SNT 0338 Philippians 3
Philippians 3
May 28, 1967
Expository teaching showing how the Philippians were practicing error by not fully utilizing the greatness of what Christ made available to believers.
SNT – 338
Format: audio
Publication Date: 05-28-1967
Victor Paul Wierwille was a Bible scholar and teacher for over four decades.
By means of Dr. Wierwille's dynamic teaching of the accuracy and integrity of God's Word, foundational class and advanced class graduates of Power for Abundant Living have learned that the one great requirement for every student of the Bible is to rightly divide the Word of Truth. Thus, his presentation of the Word of God was designed for students who desire the in-depth-accuracy of God’s Word.
In his many years of research, Dr. Wierwille studied with such men as Karl Barth, E. Stanley Jones, Glenn Clark, Bishop K.C. Pillai, and George M. Lamsa. His formal training included Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Theology degrees from Mission House (Lakeland) College and Seminary. He studied at the University of Chicago and at Princeton Theological Seminary from which he received a Master of Theology degree in Practical Theology. Later he completed his work for the Doctor of Theology degree.
Dr. Wierwille taught the first class on Power for Abundant Living in 1953.
Books by Dr. Wierwille include: Are the Dead Alive Now? published in 1971; Receiving the Holy Spirit Today published in 1972; five volumes of Studies in Abundant Living— The Bible Tells Me So (1971), The New, Dynamic Church (1971), The Word's Way (1971), God's Magnified Word (1977), Order My Steps in Thy Word (1985); Jesus Christ Is Not God (1975); Jesus Christ Our Passover (1980); and Jesus Christ Our Promised Seed (1982).
Dr. Wierwille researched God's Word, taught, wrote, and traveled worldwide, holding forth the accuracy of God's "wonderful, matchless" Word.
Phi 3:1-3; Gal 5:6
(Joh 4:24); Phi 3:3-10
Phi 3:11-16
Phi 3:16-21; 4:1; Act 1:11; 1Co 13:12, 13; Gal 5:1
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DRAFT
Snt-0338-Philippians3 DRAFT
SUMMARY KEYWORDS: God, Christ Jesus, circumcision, lord, revelation, walk, spirit, Philippians, worship, Christ, renewed mind, faith
The night in Philippians, great book of Philippians. And this should really bless your heart. Because last Sunday night I taught from the book of Galatians. What I said about the book of Galatians, applies equally well to the book of Philippians. The great revelation in the book of Ephesians, was neglected and forgotten by God's people. They were born again of God's Spirit, but they were not walking in the greatness of it, they were walking into practical air. And as they were walking into the practical layer, the book of Philippians was addressed to the believers, so that it will not continue to practice the air book of Philippians, was addressed to the Christian believer, because of the failure of adherence to the revelation given in the book of Ephesians. And therefore, the book of Philippians is very practical and down to earth, among the believers today, because we have been practicing air also in the church so many, many times today. And of course, as you know, the book of Colossians, is to correct the doctrinal error that crept into the church because they practice the wrong stuff, so long, due to the failure of here is to the book of Ev. Now, in this wonderful third chapter of the book of Philippians, and everybody's eyes in the word, he says, Finally my brother, and rejoice in the Lord. That's the greatness of it. If you rejoice in things of this world, you're always going to be left bail. If we if you rejoice in anything else, but the Lord and the greatness of His Word, we're going to be left. And therefore we rejoice in the Lord. And this is why he says, to write the same things about how to rejoice in the Lord, to you, to me, indeed, is not grievious. But for you, it's a good thing that I do this. It's safe. It's necessary. Paul says that I write these things to you. We were talking this morning about speaking the truth in love. Remember, this is it. Sometimes it's necessary for men of God to speak out, speaking the truth, in love, but it is for their benefit. It's not grievious it's not hard. It's not something that is previous to the Apostle Paul. But it had to be done. And it was for their good. And he told them in verse to be when adults doesn't mean canine. The word of evil workers, beware of the concision. If you're trying to gelation, the same truth, in practice is taught there. Corinthians Galatians chapter five. Just go back a few pages forward in your Bible, or depart Galatians chapter five. You see, verse six, are in Jesus Christ, neither circumcision availeth anything nor what. But what does avail? Faith which worketh by love, neither circumcision, nor uncircumcision availa but faith, which works by love. I'll give you a literal translation of this verse six, for those of you who do not have it written down, and I'm sure it will be a real blessing to you because that verse six is a wonderful verse. And the translation, literally, which has of course been given, I believe, in the way magazine some long time ago, and of course, in many of my classes, I've given it to people at various times, but here is a literal translation of Galatians, five, six, or when Christ Jesus is born within. When Christ Jesus is born within neither circumcision, nor uncircumcision gives one spiritual strength, that lovely. neither circumcision or uncircumcision gives one spiritual strength. But spiritual faith is energized, effectively in manifestation by the love of God in the renewed mind and this is what makes one powerful. I'll give it read it to you again. Or when Christ Jesus is born with him, neither circumcision or another circumcision gives one spiritual strength.
