JEAN'S BIBLE STUDY COM

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1&2 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;

Phi 3-1,2

(172ab) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Tares among the wheat >> Devils among the saints >> False brethren among the people of God >> Legalists among the liberated – There were evil people in the days of the early church, so nothing has changed in that department. Those who would like to subvert the word of God usually don’t try to actually edit the Scriptures, because it is easier simply to invent new interpretations of the Bible to establish their corner on Christianity; this is the reason for so many religions and denominations in the world. They aim their sites on the gospel to pervert it for the sake of personal gain, but their actions also affect the next hundred generations, making themselves the only ones to profit from their treachery, like politicians who make decisions that benefit only themselves at the people's expense.

(180d) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Wolves >> Be shrewd as wolves and more innocent than they appear >> Wolves in sheep’s clothing – These religious reprobates don’t care how many people they hurt in the process of getting what they want; their unbridled selfishness ravaging the saints and leaving the people to care for themselves. They have a formula for doing their dirty work that has been repeated many times without alteration throughout the ages, since it works so well that it cannot be improved. They align themselves with Satan who never changes, a spirit that operates through principles and not through any kind of intellect that we would understand. They call attention to themselves by promising the congregation things they cannot deliver, promises that are designed to flatter their audience to get them hooked, and then they reel in their prey through guilt and shame.

Phi 3-1

(238i) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom >> Teachers >> Teachers "remind" their students >> Prevention against forgetting -- This verse goes with verses 18&19

Phi 3-2

(159e) Works of the devil >> Essential characteristics >> Counterfeit >> Counterfeit godliness >> Counterfeit repentance – If there is a false circumcision, then there is also a true circumcision. The Spirit performs the true circumcision in the heart, cutting out sin and setting us apart from the world (Col 2-11), but those who prefer physical circumcision to spiritual circumcision are legalists, who append certain observable requirements to salvation, which they trust to secure favor with God, instead of trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Trusting in anything other than His blood sacrifice is the very definition of a false religion, and for this reason Paul called them the false circumcision. It is good hygiene to be circumcised, but spiritual circumcision is cutting away the foreskin of the heart, referring to rising above our temptations that revolve around the maypole of sexual lust. “Dogs” represented gentiles in the days of the Old Testament, but the word has taken on new meaning: unbelievers. They are not the true children of God but are false Christians. The Church today is full of people who want to go to heaven but don’t want to be disciples of Jesus, and we are to beware of them.

KJV    NAS  /  Navigation Bar

3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,

Phi 3,3-11

(88d) Thy kingdom come >> Faith produces works >> The function of works in faith >> Faith doesn’t move God until it is manifested in the natural realm

(177i) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Presumption (Hinduism) >> Misunderstanding the word of God – The emphasis on the law was actually a misconception of Israel, in that God intended the emphasis to remain on the faith of Abraham, which was how their nation was born in the first place. Israel in the days of Jesus somewhat shelved Abraham, though he was literally the father of their faith. The nation of Israel was born when Abraham obeyed the voice of God by journeying into a strange country in search of his own land and a nation that God promised him. Israel was conceived the moment God whispered in his ear, and the nation was born at his first step. Abraham was greater than a patriarch, and his contribution to their faith far outweighed anything the law offered. So, Israel's emphasis on the law was arguably misappropriated for thousands of years until Jesus came and preached to them the gospel of the kingdom, which they could not recognize because of their distorted slant on the Old Testament.

(187h) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Die to the flesh >> Spirit versus the flesh >> Deny the flesh to walk in the Spirit >> More the flesh dies, more the spirit lives

(192c) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Result of putting off the old man >> Gain by losing >> Life for life >> Losing your identity to gain God’s identity – Paul essentially burned his bridges and never looked back. He changed direction and never thought again who he once was and what he once believed. His old life was a complete loss; he was born again, his life having become an utter waste of time and energy. However, God was able to salvage his education and intellect for a ministry, as though from a burning house, but the things that carried over were miniscule compared the loss he suffered. None of the things he had worked so diligently had any application to his faith in Jesus, his old life nothing more than a smoldering rubbish heap. Jesus came to Israel when the people were utterly lost, and not even a man like Paul could fix them, until Jesus fixed Paul. Even then he couldn’t fix Israel, but as an evangelist he called the gentiles to repentance and many obeyed the gospel and were saved.

Phi 3,3-8

(205h) Salvation >> Salvation is based on God’s promises >> New covenant >> The old one is obsolete – Paul devoted himself to the knowledge of Old Testament law, until Jesus revealed Himself in a way that was reminiscent to God speaking to Abraham.

Phi 3-3

(111c) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit of truth – Jesus is called the word of God, and He said in Jn 4-23, “Those who worship the Father must worship Him in Spirit and truth.” Putting these two ideas together, the Spirit and the word are commonly found throughout the New Testament.

(190h) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Circumcision >> Circumcision is a sign of obedience >> Circumcision is a sign of believing -- This verse goes with verse 5. Circumcision is an Old Testament sign that represented faith in God, beginning with Abraham after he believed and was circumcised according to the commandment of God. Therefore, the term “false circumcision” refers to false believers, which is an oxymoron, being the first of many contradictions about them. Paul says that we are the true circumcision, meaning we truly believe, and the “false circumcision” are those who don’t believe, though they are circumcised. This would translate to people who go to church every Sunday to seek favor from God through a religious construct, but have no personal faith in God, using their religion as a front to appease God for their guilty conscience. Paul is saying they are dangerous people to faith, and they roam the Church halls, especially desiring leadership positions. They have false motives for assembling with the saints, which could only result in bringing down the spirituality of the people, unless they are converted and join the faith. 

