“Dr. H. A. Ironside, longtime pastor of Chicago’s Moody Church, was told by a woman that she expected to get to heaven by faith plus her good works. ‘It’s like rowing a boat,’ she explained. ‘It takes two oars to row a boat; otherwise you go around in a circle.’
“Dr. Ironside replied, ‘That’s a good illustration except for one thing: I’m not going to heaven in a rowboat!”1
We’re going to heaven in Christ, because of Him and what He has done for us at the Cross. By faith in Christ alone, we’re going to heaven. Most believe salvation is a work of man for God. God’s Word, however, declares that salvation comes by grace, a work of God for man.
Religion, with its rules, obligations, rituals, and observances, doesn’t save anyone. Only Christ saves. There’s nothing we can do to save ourselves and no one can earn their way to heaven by their good works. We need to lose religion to find salvation, because the only way anyone is saved from all their sins and has eternal life is by trusting the perfect provision made for our sins at the Cross, trusting that Christ died for our sins and rose again.
WE ARE THE CIRCUMCISION
“For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. 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” (Phil. 3:3-4).
Paul wrote, “For we,” that is, we in the Church, the Body of Christ, spiritually speaking, “are the circumcision.” In time past, under God’s prophetic program, the “circumcision” was a physical one and referred to the Jews. Today, under grace, the circumcision is spiritual and refers to all who have trusted Christ as their Savior.
We are the circumcision, not because we happen to be born of Jewish parents. Rather, we are the circumcision because of what Colossians 2:10-11 teaches the Body of Christ:
“Ye are complete in Him… 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.”
The believer is complete in Christ apart from religion and ritualism, entirely by virtue of the Cross of Christ and His resurrection. “The circumcision made without hands” refers to a spiritual circumcision, a spiritual cutting off. “The body of the sins of the flesh” in Colossians 2:11 refers to our sinful, fallen, Adamic nature. “The circumcision of Christ” refers to Christ’s death at the Cross.
This verse teaches that the moment we believed and were placed into Christ, we underwent a spiritual circumcision in which, positionally and judicially before God, “the body of the sins of the flesh,” or our old, sin nature, was cut off by Christ’s death for sin. By the Cross of Christ, “we are the circumcision,” because the flesh, our sin nature, was crucified with Christ and cut off before God. And thus, in Christ, we are sinless and righteous.
Philippians 3:3 gives three characteristics of the circumcision: 1) we “worship God in the Spirit”; 2) we “rejoice in Christ Jesus”; and 3) we “have no confidence in the flesh.”
First, we “worship God in the Spirit.” We worship God, not by the deadness of ritualistic ceremonies of religion. True worship of God is not based on externals, but on the attitude of the heart. In John 4:24, the Lord taught, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” We “worship God in the Spirit” by faith and obedience to the truth of His Word. And worship in its truest sense involves the whole of our lives. A believer worships God by being an authentic, consistent testimony which brings honor and glory to our Savior.
Second, we rejoice, not in religious observances or in ourselves or what we’ve done; instead we “rejoice in Christ Jesus” and what He’s done for us by His grace, compassion, and kindness. Our boast is Christ and we glory in His Cross. All that we are, and all that we have spiritually and eternally, is because of Christ Jesus. As 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 reminds us, “But of Him [God] are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption… He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”
Third, we “have no confidence in the flesh.” We do not rely on our own religious attainments, accomplishments, or external works for acceptance with God. We are God’s because we have not placed our confidence in these things of self and instead have placed our confidence solely in Christ and what He has done on our behalf to save us.
While those who are religious often display great confidence because of their achievements and good works, it’s a deceitful and dangerous confidence. Sinful men, in their flesh, have no grounds for confidence before God. Each person must come to the point of having no confidence in the flesh and humbly trusting in Christ alone.
Writing about having “no confidence in the flesh” triggered memories and emotions in Paul as he recalled when he himself placed confidence in the flesh for his salvation. This led Paul, by the Spirit, to give us his personal testimony, and to give a self-portrait of a religious unbeliever.
In Philippians 3:4-6, Paul showed the Philippians that his attainments and heritage surpassed everyone. If anyone could boast about strict observance of religion, it was he. If anyone had a reason to trust in himself and believe that his religious credentials could earn righteousness and be deserving of eternal life before God, it was Paul. And he laid his merits on the table; in effect, he pulled back the curtain revealing his large trophy case for all to see and showed the Church how he had more ground for boasting than anyone else. He opened the book of his life like an auditor to show us his wealth according to the law, but then he revealed the truth of how he was in every way spiritually bankrupt.
Paul wrote this part of his letter like a challenge and a showdown. And even before he got specific, he concluded ahead of time that he had exceeded any advantage or credential of any competitor: “If any other man thinketh he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more”!
We often think of the flesh only as that part of people that drives him to commit sin and live for self. However, here we learn that “the flesh” is also pridefully religious. And when the flesh tries to do good and be good or be better than others, that is when it is the most dangerous. The religious proudly think that God must accept them and that they need no Savior.-------------
bereanbiblesociety.org
“Dr. Ironside replied, ‘That’s a good illustration except for one thing: I’m not going to heaven in a rowboat!”1
We’re going to heaven in Christ, because of Him and what He has done for us at the Cross. By faith in Christ alone, we’re going to heaven. Most believe salvation is a work of man for God. God’s Word, however, declares that salvation comes by grace, a work of God for man.
