Paul warns Christians against those who say circumcision is necessary for salvation. He emphasizes that true circumcision and worship of God comes through faith in Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit, not human effort to please God through works. Paul contrasts his own past religious credentials and efforts to obey the law with faultless perfection against knowing Christ and relying on what He has done. Living by faith means trusting in God's acceptance of us, rather than trying to earn His favor through good works or spiritual disciplines. Those who focus on pleasing God through their own efforts are not worshiping in spirit and truth, but are exalting themselves, just as the Pharisee did.

1. Philippians 3:1-6

2. Lord. I never get tired of telling you
these things, and I do it to
safeguard your faith. 2Watch out for
those dogs, those people who do
evil, those mutilators who say you
must be circumcised to be saved.
Philippians 3:1-6 - Whatever
happens, my dear brothers
and sisters, rejoice in the

3. For we who worship by the
Spirit of God are the ones
who are truly circumcised.
We rely on what Christ
Jesus has done for us. We
put no confidence in
human effort, though I
could have confidence in
my own effort if anyone

4. could. Indeed, if others have
reason for confidence in
their own efforts, I have
even more! 5I was
circumcised when I was
eight days old. I am a pure-
blooded citizen of Israel and
a member of the tribe of
Benjamin—a real Hebrew if
there ever was one!

5. I was a member of the
Pharisees, who demand
the strictest obedience to
the Jewish law. 6I was so
zealous that I harshly
persecuted the church.
And as for
righteousness, I obeyed
the law without fault. NLT

6. Paul’s Credentials (Did nothing)
> Circumcised when I was 8 days old
> I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel
> A member of the tribe of Benjamin

7. Paul’s Credentials (Did something)
> A real Hebrew
> Pharisees, who demand the
strictest obedience to the Jewish law
> I was so zealous that I harshly
persecuted the church
> I obeyed the law without fault

8. Safeguarding Your Faith
> Joy is a main theme in Philippians
> Joy is experienced as you Trust
Christ and marks us as one of His

9. > Paul wanted these Christians to
be safe in the Truth of the Gospel
> A common lie is that you need to
focus on pleasing God instead of
Trusting God (abiding – resting – faith)

10. The Confusion Over Circumcision
> Identifying mark of the covenant
that God made with Abraham
> Jews were referred to as the
Circumcision & Gentiles as the
Uncircumcised
> Every Jewish boy is circumcised
on the 8th day after his birth.

11. > Circumcision and Water Baptism
are related.
> Water Baptism is an outward sign
of the circumcision of a Believer’s
heart.

12. Romans 2:25-29 – The
Jewish ceremony of
circumcision has value only if
you obey God’s law. But if
you don’t obey God’s law,
you are no better off than an
uncircumcised Gentile. 26And
if the Gentiles obey God’s
law, won’t God declare them
to be his own people?

13. 27In fact, uncircumcised
Gentiles who keep God’s
law will condemn you Jews
who are circumcised and
possess God’s law but don’t
obey it. 28For you are not a
true Jew just because you
were born of Jewish parents
or because you have gone
through the ceremony of

14. circumcision. 29No, a true
Jew is one whose heart is
right with God. And true
circumcision is not merely
obeying the letter of the law;
rather, it is a change of
heart produced by God’s
Spirit. And a person with a
changed heart seeks praise
from God, not people. NLT

15. > When Christians focus on the
exterior, their heart's circumcision
isn't being lived out.
> We often resort to focusing on
pleasing God instead of Trusting
God for what He declares about us.

16. > Those who focus on pleasing God
don't live by Faith they live by the
works of the Law.

17. > You have exchanged your
relationship with God for performance
and therefore live a driven life
characterized by guilt, shame and fear.
> When you live this way you deny
the power of the Holy Spirit.

18. 2 Timothy 3:5 – They will
act religious, but they will
reject the power that
could make them godly.
Stay away from people
like that! NLT

19. > When you live this way you will
attempt to get other people to live
this way - focusing upon the
spiritual disciplines and effort as
the way to please God.

20. Matthew 18:6 – But if you
cause one of these little
ones who trusts in me to
fall into sin, it would be
better for you to have a
large millstone tied
around your neck and be
drowned in the depths of
the sea. NLT

21. > Those who focus on pleasing God,
deny the gospel of grace and are
identical to the Judaizers, the
Jewish legalists, who focused on
fleshly circumcision and the Law of
Moses.
> The teaching of the Judaizers was
condemned as heresy by the
Jerusalem Council in Acts 15:1-29.

22. John 4:23-24 – But the time
is coming—indeed it’s here
now—when true worshipers
will worship the Father in
spirit and in truth. The Father
is looking for those who will
worship him that way. 24For
God is Spirit, so those who
worship him must worship in
spirit and in truth.” NLT

23. > Only Christians can worship by
the Spirit because only Christians
have the Holy Spirit within them
and are spiritually alive to God.

24. In Spirit – True Worship comes from
a sincere and contrite heart abiding
with the Holy Spirit within you.

25. Luke 18:11-12 – The
Pharisee stood by himself
and prayed this prayer:
‘I thank you, God that I am not a
sinner like everyone else. For I don’t
cheat, I don’t sin, and I don’t commit
adultery. I’m certainly not like that tax
collector! I fast twice a week, and I
give you a tenth of my income.’ NLT

26. Luke 18:13-14 – But the
tax collector stood at a
distance and dared not
even lift his eyes to
heaven as he prayed.
Instead, he beat his chest
in sorrow, saying,‘O God,
be merciful to me, for I
am a sinner.’

27. 14I tell you, this sinner, not
the Pharisee, returned
home justified before God.
For those who exalt
themselves will be humbled,
and those who humble
themselves will be exalted.”
NLT

28. Christians who focus on doing
things really exalt themselves
and instead of pleasing God they
do the exact opposite – just like
the self-righteous Pharisee.

29. In Truth – Guided by the Scriptures
not the opinion of the worshiper.

30. True worshipers trust God in
what He already says about them
(accepted and complete in
Christ) - they don't try to achieve
or earn God's favor by focusing
on pleasing Him but resting in
what God has declared.

31. Isaiah 29:13 – And so the
Lord says, “These people
say they are mine. They
honor me with their lips, but
their hearts are far from
me. And their worship of
me is nothing but man-
made rules learned by rote.
NLT

32. John 6:63 – The Spirit alone
gives eternal life. Human
effort accomplishes nothing.
And the very words I have
spoken to you are spirit and
life. NLT

33. Romans 7:18 – And I know
that nothing good lives in
me, that is, in my sinful
nature. I want to do what
is right, but I can’t. NLT

34. Romans 8:6-8 – So letting
your sinful nature control
your mind leads to death.
But letting the Spirit
control your mind leads to
life and peace. 7For the
sinful nature is always
hostile to God. It never
did obey God’s laws,

35. and it never will. 8That’s
why those who are still
under the control of
their sinful nature can
never please God. NLT

36. The Reason - Because
you try to fix the
symptom while not
trusting that Jesus cured
the disease.

37. Meditation & Application
Moses
613 Rules
365 negative
248 positive

38. Meditation & Application
David
Psalm 15
11 Rules

39. Meditation & Application
Isaiah
33:14-15
6 Rules

40. Meditation & Application
Micah
6:8
3 Rules

41. Meditation & Application
Habakkuk
2:4
1 Rule
The just shall live by faith

42. Meditation & Application
Lean on Jesus by having
the faith that what He did is
sufficient to get you though
your problems and your life.
Be Baptized