Christian Living

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Stay In The Safety Zone

Philippians 3:1-3

Finally my brethren rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievious, but for you it is safe.
Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, and beware of the concision.
For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.

1. Rejoice in the Lord
2. Say what Jesus say about things
3. Seek the right counsel, where there is counsel there is safety

Paul here is writing to the Church at Phillipi, a major city of Macedonia on the road from Rome to Asia, during his second missionary journey, along with Timothy and Silas, were making there way across Asia Minor (Turkey as it is called today). When he received the vision at Traos, there a man was pleading come over to Macedonia and help us. Perceiving that the Lord was calling him to go, he went over there along with Timothy, Silas, and Luke also accompanying them. The church was established at Phillipi, consisting mostly of Gentiles. Women played a great role in the growth of the church, as is today. Philippians is one of Paul’s four prison epistles along with Ephesians, Colossians and Philemon, because Paul was in prison at Rome for the Gospel’s sake when he wrote these epistles. Which says you don’t have to be idle because of incarceration. Some of us are incarcerated and not locked up. We are incarcerated in the confines of our minds. The Church took care that Paul had what he needed and couldn’t get on his own, being locked up in jail. So he was writing to thank them for their support, as well as encourage them and comfort them concerning his situation. Whatever state you are in, good or bad, you must retain a posture of Christ. You can’t allow yourself to become bitter. He exhorts them to rejoice in the Lord.

We should be reminded of who we are in Christ and where we are headed to, heaven or hell. How we are walking, while we are striving to get there and see that we can’t place confidence in our fleshly nature, but trust God in all things.

When we boast of our homes, jobs, cars, children, what we do, have done or is doing, we do it to the flesh, but these things is dung, comparing to who Jesus is and knowing him in a more excellent way. We have to be found in Christ. What do people find you doing the most of your time? What you love and put joy in is what you will do. Righteousness and faith is of God. Knowing Jesus and him resurrected is of God. Sharing his suffering is of God.

There are dogs out there and they are barking loud. Their bark is louder than their walk. They work all manner of evil. Paul was referring to the Judaizers, those Jews professing to be Christians. If you weren’t circumcised according to Acts 15:1, you could not be saved. Their weapon was one of persuasion rather than persecution, but they were a danger to the church. Paul warns to beware of those dogs, the most despised shameless, and miserable creature made. A scavenger, roaming the streets and feeding on refuse. The Jews referred to Gentiles as dogs. They didn’t circumcise, but mutilated the flesh, believing it was necessary to be saved, not realizing that the circumcision was in the heart. Cut out whatever was there that was not like God, envy, murders, hatred, and all fruits of the flesh.

Worship, true worship is to worship in the spirit. For the true worshipper worship in spirit in truth, no longer in the mountain or in the circumcision, being prompted directed and enabled by the Holy Ghost.

Rejoice in Christ

Christians rejoice in Christ no matter what. It doesn’t matter what things look like or what it seems like, whatever state we are in we will rejoice for we know in whom we believe and what we believe. We are proud to be called his children. We witness of what we believe. We know that it’s not in our strength that we live and have our being, but it’s God. We don’t depend on ourselves or count ourselves more worthy than we should, we have no confidence in the flesh for we know that there is no good thing that dwell in the flesh. The flesh is earthly, nasty. Our privileges, our human attainments, our religious accomplishments, what we do, its not about us, but it is about the work and vision of God, that we exist for. We don’t depend on those accomplishments in the world or church to base our salvation on, but the favor of God.

We have to watch the attitude in which we serve. When looking at our walk, our actual walk, not our blunders in life, will someone want to mimic your love for Christ? Because we will have downfalls, because the Devil fights so hard against us to nullify our walk or witness, he destroys our natural lives, in the hope of putting us in a position of sin. But blessed be the name of the Lord, there are many people who are the enemy of Christ and they are your enemy too. They have made their flesh the focal point of their being, their minds and their God is fleshly.

But we as Christians must stay focused and remember that this is not our home. We have a home not made with hands that we must stay focused on. Keep our heart and minds heavenly.

Watch your attitude and the attitude or mind of others who are matured in the things of God. Don’t see them, but see God in them. If we had just looked at Jesus on the cross, we would only have seen another man, but he was more than what you see. He was spirit. This is how we should see people in the Lord. See Christ in them, not flesh. See how they are walking, not just how they walk. What kind of example of Christ they are setting, do they follow after Christ diligently to know him or are they just part of the Church?

The enemy of the cross already knows their end. Their end is destruction, is someone around you always tearing you down, rather than build you up? Is their belly their God? Always ready to feed the flesh rather than the spirit?

Their glory is there shame, are they always lifting themselves up, always directing the message to themselves or are they directing you to Christ, are they always talking about earthly things or are they manifesting Christ?

We have to see Christ, no matter what seems like, looks like, taste like, or feels like, we have to see God.
Our life is not as we live in the flesh but as we live for Christ. Our life in the flesh should reflect Jesus.
All the time things aren’t going to go like you want it to, but seek peace and God’s will for the situation.
It’s not about us winning, but has Christ won.
It’s not about us, but Christ in our lives.

Stay in the safety zone, in the confines of Christ realm. He will exalt you in due time if you faint not.
Jesus knows who you are and whom you belong to.
He knows what you were created for.
Stay humble, sweet, and submissive to his will.
Rejoice in him, say what Jesus says about the whole matter, and always seek the right counsel, where there is counsel there is safety.

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