Religion, with its rules, obligations, rituals, and observances, doesn’t save anyone. Only Christ saves. There’s nothing we can do to save ourselves and no one can earn their way to heaven by their good works. We need to lose religion to find salvation, because the only way anyone is saved from all their sins and has eternal life is by trusting the perfect provision made for our sins at the Cross, trusting that Christ died for our sins and rose again.
WE ARE THE CIRCUMCISION
“For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. 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” (Phil. 3:3-4).
Paul wrote, “For we,” that is, we in the Church, the Body of Christ, spiritually speaking, “are the circumcision.” In time past, under God’s prophetic program, the “circumcision” was a physical one and referred to the Jews. Today, under grace, the circumcision is spiritual and refers to all who have trusted Christ as their Savior.
We are the circumcision, not because we happen to be born of Jewish parents. Rather, we are the circumcision because of what Colossians 2:10-11 teaches the Body of Christ:
“Ye are complete in Him… 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.”
The believer is complete in Christ apart from religion and ritualism, entirely by virtue of the Cross of Christ and His resurrection. “The circumcision made without hands” refers to a spiritual circumcision, a spiritual cutting off. “The body of the sins of the flesh” in Colossians 2:11 refers to our sinful, fallen, Adamic nature. “The circumcision of Christ” refers to Christ’s death at the Cross.
This verse teaches that the moment we believed and were placed into Christ, we underwent a spiritual circumcision in which, positionally and judicially before God, “the body of the sins of the flesh,” or our old, sin nature, was cut off by Christ’s death for sin. By the Cross of Christ, “we are the circumcision,” because the flesh, our sin nature, was crucified with Christ and cut off before God. And thus, in Christ, we are sinless and righteous.
Philippians 3:3 gives three characteristics of the circumcision: 1) we “worship God in the Spirit”; 2) we “rejoice in Christ Jesus”; and 3) we “have no confidence in the flesh.”
First, we “worship God in the Spirit.” We worship God, not by the deadness of ritualistic ceremonies of religion. True worship of God is not based on externals, but on the attitude of the heart. In John 4:24, the Lord taught, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” We “worship God in the Spirit” by faith and obedience to the truth of His Word. And worship in its truest sense involves the whole of our lives. A believer worships God by being an authentic, consistent testimony which brings honor and glory to our Savior.
Second, we rejoice, not in religious observances or in ourselves or what we’ve done; instead we “rejoice in Christ Jesus” and what He’s done for us by His grace, compassion, and kindness. Our boast is Christ and we glory in His Cross. All that we are, and all that we have spiritually and eternally, is because of Christ Jesus. As 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 reminds us, “But of Him [God] are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption… He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.”
Third, we “have no confidence in the flesh.” We do not rely on our own religious attainments, accomplishments, or external works for acceptance with God. We are God’s because we have not placed our confidence in these things of self and instead have placed our confidence solely in Christ and what He has done on our behalf to save us.
While those who are religious often display great confidence because of their achievements and good works, it’s a deceitful and dangerous confidence. Sinful men, in their flesh, have no grounds for confidence before God. Each person must come to the point of having no confidence in the flesh and humbly trusting in Christ alone.
Writing about having “no confidence in the flesh” triggered memories and emotions in Paul as he recalled when he himself placed confidence in the flesh for his salvation. This led Paul, by the Spirit, to give us his personal testimony, and to give a self-portrait of a religious unbeliever.
In Philippians 3:4-6, Paul showed the Philippians that his attainments and heritage surpassed everyone. If anyone could boast about strict observance of religion, it was he. If anyone had a reason to trust in himself and believe that his religious credentials could earn righteousness and be deserving of eternal life before God, it was Paul. And he laid his merits on the table; in effect, he pulled back the curtain revealing his large trophy case for all to see and showed the Church how he had more ground for boasting than anyone else. He opened the book of his life like an auditor to show us his wealth according to the law, but then he revealed the truth of how he was in every way spiritually bankrupt.
Paul wrote this part of his letter like a challenge and a showdown. And even before he got specific, he concluded ahead of time that he had exceeded any advantage or credential of any competitor: “If any other man thinketh he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more”!
We often think of the flesh only as that part of people that drives him to commit sin and live for self. However, here we learn that “the flesh” is also pridefully religious. And when the flesh tries to do good and be good or be better than others, that is when it is the most dangerous. The religious proudly think that God must accept them and that they need no Savior.-------------
Losing Religion to Find Salvation
“Dr. H. A. Ironside, longtime pastor of Chicago’s Moody Church, was told by a woman that she expected to get to heaven by faith plus her good works. ‘It’s like rowing a boat,’ she explained. ‘It takes two oars to row a boat; otherwise you go around in a circle.’ “Dr. Ironside replied, ‘That’s a g
bereanbiblesociety.org