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But spiritual faith is energized effectively in manifestation by the love of God in the renewed mind. And this is what makes one powerful. Wednesday night in Columbus, Ohio. I was telling our people there how I look forward to this summer. I look forward to the whole summer, but my heart is really on fire for the renewed mine camp, and the advanced class, of course, the renewed mind camp because I know that all things are possible to him that believe. I know that with God, nothing is impossible. I know that our God is more anxious to answer prayer and to give to people than we are able to receive.
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Therefore, if we can develop our believing if we can bring ourselves up in our believing, we will be able to tap into greater resources, then we've ever tapped the bone. And therefore that renewed mind camp is designed. And my plan is, the whole teaching will be geared to researching the word and teaching how we can increase our believing how we can bring ourselves to greater believing to walking with a greater power of God in manifestation because we have greater belief. And just look at that tremendous verse I've given you on the renewed mind. That's our terrific one. So the greatness of this wonderful word of God in Philippians, chapter three, is just remembers. It says, The Wild Dogs, beware of evil workers, be one of the concision, the circumcision, boys, that God works, spellers. That's what he was saying. Because wherever the Apostle Paul went, and he preached the greatness of God's word, he taught them that they were saved by grace and that when Christ came in, they had all the power of God available. As soon as he taught them grace. About the same afternoon, the circumcision, boys would be along, you know, the good works, fellas, they'd say, Well, that's wonderful, you got saved, but just to make sure you better go under a little bit under the old law and at least get circumcised you Gentile. All says, baloney to the whole brigade. What he said, that was it. Why? They cause verse three says, We are the Lord. Circumcision. Not in the flesh, but in the spirit. We are the circumcision. Now watch it with worship God. In the spirit is the text in the King James Right. There is no article D in any critical Greek texts preceding the word spirit. The text reads literally as follows. But we are the circumcision, which worship God, by way of the Spirit, which worship God by way of the Spirit. In the Gospels, Jesus said once before He ascended up into heaven, it wasn't the gospel. He said, They that worship God must worship Him, in what spirit and in what? That's the same thing here in spirit and in truth, to worship God is to worship Him by the Spirit. You cannot worship God by taking an offering for the Lord, whoever. But we've all heard it right. Now we're going to take the offering for the loan. Word Great. Can we add anything to God? No. And when we take an offering in any church, or here at the way headquarters, we didn't take this offering for the Lord, we took this offering to carry out the ministry here. You know, we get all so mixed up in everything we do. Why? Because the moment you think that offering something to the Lord, by the works, a man is worshiping God, it is. The way these beautiful flowers are set here on the teaching platform. Suppose I'd take this and set it over there that way with this offend God might offend you, but it wouldn't offend God, because God cannot be worshipped by things of man's hand. I thank God for the beautiful flowers and I thank my dogs for putting them in here and everybody else who has Anything to do with him from week to week, month to month. But, and I'm real grateful I love things that are free. But this is not worship God. We do not worship God, by our physical beings of circumcision or not. We are spiritually to worship Him. That is to worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in what? And I like to ask the Christian believers around the nations of the world, how can they ever worship God if they do not speak in tongues? It's impossible. Because by speaking in tongues, you can worship God. That's the only way we are to worship him via the spirit. Spiritually, in spirit and truth, by the truth for Spirit is the emphasis of its two nouns use one thing meant to emphasize it. This is what was the double spirit and truth truthful spirit.
