Today's Passage - Phil 3:1-3

River of Life Christian Church ︳www.rolcc.net/english Philippians 3:1-3   Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh...   Paul said that those who have received circumcision should put no confidence in the flesh.  It is indeed easy for people to depend on the flesh.  When we have some achievement, we become proud of ourselves, and we feel that God is on our side.  WE also easily boast on spiritual matters.  Some in the church boast that they read the scripture a lot, some boast that they are diligent in helping others, and some boast about their spiritual experience.   So why did Paul teach us not to boast by our flesh?  It's because even though these things might looks "spiritual", if we value them more than we value the will of God, they might actually hinder us from getting closer to God and pleasing Him.  In John 5:39-40, Jesus severely rebuked the Pharisees: "You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life."  Pharisees value the scripture, but they boast by their spiritual knowledge; they feel that they are the authority on the scripture, which made them reject the teaching of Jesus.   Paul said that those we have truly circumcised worship God by His spirit, not by their own interest or traditions that never change.  They are willing let the Holy Spirit guide them freely.  "Boast in Christ Jesus" means a person cannot do anything apart from Christ; he needs to constantly depend on Christ but he's afraid of depending on himself.  Are you someone who depends on Christ?  May the Lord help us to lay down the baggage of our body, tradition and experience; let us have a renewed expectation to experience the abundance in Christ.        Pray with Pastor Tong           Lord Jesus, we thank you because you are the Lord who will do new things.  I am willing to lay down all my baggage, my concepts, traditions and interests.  May the Spirit of the Lord raise me up, let me once again experience how real and abundant you are.  I thank you and I pray in the victorious name of Jesus, amen!