(234c) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the glory of God >> Seeking the glory of His Spirit

(252f) Trinity >> You shall put no other gods before Me >> Worship God >> Worship God who is Spirit >> Worship God in the Spirit

(255e) Trinity >> Holy Spirit’s relationship between Father and Son >> God’s word is Spirit >> God is Spirit

KJV    NAS  /  Navigation Bar

4-6 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

Phi 3,4-14

(116m) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Rest in Jesus (Sabbath) >> Rest in His yoke by dying to self >> Dying to self by the Spirit

Phi 3,4-11

(3a) Responsibility >> Avoid offending God >> Get out of His way >> Do not seek your own righteousness

(119a) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Freedom >> Law of the spirit >> Freedom from the law – When Paul talks about his past credentials that he earned as a Pharisee, as a Hebrew and as a teacher of the law prior to his destiny with Christ, it is amazing that he was able to say that he was a persecutor of the Church and was also found blameless according to the righteousness of the law. The law actually allowed him to martyr members of God’s church according to its interpretation of the time. The law says, “Do not kill,” but Saul and his cronies didn’t believe they were breaking the law by martyring God’s people. Rather, they thought they were protecting their traditions from a growing sect that was threatening the stability of everything they and their forefathers had known. The old covenant law did not protect the Church from persecution, since it wasn’t able to think for itself or instruct Israel not to destroy the very people that God was creating through faith in His Son. Paul felt justified in killing the saints, for Moses required Israel to act swiftly against anyone who attempted to subvert people from following the commandments of God (Deuteronomy 13-5; 18-20). If the law so absolutely failed as an institution, then why did God establish the law in first place? God never expected the law to be any more successful than it was, yet He instituted it as a way of regulating human behavior until Christ should come and established a new covenant in His blood.

Phi 3,4-10

(248h) Priorities >> God’ s preeminence >> Valuing God >> Knowing God is more important than serving Him

Phi 3,4-8

(84e) Thy kingdom come >> Words of your mouth >> Boasting >> It needs to be said and no one is saying it >> boasting of my weaknesses

Phi 3,4-7

(1k) Responsibility >> Avoid offending God >> Carrying a false burden >> Weighs you down as you walk according to the law – Those who abide by the law are just like Paul, who had many merit badges and was also a murderer of Christians. It is typical of those who seek righteousness apart from God neatly tuck their faults out of sight, but God sees them, and they are in the line of fire of His judgment, which their righteousness cannot appease. 

Phi 3,4-6

(148d) Witness >> Validity of Jesus Christ >> Works of the Church bear witness to Jesus >> Evangelism >> Natural advantage in the flesh regarding evangelism – Paul was completely immersed in Judaism, and God turned him 180-degrees, which forced him to throw away his life’s work, yet God chose Paul because of his life’s work, being highly educated and trained by some of the most sophisticated and intelligent men of his time. He was completely devoted to his faith, quite possibly unlike any other.

(155a) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Witness of the believer >> Conscience >> Having a good conscience >> Doing right to the best of our knowledge – It is good for Christians to have a solid background of the Old Testament; the stories are significant to the skeletal structure of our faith, and Paul was an expert in this knowledge. Unlike many of the Pharisees that taunted Jesus, Paul was a man who actually sought the truth. He appeared to be a reprobate like those who ordered Jesus’ crucifixion, but looks are deceiving. Paul was unlike many of his fellow Pharisees in that he had a true faith in God and a clear conscience, but he was wrong in his thinking about most things, which led him to persecute the Church. He was brainwashed in the contemporary traditions of Israel, and had no other recourse but to learn the ways of his time. God saw genuineness and zeal in Paul that He wanted to employ in the proclamation of the gospel, and when God confronted Paul, he repented and was transformed, making all that zeal, sincerity of heart and experience in travel available for spreading the gospel of Christ. Paul from that point began comparing and contrasting the truth in Jesus with the Judaism he once believed, and discovered his old faith in ruins.

(162f) Works of the devil >> Being a slave to the devil (Addictions) >> Bondage >> A slave to unbelief >> Bondage to believing a lie

(173k) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Man’s Religion >> Deeds that are not initiated by God >> Traditions of men

(174d) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Form of godliness >> Self righteousness >> Trying to please God by your own good works

(176e) Works of the devil >> The religion of witchcraft >> Zeal without knowledge (Spirit w/o the word) >> Devotion without direction – Paul’s previous beliefs would not let him believe in Jesus; they were perverted by centuries of misinterpretation and disobedience, and so they tweaked the Scriptures, not altering the manuscripts themselves but their interpretation to make it say what they wanted. This happened over a period of centuries, twisting and contorting the Scriptures until its original message was lost, and the result they called Judaism. This same thing has also happened to the Church in the new covenant; although the New Testament is intact, it does most people no good to read it, in that over the centuries religious liars have turned out denominations like the Federal Reserve prints money, we interpreted and reinterpreted until we misinterpreted the Bible, and now we are lost in a forest of ideas.

(198f) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Ordained by man >> Men place themselves in positions of authority >> Men who are ill-equipped to fulfill the ministry

Phi 3-4

(63h) Paradox >> Anomalies >> Sarcasm >> Ignoring the truth to convey the truth

Phi 3-5

(190h) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Circumcision >> Circumcision is a sign of obedience >> Circumcision is a sign of believing -- This verse goes with verse 3

Phi 3-6

(25e) Sin >> Poverty (Forms of fear) >> Murder >> Persecution to the death >> Kill your neighbor for God’s sake

(41l) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Blameless before God >> Prepare to enter His presence

KJV    NAS  /  Navigation Bar

7&8 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

Phi 3,7-17

(95l) Thy kingdom come >> Positive attitude about suffering >> Suffering under the hand of God

Phi 3,7-15

(100c) Thy kingdom come >> Perseverance >> Persevere in abiding in Christ – Paul is making it clear that he has not yet received the whole promise of God, nor have we. Although we have received our inheritance in the form of a pledge in our Spirit, we will not receive the full promise until we unite with Christ in heaven, and even then we will not receive the whole promise until the First Resurrection, which is the very concept of laying hold of it. Until then, we are like Abraham, who, "having gained approval through [his] faith, did not receive what was promised" (Heb 11-39). We forge ahead, serving the Lord, knowing the prize is in our future. The harder we push to abide in Him, the more we can share with the brethren our confidence in Him. While we search for perfection and one day find it in His kingdom, “let us therefore as many as are perfect have this attitude,” in the present tense. Those who seek perfection in Christ strive for it in this life, though we will never achieve it, yet we already possess the essence of His kingdom in our innermost being! We have already laid hold of Him, “and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you.”