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That's exactly what verse three says, Are we are they circumcision? Well worship God, by way of the Spirit. And we rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Boy, that's a tremendous thing. Have no confidence in the flesh in the census realm. Because our confidence must be you know, the Lord, because all of us will let each other down in the flight or sciences, Well, God is faithful. He never lets anybody that there may be things I do that you do not like. There may be things that you do, I do not like. And if it comes to building the greatness of the revelation of God's word upon what individuals like or do not like, you're never able to do anything. We have no confidence in the flesh, our confidence and our rejoicing in the Lord. Mankind is weak in the flesh. Well, if we weren't, we wouldn't need the same reason we need a savior is because we're in such a poor shape. We couldn't save ourselves, right? Why? Sure, bless your heart. So we have no confidence. Remember the Old Testament, we use it sometimes in the foundational class, I believe it's a foundational syllabus, do not lean on. On your own understanding is that is the arm of the place, lean not unto your own understanding. Well, it's hard. Right? So we lean on the Lord. That's exactly what Paul is writing to the church, who are practicing air. They're practicing less than the greatness of the revelation in Ephesians. And when whatever we practice less than the greatness of God's word, we're always in air, no matter how sincere we are, no matter how close we are, to the truth, no matter how dedicated we are, we are still not walking in the greatness of His revelation. Yet he says, when it comes to the place, verse For if anybody wants to talk about flesh, I might also have confidence in the place, if any other man thinketh that he has where he might trust in the flesh, Paul says, I've got more why? He said, I, they want to talk, I was Circumcised the eighth day, I was up the stock of Israel. As a matter of fact, I was of the tribe of Benjamin. I was at Hebrew up the Hebrew. And as touching the law, boom, boom, I was a lot. Boy, he stood right at the top echelon, and Concerning zeal and enthusiasm, you know, persecuting the church, I was taught man touching the righteousness, which is of the law, he was one that fell off the job didn't. Boy he said if they want to brag the circumcision fellows, if they want to talk, he said, I'll talk to they want to talk place have no confidence in the place. Oh, boy, if they don't want to talk place, I'll talk it. And he laid it right down the line. But he says in verse seven, those things but what things were gain to me those I counted up, loss for Word. Amen. Isn't that wonderful? Boy, I love that. Because you see, does it make any difference where we have come out of what background? Maybe great grandpa was a horse the so rock
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rock Maybe there's a little black sheep had someplace back in your pedigree. So lot maybe you yourself at times have been like so lot those things that are passed over with whether they work to your gain or loss make any difference. The important thing is, what are you now what can God do for you now? Where do you want to go today and tomorrow with the greatness of the power God, that's what we're getting. Those things that were gained for me all my education, all my discipline, all my sincerity, I caught it, but loss for lice, gay doubtless look at very say, I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge, the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. That's what he wanted. The real knowledge of the greatness of Christ Jesus an accurate knowledge of God at His Word. That's what he called it anything else, but loss for and for whom I have suffered the loss of all things. In other words, the loss of all things means he suffered the loss of all of these things like circumcised doc of Israel, tribe of Benjamin, Hebrew, the top brass among the Pharisees, topping, zeal, all of that went by the way, and do count them but dung, that I might win Christ. And not only to win Christ to be born, but verse nine says, be found in him, not having my own lot, which is of the law, but that righteousness, which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God, which is of God, period, by faith is not in the Aramaic Tex. Boy is not a wonderful, wonderful, just tremendous, be found in him, not having my own righteousness. Why is it that people all the time get the feeling and thinking that they are doing something for God, and that boy, they are righteous on their own? Why? I don't know, just picked up the old devil, I guess, the blind our eyes to the greatness of what we have in Christ Jesus and the abundance of his presence on every spiral. Right. First 