KEY SCRIPTURE: Phil 3:3 KJV. “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.”

In our past study, we observed that the Christian worships the Lord in the Spirit and joyfully serve the Lord. There is the last part of the key scripture that we did not look at. The Christian has no confidence in the flesh. The Christian comes into Christ not by works but by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.

Eph 2:8-9. The scripture adds that there is no boasting. The reason for so many religions is a sad display of the men and women who have sought approval from whatever divine being they acknowledge. In the light of this region, they judge and claim certain people do not meet the standard, and so they must be persecuted. In the bible, the religious leaders brought the woman caught in adultery, claiming she must be stoned to death. Religion makes men easily condemn others. This is so because they consider themselves better than others. This is not so about the Christian, for everything he has is by grace. He cannot boast about how good he is.

Christianity is having a borrowed life. It is no longer you. We died with Jesus, and so it is now Jesus alive in us. You can’t have any confidence in your flesh because anything done via the flesh is death. Rom 8:6 “For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace:” You cannot call yourself a Christian, and be self-righteous, because our righteousness is given to us by grace, and it is received by faith.

 Christianity is a life of grace from the first to the end. The scripture rightly said of His fullness, we have all received grace upon grace. Pride, arrogance, and almost all these sinful ways are products of the flesh. Christian pastors who are drawn into competition about who has the largest congregation or who has the latest car are all a display of the flesh. You can’t be a Christian and have confidence in the flesh. Once again, another sign of a true Christian is that he never attributes any achievement to himself but ascribes all successes to the ability of God through him

Dear one, if you have been priding yourself on any achievements or associating anything with your special abilities, then either you do not understand what Christianity is all about, or you are just not one in the first place.

FURTHER STUDIES

2Co 3:5 BBE “Not as if we were able by ourselves to do anything for which we might take the credit; but our power comes from God;”

Gal 2:20 BBE” I have been put to death on the cross with Christ; still I am living; no longer I, but Christ is living in me; and that life which I now am living in the flesh I am living by faith, the faith of the Son of God, who in love for me, gave himself up for me.”