(117ga) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Eyes of your spirit >> Vision >> Real-eyes God’s purpose for the Church >> Understand Jesus' subordinate position with the Father

Phi 3,7-14

(43a) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Conform to the Resurrection of Christ’s death – We don’t come to know God based on human faith, but based on faith that we have received from Him, from the Spirit He has given us, who will one day raise our bodies from the dead. It is unlikely we will fully understand these things even when we get to heaven, beginning a learning curve that will extend all the way to the end of eternity. If we want to fellowship with God, we must do it through suffering by conforming to his death. That is, we cannot become a participant of the resurrection unless we first die. This will literally happen one day, but until then Paul is beckoning us to become acquainted with Christ’s sufferings now by resisting the sinful passions and desires that separate us from Him. What restrains us from serving the Lord are the things we need to remove in order to relate to the Spirit that He imparted in us to do His will.

(46aa) Judgment >> Spiritual warfare >> Subjecting your flesh >> Violent take it by force >> Taking the sinful nature by force

(102a) Thy kingdom come >> Ambitious to fulfill God’s calling >> To see God’s will in your life – We need to understand the level of zeal that Paul had. He was a leader of Israel with a prestigious position, zealous for the Lord even before he got saved, possibly the greatest zealot in all Israel, and God wanted to harness that zeal for His own purpose. We should also note the great zeal that Jesus had. It says in Jn 1-16 that He had the fullness of the anointing. He also had a fullness of zeal, according to Jn 2-17, “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.” This suggests that zeal and the anointing are directly related, though not to say that every zealot is anointed, for God anoints the truth, and not every zealot believes in the truth. Paul was extremely zealous for the truth; some would say he was a fanatic, but God wouldn’t say that. We cannot be too zealous for the truth that is in Jesus, anymore than there is an excessive limit to the fruits of the Spirit. That is, we cannot have too much love, too much joy, too much peace, too much patience, etc.

(187f) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Die to the flesh >> Dying to receive the glory of God >> Die to self to know the revelation of God – When Paul wrote about righteousness derived from the Law, he was referring to his old manner of life as a Pharisee. He was once a teacher of Israel and a Pharisee of the old covenant, being highly educated regarding the law and the prophets. He didn’t suffer the loss of the Old Testament; he suffered the loss of his interpretation of it. He had to abandon his previous beliefs in Judaism before he could embrace the truth that he finally realized was in Jesus. Paul counted his experiences and possessions to be loss that made this life seem real, because they discounted the reality of Christ. Paul taught the concept of dying to self; he was figuratively dead to this world. He perceived his flesh as having already died and his soul as already in heaven, and when the circumstances made that difficult to believe, such as when tied to the whipping post, the Holy Spirit took over and he was more in heaven then than he was during pleasant times. Although these things brought pain and suffering to his body, he considered them mere figments of his imagination. What was more real to him was Christ and his heavenly kingdom. Dying to self is a process of substitution. He sacrificed all the so-called benefits of this life for the one benefit of knowing Christ Jesus his Lord. When we trust in God, He imparts something of Himself into us, which is translated as knowledge that we comprehend in ways we don’t really understand, because it bypasses the natural mind. We know, but we don’t know how we know. He envelops us in His presence, and in that presence there is a sense of knowing that we cannot describe sometimes until years later. Our task is to put words to the things we understand in the Spirit. See also: God's faith; Phi 3,9-11; 98g

(194a) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Turn from sin to God >> Run to God >> Run the race that is set before us

Phi 3,7-11

(5i) Responsibility >> Discipleship tested >> God tests your loyalty >> God tests your commitment to believe whatever He says

(103m) Thy kingdom come >> Purifying process >> Purified by circumstances >> Purified through faith – “He who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb 11-6). To believe that God will reward us for seeking Him is to believe in His goodness and character. We must believe in God’s righteousness and justice, that God loves us no matter what happens to us, or what happens to those we love. We must believe that God is good. If the evidence points in the opposite direction, then we must believe in Him to spite the evidence. There will always be evidence in the world that points away from God’s goodness, making us question why He allows bad things to happen, but if we continue to believe in Him, our trust will satisfy all His requirements, answering all our questions in His time. Meanwhile, He imparts His righteousness in us by a Spirit of faith the we use to supernaturally believe in Him, and He simply asks us to trust Him. It is a small request, but not to God; to Him it is big.

(232b) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >> Count the cost >> The cost is more than you can imagine so don’t count

Phi 3,7-10

(208jb) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Personal relationship >> Being married to God >> Knowing God >> We are bonded to Him – This is one of Paul’s statements that has become the theme of entire books. Unfortunately though, the concept of knowing God has been mostly replaced by teachings that are highly nebulous and impersonal. The definition of God’s grace today is simply forgiveness of sin, but that is only part of it. Forgiveness of sin is our introduction into His grace that also affords us to know Him. He wants to save us in this life just as much as He wants to save us for eternal life, and this is something that is de-emphasized in the Church today, probably because the teachers of Christianity are not experiencing these things, being a little too personal for them. Most people don’t want to get too close to God because He is scary, but if their hearts were wholly devoted to Him, He would be much less scary. Paul heard a voice calling him from heaven, and he tuned and listened, and He shook Paul's life to its foundations. He pressed on striving in his heart to forget about the sins of his past, because his heart was right with God. We can’t help but sin; we are sinners; it is the reason Jesus died for us. Hard as we try, we can't find righteousness in our hands or in our mouth or on the tip of our toes. Paul is saying to forget what we have said and done; it doesn’t matter; all that matters is the present and the future. 