10 says, that I may know him, that I may know him. You see, he wants to be found in Him, and He wants to know Him. And He wants to know the power of his resurrection. Boy, why do we know the power? What is the power of his resurrection? The new birth, the Holy Spirit, this is the power. And Paul says, all this other stuff, my zeal, being top in the top echelon of the Pharisees, being a member of the Senate, or anything else, all of that I count, but laws for the excellency have the knowledge, and that I may know him, and that I may know the power in my life, the power of his resurrection. And knowing the power of his resurrection, you also know that fellowship, fellowship to be joined with one boy being made conformable unto his death. Isn't that wonderful? That's sweet. You know what? These Word says? Why me? When Jesus Christ suffered, we suffered with him. That's the fellowship of His sufferings. Was it somebody the other week, this lesson two weeks ago, wrote me that we had to bear the cross, you know, gospel, that you know what to say, here doesn't take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy to be called by my name. Oh, yeah, let him deny himself take up his cross and follow me. It's addressed in the Gospels. It's not addressed to the church. And in that day, they could take up that old cross of the law and everything else they had to. But today when Christ took the cross, you and I went to the cross with him. We were nailed to the cross with him. When he died, we died with him. When he was buried, we were buried with him. When he arose, we are Roseworthy when He ascended, we ascended with him. That's why the scripture says we're already seated in the heavenly places in Christ.
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This is why we were in the fellowship of His sufferings. And we were made conformable unto his death when he died, not by my word foilboard. But that that to me is blasphemy. It's a higher conceit. When somebody says they can bear the cross, so that they can bear the cross, then why in the world to Jesus? If you're a big enough man to bear the cross, then why did Jesus have to die upon one? No man is big enough to bear the cross. Only Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son. He took the cross, he bought it for us, so that you would ID up there. Verse 11, says, if by any means I might attain arrive unto the resurrection of the dead, the verse 11, is out resurrection out from among verse 11, I believe is handled in our the data live now should have been if it is, some think of maybe it is, it should be, I don't know. Forget all those things. But it's talking about the very same thing that is talking about in the second chapter, or the first chapter that I talked to you about earlier tonight, prime ministers bitwixe, to having a desire for the return and to be with Christ which is far better than either to abide or to die. Here again, he's talking about the same truth. If by any means I might attain unto thee out resurrection, out from among the world, right now is coming. The that's what he was talking about. Verse 10, verse. Verse 12, not as though I had already attained not as though the word obtained is the word lumbar node. That is, though it's already come to pass. I'm still here working among you. Either were already perfect. In my walk, you know, in the in the gathering together, perfection, that's what he's talking about. But I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ at the other night count, not myself have that pretended. But this one thing I do. I keep remembering everything that's in the past. Is this verse 13 foot psychiatrist, auto business? Brother, and I count not myself to apprehend but this one thing I do, forgetting those things, which are a lot behind the things that are passed. What about Paul's persecution that you aren't getting persecuted? Right Down the Line, he had people killed? He passed the judgment. He stood right there. And he said, Well, praise God, there's another Christian got his head chopped off? Or how would you feel? Had you gotten saved after that, and been a minister in the Church of Jesus Christ, you seal the devil, always be bringing that back to your mind saying, Boy, remember what you did before. Remember those sins, you're committed? You know what the rights are getting those things which are one, or that's a tremendous thing. If the apostle Paul in his life, if I in my life, then certainly you in your life can also forget the things that are in the past. I don't care what you've done, I don't care where you've been, I don't care who you who you have been anything else. Anybody that wants to, can get those things by? Why? Because of what God wrought in Christ Jesus. Or when he saved us, He saved us completely. He just didn't cover our sins, the word of God says