Sunday, February 13, 2000   

You see, the Judaizer’s had been insisting that to be saved you had to keep the Mosaic law. Paul says that: "If there ever was a person who could have confidence in the flesh, then I could have even more confidence."

Lest anyone accuse Paul of not knowing what he was talking about, Paul hangs out his shingle, puts forth his credentials, not to boast, but to let the Jews know that he was a privileged Jew with an impressive pedigree. He wants to show them that if anyone could be saved by being religious, he would have been saved that way.

The Judaizer's believed in the works of man for their salvation; they had confidence in the flesh. Paul, by the grace of God, had come to see that salvation is all of grace. To be saved you must depend completely on the merits of Jesus Christ, the only perfect sacrifice.

Verse 5-6 gives us the seven areas of Paul's association with the Jewish religion. They have been likened to seven steps to reach the heights of Judaism, but they do not lead to heaven.

Paul had a lot to boast about in the flesh; but when it comes to salvation, we boast in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9).

I. VERSE 5a, BOAST IN RITUAL

     A. "Circumcised the eight day." Paul's circumcision was according to divine order (Leviticus 12:1, 3).

          1. He did not come into Judaism as a proselyte.

          2. He was not circumcised later in life.

          3. ”Every loyal Jew practiced the sacred rite of circumcision on the eighth day" (Strauss 151).

               a. Zacharias and Elizabeth (Luke 1:59). b. Joseph and Mary (Luke 2:21).

     B. The great apostle Paul tells us that on the eighth day he received this ritual rite. He could boast that he was a Jew by birth. But this rite could not save. Paul would later count his circumcision as loss for Christ (verse 7).

     C. There are many who believe that infant baptism brings babies into the new covenant. Many who were sprinkled as infants have false hope believing that they will go to heaven because of ritual.

          1. Baptism is for those who believe the Gospel. Infants cannot believe!

          2. Only those who receive Christ are proper candidates for baptism (Acts 2:41; 8:36-38).

          3. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward experience.

II. VERSE 5b, BOAST IN RELATIONSHIP

     A. "Of the stock of Israel." Paul could follow his family tree all the way back to Jacob the patriarch. God changed Jacob's name to Israel, and Israel is the name for the Jewish nation, and to the Jews it is something to boast about (Genesis 32:28).

          1. Paul's ability to trace his roots back to Jacob added dignity to his pedigree.

          2. His pedigree showed that he was a blood born Israelite.

     B. Trusting in your bloodline will not save you for it is not the blood of ancestors that cleanses us from sin. Only the blood of Jesus can cleanse us from sin (John 1:12-13; I John 1:7).

          1. Friends, just because you were born in a Christian home doesn't at all mean you are saved.

          2. Trust Christ and be born into the family of God.

III. VERSE 5c, BOAST IN RESPECTABILITY

     A. "Of the tribe of Benjamin." This is the tribe known for its loyalty to the throne of David.

          1. When ten tribes separated from King Rehoboam, dividing the kingdom. Benjamin remained loyal to the house of Judah.

          2. Benjamin was held in high regard and respect for its integrity and faithfulness to God's choice.

          3. The Benjamite's were "mighty men of valor, archers" (I Chronicles 8:40).

     B. It is a noble family trait to be respectable. It is good when families are known for their good names and for their rich family tradition.

          1. Let us keep in mind that no amount of family respectability or pride can get us into heaven.

          2. Jesus told the noble Nicodemus: "Ye must be born again."

IV. VERSE 5d, BOAST IN RACE

     A. "An Hebrew of the Hebrews." Paul could look all the way back to Abraham for his pedigree.

          1. There was no Gentile blood mingled in his veins. His mother and father were pure Jews.

          2. Though he live in Tarsus, Paul never departed from his rich Hebrew traditions. Hellenistic Jews conformed to the Greek language and customs. Not Paul, he still spoke Hebrew and lived by Jews customs.

          3. Paul was proud of is racial distinction.

          4. Saul was lost until he believed on Jesus. His racial pride could not save him.

     B. No one is saved because they are white, black, yellow or red. The only ones who are saved are those who trust in Jesus.

          1. In speaking of the Jewish and Gentile believers, Paul said in Ephesians 2:14: "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us." Gentiles who were far off are now brought near by the blood of Christ (Ephesians 2:13).

          2. The Gospel is to be preached to every creature, to all nations, kindreds and tongues (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15).

V. VERSE 5e, BOAST IN RELIGION

     A. "As touching the law, a Pharisee." Paul was an old order Pharisee meaning that:

          1. He held the word of God in high regard.

          2. He carefully obeyed the law even when others failed to.

          3. He believed in and maintained high personal morals.

          4. H. A. Ironside said: "Of the various sects existing in his day, the Pharisees were the most intensely orthodox" (Strauss 154).

     B. Paul was proud of his religion (Acts 23:6).

          1. When on trial before Agrippa, he testified that he was a strict Pharisee (Acts 26:5).

          2. The Pharisees were sincere, but they were sincerely wrong.

     C. We are saved by the precious blood of Jesus not by holding to men's traditions (I Peter 1:18-21).

VI. VERSE 6a, BOAST IN REPUTATION

     A. "Concerning zeal, persecuting the church." Saul of Tarsus was known for his devotion to the Jewish religion and for his zeal in stopping the spread of the Gospel.

          1. Strauss says: "His movements were like a mighty hurricane. Luke describes him as "breathing out threatenings and slaughters against the disciples of the Lord' (Acts 9:1)."

          2. He was so sure that he was right that he murdered Christians. In Acts 8:1, we see him consenting to the death of Stephen.

          3. Saul had the reputation of being a sincere guardian of the Jewish religion. His zeal blinded him from the truth. He hated Christ and His disciples.

          4. Saul worked hard at his religion, but he was lost in sin.

     B. Religious work is no substitute for salvation by grace.

          1. Many will be turned into hell because they trusted religious zeal instead of Christ (Matthew 7:21-23).

          2. Titus 3:5.

VII. VERSE 6b, BOAST IN RIGHTEOUSNESS

     A. "Touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless." Saul was righteous enough to be said to be blameless before men. He worked hard at it.

          1. He did all he could to keep the law.

          2. He was not alone in this as the story of the young man who said to our Lord concerning the law: "Master, all these have I observed from my youth" (Mark 10:20). Yet, this young man was not saved.

     B. The Bible teaches plainly that "all have sinned." The Word of God tells us that we have all missed the mark and that "all our righteousness’ are as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6).

          1. On the road to Damascus to slaughter Christians, Saul saw his pedigree as a filthy rag, a polluted garment.

          2. Until the moment that Christ saved him, Saul had gone about to establish his own righteousness (Romans 10:3).

     C. Because of salvation in Christ, Paul could write the precious words of II Corinthians 5:21.

CONCLUSION: Philippians 3:7 is Paul's testimony of saving grace.