Phi 3-7,8

(12f) Servant >> Nature of a bond servant

(57e) Paradox >> Opposites >> World hates what God loves and God hates what the world loves – We can’t have Christ and the world at the same time; we must choose. Paul counted this world and everything he once loved and valued to be trash in order that he might come to know Christ. However, many Christians today think they can have both Christ and the world. How many times have we heard it, “We are in the world but not of the world,” yet many who quote this are in fact of the world, not just in it. The only difference between them and the unbeliever is that they believe in a set of doctrines, and they don’t understand why Christianity doesn’t work for them. They’re not happy in the world and they’re not happy in the Lord; they have a foot in both worlds, straddling the fence and canceling each other.

(78n) Thy kingdom come >> Putting your heart on display >> The result of a renewed mind

(94o) Thy kingdom come >> Perspective is your personal reality >> How your location influences you

(189b) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Holy sacrifice >> Holy offering – Paul is speaking to the center of our faith. What does it mean to give up the world for the sake of Christ? Many people have come to believe in God but have never changed; they added faith to their lives, but nothing was ever taken away. Their religion is like a garnish, a mere ornament. They go to church, and it makes them look and feel good. What needs to be taken from us in order to have a fuller relationship with God? It goes back to Christ’s purpose and calling in our lives. When we think about Paul’s calling to the ministry, it was all encompassing. There literally was nothing else about Paul, just his faith in Jesus and his ministry of evangelism and apostle to the Church. Paul had to give up his previous belief system before he could embrace the truth of Christ, and that required reordering his whole life. If we want to fulfill God’s plan and purpose for our lives, we too must sacrifice many things that we may currently believe and enjoy. It is one thing to believe in Jesus, but it is another thing to live and work for Him. We will not receive honor from the world for that, but we will receive honor from God.

KJV    NAS  /  Navigation Bar

9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

Phi 3,9-11

(98g) Thy kingdom come >> Endurance (Thorn in the flesh) >> (Faith à Suffering à Glory of Christ) >> The resurrection – Paul said that knowledge and power are essentially the same. The power of His resurrection and our knowledge of Him are tied together, and we have already received it; the Holy Spirit who dwells in us is the power of God, and He teaches us about Jesus. Paul is promising us a revelation of Jesus Christ, and in receiving Him we also feel His power who dwells in us, the power that will one day raise our bodies from the dead. Along with this revelation knowledge comes the fellowship of His suffering as a package deal. We cannot have a revelation of Jesus Christ without suffering, because we live in a world of evil. The revelation itself does not bring suffering; on the contrary, the revelation comforts us in our suffering, but He does lead us into suffering. The comfort of knowing God and our relationship with Him changes our lives and causes us to speak and act differently, and this leads to persecution. We pattern our lives after Paul, who came to know God who changed his life, and in the process suffered persecution, and God responded by comforting Him through a revelation of Jesus Christ, and the ultimate purpose of God for us is the resurrection from the dead. See also: God's faith; Phi 3-9; 31l

(113k) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> The anointing >> Resurrection power – Paul longed for his resurrected body. He would never attain it in this life but pressed on toward the goal of perfection, living close as he could to the way he will in heaven (Mat 6-10), though this was unattainable in this life; still he didn’t stop pursuing it. He never came into physical possession of it, but he sought to live as though he did. Being interred in sinful flesh, he spread the gospel, teaching and preaching and building up the body of Christ, spiritually establishing the Kingdom of God in the world, striving to lay hold of that which laid hold of him. Christ laid hold of Paul along the road to Damascus when He appeared to Paul in a vision, and from that point forward, he searched for Christ like a drug addict chasing his initial high. Jesus is extremely elusive to sinful flesh. Paul tried to live in the revelation, continually striving to decrease in sin that his spirit might increase, always giving opportunity for Christ to manifest in word and deed.

Phi 3-9

(31l) Gift of God >> Gift of His grace >> Forgiveness is an act of God’s grace – The concept of faith is a stickler to many. It is not enough to look up the word in a Bible dictionary; it will not tell us what we need to know. The only way to understand the meaning of faith is to become a lifelong student of God’s word and a disciple of prayer, and over a period of years cultivate an understanding of the Scriptures to a single point of faith: it is a substance that comes from heaven. The righteousness of God in His grace comes to us from heaven in the form of the indwelling Holy Spirit on the basis of faith. We have not received many gifts from God but one, and we don’t receive the heavenly gift through an earthly means, and we don’t believe in God based on human volition. Although we may begin that way, the moment God understands that we are sincere, He deposits His Spirit in us, and we begin to believe in God through His faith. The only way we can receive His faith is to have a sincere heart, and God knows when we’re not sincere. He knows when we say we want the things of God when in fact we would rather have the world. See also: God's faith; 41fc

(41fc) Judgment >> Satan destroyed >> Be like Jesus >> Righteousness of faith >> Faith apart from the law – God asks us to believe in his character. He doesn’t ask us to conjure up faith in Him; He promises that if we will trust Him, He will give us a Spirit of faith (2Cor 4-13). He doesn’t ask us to appeal to Him by our own righteousness derived from sinful flesh; any righteousness of ours is a wispy vapor that comes and goes with our circumstances. To think we are good enough for God is self-righteous delusional thinking, especially if we use it to replace His righteousness of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We are not right with God if He offers us His righteousness and we reject it. God said about Abraham, “And he believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness” (Rom 4-3). Paul is asking us to believe in God like Abraham did, appealing to Him for His faith, which is tantamount to receiving His Spirit, who is the very substance of divine righteousness. Very little has changed in terms of faith between the old and New Testaments. The only thing that has changed is the object of our faith, Jesus, who fulfilled the law and the Father's demand for blood in the propitiation of our sins. See also: God's faith; Phi 3-15; 114f

KJV    NAS  /  Navigation Bar

10&11 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Phi 3-10,11

(38e) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death (Satan) >> Resurrection anointing – People tend to interpret the Bible as though it stood for something else. There is much symbolism in the Bible, but not all of it is symbolic. For example, in this case Paul said he had the opportunity to personally know Christ, not in the hereafter but in this life, not symbolically but through His Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a conundrum to most people. It is where we get stuck trying to figure out God and His word and His will. People don’t understand the Holy Spirit; we don’t know where to draw the line that divides the symbolic from the literal. They don’t know how to interpret the Bible because of the Holy Spirit, yet it is ironically through the Holy Spirit that we interpret the Bible. There is virtually nothing symbolic about the Holy Spirit; what makes Him seem symbolic is His intangibility. The Holy Spirit is just the opposite of symbolism but the very substance of the gospel. So, when Paul says that he knows Christ, he is saying it literally. The Holy Spirit is an extension of the cross; Jesus gave His life as the means of availing God's Spirit to us, and now that Jesus has been crucified, the Holy Spirit has come in the power of His resurrection.

