through 14 again. This is another place about circumcision and in him. You have been made complete and he is the head over all rule and authority. This is Christ Jesus and in him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made Without hands in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.

There's a lot of scholarly theological talk about what this means. It would be my takeaway that when Christ had his spirit removed from the flesh when he died upon the cross. So that was actually a fulfillment of what circumcision itself was pointing towards.

That at the suffering of him on the cross. It's the fulfillment of that which the Judaizers are still trying to place in the Christians life the removal of the flesh of Christ. Why do I think that. Because then it says then he has been buried with him in baptism in which you were also raised up Through him in the faith in the working of God who raised him from the dead.

Let us pause there. Why again do I think that the circumcision is the is Christ dying upon the cross because what's the gospel again the life? Death burial and resurrection of Christ. What did we just have here life death burial and resurrection?

Very clearly seen here. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcised of your flesh. So those that that had not been able to obey the law those that have violated God's command. Which we all have done he made you alive together with him having forgiven us all our Transgressions having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us which was hostile to us.

And he has taken them out of the way having nailed it to the cross. Again the Christian that builds up new law to try to put somebody under. You're just trying to make somebody die at that time. You have lived in Christ.

Do not be legalistic. Do not be Judaizers. Do not promote the idea of circumcising your neighbor. Romans 2 verse 28 through 29. It says for he who is not a Jew who is one outwardly speaking about circumcision.

Nor is circumcision that which is an outward in the flesh but he is a Jew who is one inwardly and Circumcision is that which is of the heart by the Spirit not by the letter and his praise is from not from men.

But from God.

Galatians 6 15 for neither circumcision is anything nor uncircumcision but a new creation. Galatians 5 25 if we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. The circumcision that is spoken about here in these texts is us.

Receiving a new heart us having that heart of stone removed in a heart of flesh place therein. And just like as we've been going through in Hebrews chapter 8 as a church. The law of God is written there upon our minds and upon our hearts.

There is new covenant members. And this is how we live by the Spirit. So so Paul's argument is if this is how we live in the Spirit if we've been made free in Christ. If it through his death He has broken down the barrier the dividing wall that he's he's nailed the ordinances and the decrees that were against us that were hostile To us and he has nailed them to the cross.

That is also just as how we began in our salvation. That is the same way that we should live in our salvation. That we live in the Spirit. So we ought to walk in the Spirit. Brothers and sisters did we live in the law?

Did we live in circumcision. Did we live in these forms of legalism these forms of of this stuff that causes us to die. Do we live in that? No, we died in that. If we're in Christ do not die to another means of men.

Why is this important? Why is this so implicit for us to boast or to to consider and read and preach to ourselves all the time? Verse 3 here says who worship in the Spirit of God. So we are the circumcision.