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14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18 So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.

 

3 1 Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

 

Paul wants the Philippians to live in humble faithfulness, following the example of Christ, who humbled himself all the way to the cross in obedience to the will of God. In our reading, he gives us two examples to avoid as we follow Christ. They look like opposites at first; but end up in the same place.

 

First, disciples humbly live in obedience to God. Paul doesn’t want them to be like the unfaithful Israelites in the wilderness. He tells them to “do everything without grumbling or arguing”, so they may be “blameless and pure”, unlike the “warped and crooked generation” that grumbled their way through the wilderness with Moses (“They are corrupt and not his children; to their shame they are a warped and crooked generation.” Deut. 32:5). The grumbling and arguing by the wilderness generation revealed their lack of faith and led to disobedience that resulted in falling away from God and never making it to the promised land.

 

Second, disciples are humble about their obedience to God. Jesus had regular run-ins with the Pharisees over their outward “holiness” that masked their inward lack of true relationship with God. Paul reminds the Philippians that those who are truly the people of God (“we who are the circumcision”) aren’t those who boast in their outward “righteousness”. It’s those who serve God by his Spirit, boasting in Christ. Disciples are humble about their obedience, knowing that it is they who owe God their service, not God owing them for their service. Those who think that God owes them are in danger of being like those Jesus referred to Matt 7:21-23, who claimed to be doing God’s work while never really knowing Christ.

 

Siblings in Christ, live in humble, obedient dependence upon God in Christ. If you don’t, it may look like the Israelites in the wilderness, or it may look like the Pharisees – either way, you run the risk of ending up in the wrong place.

 

Lord, grant that we may know you, listen to you, and walk humbly in your ways as you have called us, in community with each other, and with you. Amen.

 

Damon Glassmoyer

jwl1040@gmail.com

 

Prayer Concern: For peace in the Middle East, and protection for God’s people spread across the region.