Phi 3-10

(108h) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Revelation of Jesus Christ >> Spiritual revelation >> Revelation of His identity

(111f) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Word and the power (meaning) of God >> Word in obedience cannot evade the power of God

(188f) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Suffering righteousness – There is only one thing standing in our way of receiving all the blessings of Christ, and that is us, our flesh. Although the body is not evil, it has a dark side that contains a terrible wickedness that never ceases from sin; its evil desire is never quenched and its lust for control is never satisfied. Our flesh is the apex predator species on the planet. We have the body of an animal, and it has a separate will of its own, though ironically we are not a body but a spirit. We must not let our physical side control our spiritual side, or the promises of God will remain elusive. Our spirit belongs to God, purchased by the blood of Christ. We don't want to wait until we die and go to heaven before we receive all that God has for us, for He asks us enjoy Him in this life. Therefore, God calls us to die to the flesh, which is the symbolic part of the gospel, not literally committing suicide, but starving our evil desires like POWs, until they become too weak to remain a threat to our spiritual side. We should not allow our bodies to dictate how we should live; it seeks to impose its will over God's will, subverting our relationship with God and dominating over us. The will of our flesh is tantamount to the will of Satan, and for this reason we must kill its evil passions and desires, having no mercy on it; this is what Paul means by being conformed to His death. God is calling us to receive these things now, instead of waiting for the hereafter, for it proves that we will attain to the resurrection from the dead, and that we belong to Him and are going to heaven, and that we have eternal life and plan to enjoy the presence of God forever.

KJV    NAS  /  Navigation Bar

12-14 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

Phi 3,12-15

(43l) Judgment >> Satan destroyed in the absence of sin >> Perfecting the will of God

Phi 3,12-14 

(92c) Thy kingdom come >> The narrow way >> Trail of good works >> Practice walking a straight line

(100h) Thy kingdom come >> Diligence >> Diligence in running the race that is set before us

(233c) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >> Seeking the goals of the kingdom >> Seek the goal of knowing God (faith) – Faith and trust are in many ways the same. When we trust God, we believe He has our interests in mind and is willing to act on our behalf, whereas faith is a substance we received from heaven (Heb 11-1). People say that in heaven we won’t need faith. On the contrary, that is like the scuba diver who returns from the depths and climbs back into the boat claiming he doesn’t need oxygen anymore; it is all around him. Similarly, the Father created all things through faith, speaking the universe into existence, and as a result we will be living in a world that was born of faith and consists of faith.

Phi 3-12,13

(232j) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >> Embrace (Jesus during the storm) >> God embraces us – Paul presses on striving to laying hold of that which laid hold of him, “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2-3). Jesus revealed Himself on the road to Damascus, and Paul spent the rest of his life trying to embrace the one who embraced him; he strove to comprehend the person who came to live in his heart; he strove to fellowship with Him while living in sinful flesh. In heaven fellowshipping with God will be easy, but in this life our flesh is related to the devil, who is opposite of God. We find it difficult to understand Him, because we live in a body that opposes His very nature. We understand things like war and revenge and sensuality… we may know they’re wrong, but that doesn't keep us from participating in them. Then, when we seek fellowship with God, these same things get in the way of our understanding of Him. When we get to heaven after we shed the sinful flesh, we will fully realize that we are the Father’s children and brothers and sisters of Christ. We are just like Him in many ways. We will bear witness to His glorious divinity firsthand, having access even to His throne. None of this has ever been given to any other creature!

Phi 3-12

(6e) Responsibility >> Advocate God’s cause >> Rest in Jesus’ yoke – Paul knows that if he can get a better handle on walking in the Spirit, it will free his mind. Therefore, Paul is not pushing to win the war of the flesh but of the mind, that he may improve his relationship with God, and let God win the war against the flesh.

(216d) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> God’s will over man >> Compelled by the Spirit >> God takes advantage of your love for Him >> Being addicted to the Holy Spirit

(219g) Sovereignty >> God overrides the will of man >> The elect >> God chooses us as we choose ourselves >> God chooses us as we fulfill His calling

Phi 3-13,14

(91g) Thy kingdom come >> The called >> Walking along the narrow way >> Responding to the call of God

(161i) Works of the devil >> Essential characteristics >> Satan’s attitude determines our direction >> Carried Away >> Condemnation >> Condemnation based on evidence of sin

(232a) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Seeking the kingdom >> Count the cost >> Don’t look back to the past – Winning the spiritual battle against the flesh is like climbing a mountain; the force of gravity is ever-present. We have the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus of reaching the summit, all the while knowing we will never get there in this life, but we push forward anyway, never walking down the mountain but always upward, depicting higher levels of obedience, leading to higher levels of spiritual understanding of His will and purpose for our lives and for the Church, understanding His plan for eternity and the importance of faithfulness, always mindful of the power of sin to destroy our lives and strip us of everything we have worked so hard to achieve.

