though I myself could have such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more:though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more: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:though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh: if any other man thinketh to have confidence in the flesh, I yet more:
3 sermons cite this verse
this is the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. You may be seated. In the book of Philippians, Paul has been sharing with us his secret to the good life, demonstrating to us both what it is and how we can obtain it. And in chapter 3, Paul lays out an important component in our quest for the good life, and that is helping us identify what we think qualifies us for the good life. You see, Philippians 3 is Paul's resume, so to speak, of what Paul believed pre-Jesus qualified him for the good life, and then how he sees things now after having met Jesus. A resume, when you think about it, is essentially an argument. It's an argument for why you deserve something. So if you are applying for a job, Your resume is your argument for why you belong in that job instead of other candidates. If you are applying to a school, your application for admission, which is a kind of resume, is your argument for why you should be admitted to that school instead of other people. …
So we're in John's gospel this morning, the fourth one, which is so different from the other three that it helps to keep a few things in mind. The first thing is that John was the last to write down what he had seen and heard a long time after those things happened. Children whose parents had brought them to Jesus for a blessing were great-grandparents by then, if they were still alive at all. John had been thinking about who Jesus was and what his life, death, and resurrection meant for a long time. If he had read any of the other Gospels, he did not feel compelled to harmonize with them. He had his own sense of how the story should be told, and he felt freed by the Spirit to tell it in his own way. So that's the second thing. John tells stories that none of the other evangelists does. Without him, no one would ever heard about Jesus turning water into wine, or talking to Nicodemus late in the night, or to the Samaritan woman at the well. …
Thirdly. The apostle did not only diligently seek heaven after he knew he was converted, but was earnestly cautious lest he should be damned; as appears by the passage already cited. 1 Cor ix. 27. “But I keep under my body and bring it into subjection, lest by any means, when I have preached to others, 1 myself should be a castaway.” Here you see the apostle is very careful lest he should be a castaway, and denies his carnal appetites, and mortifies his flesh, for that reason. He did not say, “I am safe, I am sure I shall never be lost; why need I take any further care respecting it?” Many think because they suppose themselves converted, and so safe, that they have nothing to do with the awful threatenings of God’s word, and those terrible denunciations of damnation that are contained in it. When they hear them, they hear them as things which belong only to others, and not at all to themselves, as though there were no application of what is revealed in the Scripture respecting hell, to the godly. And therefore, when they hear awakening sermons about the awful things that God has threatened to the wicked, they do not hear them for themselves, but only for others. But it was not thus with this holy apostle, who certainly was as safe from hell, and as far from a damnable state, as any of us. He looked upon himself as still nearly concerned in God’s threatenings of eternal damnation, notwithstanding all his hope, and all his eminent holiness, and therefore gave great diligence, that he might avoid eternal damnation. For he considered that eternal misery was as certainly connected with a wicked life as ever it was, and that it was absolutely necessary that he should still keep under his body, and bring it into subjection, in order that he might not be damned; because indulging the lusts of the body and being damned were more surely connected together. The apostle knew that this conditional proposition was true concerning him, as ever it was. “If I live wickedly, or do not live in a way of universal obedience to God’s commands, I shall certainly be a castaway.” This is evident, because the apostle mentions a proposition of this nature concerning himself in that very chapter where he says, he kept under his body lest he should be a castaway.1 Cor. ix. 16. “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of, for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel.” What necessity was there upon the apostle to preach the gospel, though God had commanded him, for he was already converted, and was safe; and if he had neglected to preach the gospel, how could he have perished after he was converted? But yet this conditional proposition was still true; if he did not live a life of obedience to God, woe would be to him; woe to him, if he did not preach the gospel. The connexion still held. It is impossible a man should go any where else than to hell in a way of disobedience to God. And therefore he deemed it necessary for him to preach the gospel on that account, and on the same account he deemed it necessary to keep under his body, lest he should be a castaway. The connexion between a wicked life and damnation is so certain, that if a man lives a wicked life, it proves that all his supposed experiences are nothing. If a man at the last day be found a worker of iniquity, nothing else will be inquired of about him. Let him pretend what he will, Christ will say to him and all others like him, “Depart from me, I know you not, ye that work iniquity. ” And God has revealed these threatenings and this connexion, not only to deter wicked men, but also godly men, from sin. And though God will keep men that are converted from damnation, yet this is the means by which he will keep them from it; viz. he will keep them from a wicked life. And though he will keep them from a wicked life, yet this is one means by which he will keep them from it, viz. by their own caution to avoid damnation, and by his threatenings of damnation if they should live a wicked life. We have another remarkable instance in Job, who was an eminently holy man, yet avoided sin with the utmost care, because he would avoid destruction from God. Job xxxi. Surely we have as much cause to be cautious, that we do not expose ourselves to destruction from God, as holy Job had. We have not a greater stock of goodness than he. The apostle directs Christians to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. Phil. ii. 12. And it is spoken of as the character of a true saint, that he trembles at God’s word; Isa. Ixvi. 2. which is to tremble especially at the awful threatenings of it, as Job did. Whereas the manner of many now is, whenever they think they are converted, to throw by those threatenings of God’s word, as if they had no more to do with them, because they suppose they are converted, and out of danger. Christ gave his disciples, even those of them that were converted, as well as others, directions to strive for salvation; because broad was the way that leads to destruction, and men are so apt to walk in that way and be damned.Matt. vii. 13, 14. “Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” …