he didn't want cleanse does have all of our sins. And if he cleanse does, he took these things from us. And therefore, we have to forget those things that are past, get them out of your mind, forget about them. The moment the old devil brings them back up to your conscious mind and tries to tell you what you were 20 years ago or what you did five years ago. You just say, look, I was in the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ. He, I was buried with Him. God raised me when he raised the Lord Jesus. God has already translated me. It is kingdom by the work of His dear Son. By Anwar an effervescence and water grows as puts in the footsteps of a man or woman. Most other people get defeated because of the past, what they do In the past defeat
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in the present, they get the spill in about and then they get in some. I said to some of our people this week I like to have a dozen people with insomnia here at the way headquarters, we'd put them on the tractors and out there working for about 14 hours a day. I'll bet they wouldn't have insomnia at night. That fresh air is awful good. Oh, yeah, she'd get up at five o'clock in the morning and you'll work till 1130 At night trying to run those tractors without any power steering across rough plowed ground, you had it. And if you can't go to sleep that night, I'll come in pray for but I don't think it much itself the reason people have insomnia they just haven't got enough to do to think about positively. They think about the things of the past. Oh says forgetting the thing. Ladies and gentlemen, there's nobody in this auditorium or listening to this broadcast tonight. Who cannot so renew his mind that the past is over with if they want to be a Christian. The Lord did it in Christ Jesus, forget the things that are past. Right. I didn't write the book and I didn't accomplish it for you. But boy, it's there. I expect enjoy it. Or getting those things which are behind. And I'm reaching for it. Under those things. We're trying a lot. Oh, isn't that a rock? Forget the stuff that's over with and just keep reaching for it reaching out reaching up. If I believe tonight that I've learned everything I'm going to learn from the way to God. Why? First of all be lying like a trooper. And secondly, what would like to work? It's reaching forth its desire. It's this anticipation of the summer school that keeps me going. It just enthuses me that a good word? Anyways, I get all hot on the inside, I get warmed up and thinking boy, they're going to be people here this summer, we're going to work the word, we're going to share it. And I just keep pressing on toward the mark, just keep reaching out. Because I expect to know more about the word tonight than I did yesterday, tomorrow than I do today. They are we keep reaching up and out. But this is both to be born again a god spirits moment of time. But the growth to maturity in our Christian walk is a lifetime of action. You're right, he said I press toward the mark 14. For the price of the high, the word high is upward, calling a God in Christ Jesus. You see a press toward the mark of the price of the upward calling a God not the upward calling a man. Because we do not put our competence in the place. It's nice deflationary things that come along, you know, that's wonderful, we praise the Lord for the good thing. We have like our weekly incomes and all this other stuff. Thank God for some of us that have education even better as well anyways, we're thankful for it. Our colleges or universities and all the rest that we grip, the degrees will arms the pleasure we started. But no, when it comes right down to it, we press toward the mark for the prize of the upward calling a God not the upward calling of the senses of men. Last Stand for verse 15, as many as the perfect to be perfect here means to be born again of God's Spirit. When you're born of his Spirit, you're perfect in the Spirit. But you're not yet perfect in your world. Because we're still pressing on toward the upward calling understand. But you're blameless before God we had that last week. Remember? These are US minded. And if in any other thing, you'd be otherwise minded dollar shows us even under you. Or if you're really want to know God law, we show it but when you pose off yourself, God can't lead joining further. Nevertheless, where do we have already attained? Let us walk by the same role. In other words, as far as we've gone, far as we have understanding of God's Word, the knowledge of His Word, the power of his resurrection. As far as we've gone, let us walk together by the same rule. And let us as believers mind be obedient to the same thing. Then the Apostle Paul says in verse 17, to the believer, brethren, be followers together me and mark them which walk So he have us for an example.