Phi 3-13

(70f) Authority >> Sin of familiarity >> Familiarity-enemy of discernment >> Familiar with the spirit of error

15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;

Phi 3-15,16

(137k) Temple >> Building the temple (with hands) >> Maturity >> Stages of maturity are levels of accountability >> It is our responsibility to be mature

(70b) Authority >> Righteous judgment (outcome of discernment) >> Sensitivity To The Spirit

(89k) Thy kingdom come >> God convicts us of sin >> Conviction makes us conscious of sin

(95a) Attitude (Key verse) – Attitude lays the foundation for the direction of our lives like plotting a course on a map. Attitude cannot help but spume from our lips as James said about the tongue (chapters 3-4), when he likened it as a ship's rudder. We are always moving, like little wind-up toys that pace about the deck; even if they are heading for the edge, they do not slow down, nor are we capable of putting ourselves on hold while we see the course of our lives heading off a cliff. We can only change direction as we crank out the products of our attitudes. We have power over our attitudes, but not over the effects they produce.

(105j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Led by the Spirit >> To the truth >> Led into the mind of Christ – The best thing to do when we are lost is to sit down. Don’t walk farther into the woods from the designated trail. If we suddenly lose touch with our surroundings, sit down and wait for God to reveal which way we should go. However long it takes, the time is well-spent regaining a sense of direction; if it takes two or three years, or even four or five to understand God’s will, the things we experience in the process of discovery will have direct applications to what He is calling us to do, seeking God through prayer, studying His word until He gives us the revelation. While we are sitting there asking God to reveal His will, we are accomplishing more than we would by doing our own will, for we are coming to know Him, and that is the essence of His will. To know Him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings (v10) is the basis of everyone's calling?

(106m) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Hearing from God >> Purpose of hearing from God >> God gives us direction (Attitude)

(109g) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Revelation of God's word >> Revelation of the truth

(109i) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit the teacher >> Spirit trains us to be like Jesus

(110j) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Spirit and the word >> Spirit of revelation >> Revelation of the truth >> Revelation of the true doctrines

(114f) Thy kingdom come >> Faith >> Working the grace of God >> Obeying the Holy Spirit >> Receiving a revelation from God through obedience – Paul filled his epistles with the concept of working (with) the grace of God as one of the most important teachings of the Scriptures pertaining to our manner of relating to God, yet it is virtually unknown to the Church today. The first thing wolves did after infiltrating the Church was get rid of the teaching of working the grace of God, and replaced it with their teaching about grace that we now embrace, as though we were passive spectators of God’s work in our lives, as though we were on an operating table, unconscious and unable to participate; we awaken from anesthesia miraculously fixed. This teaching on grace started shortly after Paul died, but thank God we have the testimony of Scripture telling us otherwise. The wolves of the Church had to get rid of the doctrine of working with the grace of God because it was exposing their lack of faith in God. People in Paul’s day were filled with the Spirit, and they would point at wolves, naming them as frauds in front of everybody. The wolves knew how to keep from being exposed by getting rid of the doctrine that taught the saints how to relate to God on the most intimate level, through the obedience of faith (Rom 1-5). See also: God's faith; Phi 3,7-14; 187f

(129n) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Being in one accord >> Having one mind

KJV    NAS  /  Navigation Bar

16&17 however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. 17 Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. 

Phi 3,16-19

(92h) Thy kingdom come >> The narrow way >> What kind of trail is this? >> The wrong gate is wide and many enter by it

Phi 3-16,17

(11k) Servant >> Paul’s example of God’s standard – Paul was the standard of behavior for the Philippians; so in the first century they not only had a standard in the written word, they also had a living standard of behavior in the apostle Paul. Hopefully our pastor is a good example of Christianity at our local Church, and the next church has its standard in their pastor, but without a central standard for the Church worldwide, we will continue floundering until that standard is found. The closest we got to a central standard for the Church in the last century was Billy Graham; at one time he was the face of Christianity to the world. A standard is coming in the restoration of Israel with a 144,000 Jewish Christians and among them Two Witnesses; we should follow them when they come.

(93i) Thy kingdom come >> Following Jesus >> Through men >> Follow the example of others – The Bible teaches how we ought to live and obey God; that has not changed throughout the millennia, yet Christianity has changed. The moral fabric of society is disintegrating before our very eyes since the Church has been unseated from its position as salt of the earth and a light on a hill. There has never been a time in history when someone would take up a semiautomatic rifle, apply a bump stock to it, turning it into a machine gun, and use it to mow down innocent people like fish in a pond. We have a written code of morals and ethics in the Bible, but we don't have many examples of those morals and ethics in holy men committing themselves to the grace of God and becoming a much needed behavioral standard for the Church, which in turn acts as the standard of behavior for the world. Paul expected the Philippians to live by a standard that he had instructed them, suggesting that not only do we believe in the Lord Jesus, we also need to follow Him. However, in today’s church we are taught that believing in Jesus has nothing to do with behavior, that we can act anyway we want and it doesn’t affect our faith. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the Bible outlines certain evidences of salvation and evidences of being hell-bound, so we can say with relative certainty whether a person is on his way to heaven or hell based on their conduct, not on their faith. We say that behavior is directly linked to faith, for those who believe obey and those who obey believe.

(11a) Standard (Key verse) – “Standard” is a unit of measure; there are many standards and measures; they remain fixed constants; they cannot fluxgate. We strive to live by a certain set of rules and rarely achieve it, so people lower the standard to make it attainable; then society further deteriorates, requiring us to lower it again. When we do, it proves that man apart from God has no real standard.

