 | Philippians 3:3 "For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh."
It is amazing what people do in the innate desire to have peace, know God, and to do something or be something in order to have that peace. On a recent trip to the Philippines, I saw news coverage of a statue that dates back hundreds of years which is worshipped by huge masses of people. The desire to have peace, to know God, and to do something to gain God's favor spans time and culture. Paul didn't worship this statue from the Philippines; but before his conversion, all his confidence and boasting was in what he had done, not in who Christ is.
Is it possible to be guilty of the same thinking, even after we are saved? Any person on any given day can transfer his confidence from Christ to himself, in Christian service or any number of areas in the Christian life. One sure-fire way to know in whom you've placed your confidence is to observe what you rejoice in. Paul gives us a definition of rejoicing in Jesus Christ in verse 3-". . . and have no confidence in the flesh."
What do you have to do today? Where is your confidence? If your confidence is in yourself now and in what you have done later, that is a mighty big weight to carry! That kind of confidence depends on your goodness, and the odds are not stacked in your favor on that one, either! If today's success is based on your strength, you are carrying a burden that does not belong to you, and you are in big trouble.
If your confidence is in Jesus Christ, He is the One who has to be strong. If you have trusted Christ for salvation, don't you think He is trustworthy to put your confidence in today? There is a wonderful confidence that comes by trusting God. Confidence in Christ is steady because He never fails!
Everything Paul had going for him-everything he had done-was "counted loss for Christ." The "currency" he had stored up was not legal tender in heaven! Only "the righteousness which is of God by faith" is accepted by God. If you have trusted God for salvation, there is no need to carry the burden that comes along with confidence in yourself. There is no confidence like confidence in Christ!
". . . rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh." | Prayer Requests: 1. Protection and provision for staff 2. Groups traveling home from camp tonight and tomorrow 3. Campers traveling to the Ranch this weekend from Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Missouri, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico Camp Quote: "God should be more than life can give and death can take away from you." -Pastor Jeff Redlin | | Visit our website for more information about our summer camp weeks! | | | |
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