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And then verses 18 and 19 are in the parentheses Do you see it? A parentheses as a figure of speech by way of explanation, which you need not read to get the thought content. But thought content goes from verse 17, to verse 20. So as you have asked for an example, for our conversation is in heaven. I'll come back to this. But now let's go back and read 18 and 19. For many walks, he says, mark them, which walks so as you have us for an example, for many walk, of whom I have told you often and now tell you even with tears or with weeping, that they are the enemies of the cause of us. Right? That's something whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly. In other words, they're more interested in things of this world, and the satisfaction of this world. And whose glory is in there set is in there saying, well mind what earthly things, but they were born again, a God Spirit. They were Christian believer. But in practice, in the practice, because of their failure of adherence to the revelations in the Bhagavad Gita, they were being brought back under System sesion, under water baptism upon all the other rules and regulations of the Orthodox Judaism, both from the Faris acre point of view and the Sadducees, and all the rest of them. And he says, their end is love. Destruction, can that spirit within them be destroyed? No, but they destroyed their own effectiveness in this life, and their own body, their own walk, they destroy, because it says, whose God is their belly, that's the main thing they're serving is themselves. The word belly stands for the person, that they're there. They're their own gods, yet, there's this party in the first part part of the second part, it is the third part and only concerned about things, what can I do for myself? First 20, the word conversation is what? seat of government, that's it boy, conversation is so far out. For our seat of government. Not our conversation isn't in heaven, but our seat of government is in heaven. Why? Because in Acts, one chapter, chapter one, where it tells about the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ, where did he go into heaven, He ascended up into heaven. And from dance, he's coming back. This same Jesus which you have seen, go down, so come in like manner, as you've seen him go x one, remember. So he is seated in heaven, some densities come coming back. I and he is the head of the body, he fasion chapter one. Remember, Vice Jesus is the head of the body. Therefore we are his body. He is the head of it. Therefore our seat of government is where in heaven in Christ Jesus, and we take orders from him. What Christ Jesus accomplished, what he said, what he made available, he is the boss. We don't question the boss, we just take orders. That's all. This is why our seat of government is in heaven. That's why it's written like this here in Philippians. This is why from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Where is he in heaven? Is he here now know when we are born again up God's Spirit. It is His anointing in us and that anointing is here in every believer walking on the Word of God in manifestation. We look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Who shall change our bile, the word Bile is humiliation. The body of humiliation, the body here, this body which has the potential of sin this body which has the potential of sickness, which has the potential of defeat He changes this body when he comes back. This agrees Exactly. With sections in the US alone. Corinthians, where it talks about the mortal must put on what immortality, corruption must put on in corrupt, who shall change our body of humiliation? That it may be fashioned, like unto His lot? does not agree with the revelation in First Corinthians 13. Then we shall see Him face to face. Now we see us in a glass darkly. But then what face to face? Now I know in part, but then also, then shall I know even as I have no. Now abideth, faith, hope, love these three, the greatest of these manifestations in the church is the love of God in renewed mind. Then we shall be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working, whereby he is able, he is able, not BP, where or anybody else, he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. They're far. And we read the word therefore, you ask yourself life for every time because therefore, always gives you a tremendous reason. Therefore my brother, Dearly beloved, in long for my joy and my crown. Why was he writing this? Because he was the one who had brought the light to those faithful. And many of these people who had brought the light. We're selling it out for less than the greatness of the revelation that he'd given. And he said to them, therefore, because of this, My dearly beloved brother, you are my joy, you're my crown. Paul says, You're my only joy, you are the crown of the work that I've done. And if you don't walk, if you don't say, and Paul says, I have no joy. Boy, he says, Stand fast. In one in the Lord isn't that wonder, boy, when we stand fast in the Lord. We just don't get all mixed up in the legalism of the spiritual societies of our time. Because we live in the freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, would you like to just flip the galleys and not flip and flip the galley chapter five, bless your heart, your joy, I hope all of you here in the auditorium tonight. One of the revelation was standfast, therefore, in the Liberty, Liberty boldly with a renewed mind, a fearless mind, and fast in the liberty where with Christ has made us what? Free and be not entangled. They no longer held him with that yoke of bondage, which is law, Christ Jesus, that is free. And in that freedom of that walk is that abundance for the Christian? Therefore stand fast in the liberty, where with Christ Jesus has set us free and be not entangled again in the yoke of bondage, not a wonderful, that's the greatness of that revelation in Philippians chapter three, at least a part of it. And I know it must bless our hearts and meet the needs of our people in the way ministry worldwide.