(204c) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Back-slider >> Practicing sin >> Withdrawing from a righteous standard of living

KJV    NAS  /  Navigation Bar

18&19 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

Phi 3-18,19

(19h) Sin >> Having the mental disease of the world >> Worldly influence on the mind

(21d) Sin >> Disobedience will condemn you to hell – There are many people who never make Jesus Christ Lord of their lives; they will never receive the gift of eternal life, and for that reason their destiny is not heaven, so when they die, they will go to hell, though Jesus died for them. He took all their sins upon Him and deposited them in hell (Eph 4-9,10), but if they don’t receive Christ as Lord and savior, they will go to hell and their sins will affix themselves to their resurrected bodies, and they will remember every evil thing they ever did. Their sins will be programmed into their hearts, and it will be the only thing they will know, and God will assign them a place in hell that corresponds with the sins they committed. Although God forgave them, the fact that they refused to accept His forgiveness through the sacrifice Jesus made for them nullified His mercy. See also: Reprobate; 22f

(22f) Sin >> Lust (craving pleasure) >> Fleshly desire – Paul is talking about people in this passage who don’t know the Lord. We know the heathen act like this, but Paul was talking about people in the Church, who are not saved and have no intentions of getting saved or serving the Lord, who are incapable of faith and have of a reprobate mind. They enjoy the environment of the Church, but why? They probably like the social aspect of it, but primarily they go to church to appease their conscience and to exploit the people. They have an appetite for sin, but this is not true for those who are born-again. We too once were enslaved to various sins, but we hated that lifestyle; our conscience tormented us day and night until we got saved, but these people have never experienced anything like this because they are without conscience. See also: Reprobate; 167d

(47d) Judgment >> God Judges the world >> Hell is a place of destruction

(48m) Judgment >> Jesus’ enemies are destroyed >> Enemies of His grace

(76l) Thy kingdom come >> Desires of your heart >> Desires of your fleshly appetite

(153h) Witness >> Validity of the Father >> God bears witness against the world >> Shame >> Walking in condemnation >> Walking in rebellion 

(157a) Witness >> Validity of the believer >> Evidence of being hell-bound >> Rejecting God >> Rejecting the truth

(164i) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> The world is at enmity with God >> The world hates God

(167d) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Carnality/Secularism (mindset of the world) >> The carnal mind is set on the flesh >> Bound to the earth – Paul encourages us to walk according to his example, while he simultaneously warns that there are others who walk in ways we should avoid. These are the dogs that he mentioned earlier in this chapter, the false circumcision, people who are not saved, often in leadership positions in the Church, whose end is destruction, and whose god is their appetite. They follow their fleshly impulses instead of the Holy Spirit and expect us to follow them, yet their glory is in their shame. They are clearly visible to those watching for them. They speak of secular matters in earthly tones, never rising above worldly considerations. Wait for a declaration of faith and it may never come, though they might quote a verse to sound biblical, but they are not the true children of God. See also: Reprobate; 172d

(169k) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Seeking the glory of man >> Stepping on people to get to the bottom >> Ignoring Jesus to satisfy your flesh

(171c) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Outward appearance >> Vanity >> Vain experience >> Things you do in the absence of God

(172d) Works of the devil >> Manifestations of the devil >> Tares among the wheat >> Communion between the world and the Church >> Worldliness in the Church – Christians often make the erroneous assumption that everyone who goes to church is a Christian. On the contrary, there are some who hide in church, putting on a façade as devout believers. Maybe they lift their hands during praise and worship, making it appear that they love God, when in many cases there is nothing redeemable about them. Paul must have talked to them about Jesus and got a response that made him weep. These people need to be expelled from church, because they are a threat to the saints. Confronting them is sure to generate hostility; nevertheless, we need to protect God's people, because they deserve it. See also: Reprobate; 186g

(180b) Works of the devil >> Practicing witchcraft >> Wolves >> Wolves lead people into a cult >> Wolves bypass the cross

(186g) Works of the devil >> The result of lawlessness >> The reprobate >> Man’s role in becoming a reprobate >> After they reject God’s faith how can they believe? – Researchers now say that people can actually be born lacking a conscience, and this condition can be inherited. Many are born into a family whose parents lack a conscience and were treated inhuman from birth; what little conscience they had was beaten out of them during their critical years. God made man in his own image with a conscience, and people who go to heaven are human in the most literal sense, suggesting that a person without a conscience is subhuman, anchored to their self-serving violent nature. Their flesh is at war for survival, being bound to the earth, and they hold to the philosophy that they are just another animal species, but the saints are human. See also: Reprobate; 188k

(188k) Die to self (Process of substitution) >> Separation from the old man >> Sorrow >> Grieving over your own loss >> Grieving over the loss of others – Paul is exposing the folly of a person who will not believe in God, who craves his futile desires over the hope of eternal life, allowing his mindless impulses to steer him away from the vast treasures of Christ for a few moments of fleeting pleasure. It invokes a sadness in the world that goes beyond tears, foolishness that transcends folly and deception begets ignorance, human loss that traverses all wars combined. To see the world follow after their own lust and hear its shallow declaration of godless faith adds another layer of vexation to the righteous, whose souls are already tormented by sin. For God to vindicate us with hope of receiving a body that is transformed into conformity with his own does little to alleviate the pain of watching a world turn its back on God and disappear into the void with no way to avert their hardness of heart. See also: Reprobate; 21d

(195i) Denying Christ >> Man exercises his will against God >> Idolatry >> Worshipping other gods >> Worshipping other gods as a god yourself

(200m) Denying Christ >> Whoever is not with Jesus is against him >> He is against Christ who does not receive Him >> Whoever receives the world is against Christ

(202c) Denying Christ >> Man chooses his own destiny apart from God >> Running from God >> Running to your sinful nature >> Run from God by running to your flesh

(203f) Denying Christ >> Dishonor God >> Dishonor God by dishonoring your own body

(238i) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Pursuing the knowledge of the kingdom >> Teachers >> Teachers "remind" their students >> Prevention against forgetting -- These verses go with verse 1

KJV    NAS  /  Navigation Bar

20&21 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 21 who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

Phi 3-20,21

(39b) Judgment >> Jesus defeated death >> Characteristics of the resurrection – God will establish us in eternity through the exertion of His power that He used to create the universe, and our bodies will never pass away. When we think of the power it took to create the universe to then focus it on creating a body for us in the likeness of His own, no wonder it will be indestructible and full of glory. For the rich in this life, their wealth lies in their money and in their assets and in their shame, but in the Kingdom of Heaven our wealth and power resides within our spiritual bodies that will emanate the glory of God throughout eternity with a radiance that speckles the night sky. Just as we will have been created for eternity, so we will be created for infinity. Only such a standard is allowed in His kingdom.

(61a) Paradox >> Two implied meanings >> Waiting for a savior—To come back spiritually / To come back physically – We are waiting for a savior to spiritually return before He physically returns. He will spiritually make His debut on the earth in an endtime revival that will save a multitude which cannot be numbered (Rev 7-9), who will invite His physical return as He sets foot on the Mount of Olives. Would the Church today welcome Christ’s return? They would if He returned according to their expectations, but He will not return according to most people's expectations, so they will refuse to be part of His welcoming committee. Jesus has been gone for 2,000 years, and He said He wouldn’t be long, so maybe He hasn't returned because He hasn't been properly invited. By His own authority he will begin to spiritually reign among His people by enacting a Great Endtime Revival that will save millions of people who will all obey Jesus Christ, and they will effectively welcome their Lord’s return. See also: Great endtime revival; 66a

(66a) Authority >> Lordship of Christ >> He is Lord over all creation >> over life and death – We know that the many curses, plagues and judgments of Revelation speak of God subjecting the world to His wrath. The judgments of the Book of Revelation are what He has in store for those who will not accept His salvation. This indicates that God intends to save a remnant from this world in the last days, which will entail millions of people. The Lord will orchestrate a Great Endtime Revival using the Jews, written in Revelation chapters seven, eleven and twelve, referred to as the woman. These will manage a global revival of the gentiles. The Two Witnesses will act as adjudicators against those who resist God’s will, and God will judge the world by performing whatever words proceed from their mouths. They will be righteous and holy and speak the word of God and judge the world's resistance to God’s ability to subject all things to Himself. The Two Witnesses will divert the world’s attention off the woman and the gentile church, who will flee into the wilderness for safety and protection from the antichrist, and these Two Witnesses will pound the world into subjection. Whether by grace or by judgment, God will subject all things to Himself. See also: Great endtime revival; 61a

(68e) Authority >> Jesus Delegates the Holy Spirit to us >> Sent from heaven

(126k) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Patience >> Have patience for the return of Christ >> The physical return of Christ

(131jb) Thy kingdom come >> Manifestations of faith >> Unity >> Many members but one body >> Many titles but one entity

(134e) Temple >> Your body is the temple of God >> Composition of our bodies is from the earth >> We are physically excluded from the spiritual realm

(135n) Temple >> Your spirit is the temple of God >> The body of Christ >> Similarity in the body >> The things we have in common >> Common Lord

(136g) Temple >> Your spirit is the temple of God >> The body of Christ >> Jesus’ spiritual body

(210e) Salvation >> The salvation of God >> Jesus is our savior >> Especially of believers

(213d) Sovereignty >> God is infinite >> God is all powerful >> Christ subjects the creation to Himself

(224d) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Description of heaven >> Describing the kingdom after he makes all things new >> Children of God resemble their Father

(226d) Kingdom of God >> Illustrating the kingdom >> Rewards of the Kingdom of Heaven >> Reserved in heaven >> Our inheritance is reserved in heaven – There is more evidence to support God’s existence as a good person whom we can trust than any so-called evidence to the contrary; this is why God thinks trusting Him is not too much to ask. The universe itself is proof that God exists. God must be at least as big as His creation, which most cosmologists will say is infinite. Its immensity doubles as evidence that He is a good person, for an infinite being cannot possibly be evil, for wickedness would hinder His ability to create the universe in the first place. However, keep in mind that the universe does not reflect the nature of God, because it is under a curse. Faith too is why he allows evil, for it acts as the great equalizer. He plans to reward our faith, so the more we believe in Him, the more He will reward us in eternity. We could never fully appreciate His eternal reward in this life, but we will appreciate it in heaven when God fits us with an indestructible body that will illumine the victories we won in this life. O

(229a) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Kingdom grows by itself >> Growing In Numbers Corresponds With Spiritual Growth >> Kingdom slowly spreads and overtakes darkness – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” and at some point He created the angels and gave Lucifer stewardship over the universe; and then Lucifer fell into sin and God cursed him and everything that belonged to him, the entire universe and gave him a new name, Satan, and He cursed all the angels that followed him in rebellion. Then He created man and set him in the Garden, but he rebelled too, so God cursed him and chased him from the garden and made him live among Satan’s thorns and thistles. Man grew depraved and his thoughts continually dwelt on evil and so God sent a flood upon the earth and destroyed mankind, saving a single family of eight persons, Noah and his wife and children, who repopulated the earth. Then God called Abraham and He obeyed the Lord, promising to make him a great nation through his son Isaac born to his mother, Sarah; Isaac had Jacob and Jacob had the twelve sons of Israel through Rebecca. God called Israel to live in the land of Canaan and dispossess the people who lived there, who would not worship the Lord but sinned against him, kindling His anger as in the days of Noah. Instead of destroying the whole earth again, He had Israel destroy them and make a nation for themselves in their land. Through the tribe of Judah a Messiah was promised to become their king and Israel would reign over all the people of the earth through Him, and so Jesus came and took away their sin, so they would be acceptable in the sight of God, and for 2000 years people have been added to the kingdom that will one day rule the earth. From the beginning God has been at work subjecting his creation to Himself. After the thousand-year reign of Christ, God will destroy this present universe and create a new one in its place, making a new people and His Church will rule over the new creation with Christ forever and ever, which will eventually spread to the far reaches of the universe, but those who refused to submit to His authority, He has subjugated to a place called hell. Can God subject all things to Himself? Yes he can!

(231i) Kingdom of God >> God’s kingdom is a living organism >> Body of Christ is the organism of God’s kingdom >> Jesus is the head of His body’s kingdom >> To be in Christ is to be in the great city

(237j) Kingdom of God >> Pursuing the kingdom >> Transferring the kingdom >> The Church is transferred to the kingdom >> Citizens of heaven

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