My OperaDung
Tuesday, May 29, 2007 10:14:19 PM
I look back at what I used to call my testimony and I am sure many can relate to what I am going to say as it is likely the same as mine used to be. I used to smoke dope, got saved and now I don’t. I used to curse and swear, got saved and now I don’t. I used to drink, got saved and now I don’t. I’m sure you can all get the drift of what I am saying here.
Our testimony always was us telling someone else we now had a change of conduct. We used to do this and that and now we don’t any longer. I doubt I have to ask if anyone knows what I am talking about as I am sure that is where we all were at some point.
What was Paul’s testimony? He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, a great teacher of God’s law, a Hebrew of Hebrews; he was blameless as far as the law went. You can read all these things in Philippians chapter 3. Paul says in Galatians chapter 1 that he made money while doing these things because he says he profited greatly with what he was doing in the Jews religion. His testimony was not that he stopped doing all these things and that it had made him righteous. No he was saying he was all those things until a revelation came to him about God’s grace. He then saw all his works were as dung. Stopping all the things I said I used to do in the first paragraph is not what made me righteous. Righteousness came through the work of the cross for all of mankind.
In Philippians 3:2 Paul tells them to beware of dog. Does he mean German shepherds or other vicious dogs? I doubt that is what he is referring to. In the same verse he says to beware of the concision. What does he mean to beware of dogs and the concision? He is talking about a group of people that were teaching circumcision. He uses pretty harsh terminology, especially with the term dogs. We have seen in previous posts who these people were that were trying to get people back under law in order to be right with God. They are named throughout the book of Galatians.
In verse 3 he tells them they don’t need to be circumcised but he tells they ARE the circumcision. He is telling them that what the law said they had to do; they now were through the grace of God. It was no longer something they had to do but it was something they were in Christ. Under the law, circumcision was a physical requirement as were many other things. Under grace those things are all complete because they were fulfilled in Christ Jesus at the cross. In the latter part of the verse he tells them he rejoices in Christ and has no confidence in the flesh to achieve any of this righteousness.
Paul was telling them if they were still trying to be righteous by their deeds and actions then they were still trusting in their own good works. He warned them to beware of those that will try and bring them back under law because then it becomes a work to gain what has already been freely given to them.
In verse 4 Paul tells them if anyone could have confidence in the flesh because of what he did, it would be him. He then goes on to list all the things he used to do when he was under law and then concludes them all as dung that he would win Christ. He was saying none of these works he was doing could gain him knowledge of Christ. Nothing has changed in our day and age. We may be told we have to work and perform to attain right standing with God, but that is the same as what Paul called it. It is dung. The word means what is thrown to the dogs, manure, and excrement. I would say it is pretty clear what our works to attain right standing with God amount to.
Our testimony always was us telling someone else we now had a change of conduct. We used to do this and that and now we don’t any longer. I doubt I have to ask if anyone knows what I am talking about as I am sure that is where we all were at some point.
What was Paul’s testimony? He was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, a great teacher of God’s law, a Hebrew of Hebrews; he was blameless as far as the law went. You can read all these things in Philippians chapter 3. Paul says in Galatians chapter 1 that he made money while doing these things because he says he profited greatly with what he was doing in the Jews religion. His testimony was not that he stopped doing all these things and that it had made him righteous. No he was saying he was all those things until a revelation came to him about God’s grace. He then saw all his works were as dung. Stopping all the things I said I used to do in the first paragraph is not what made me righteous. Righteousness came through the work of the cross for all of mankind.
In Philippians 3:2 Paul tells them to beware of dog. Does he mean German shepherds or other vicious dogs? I doubt that is what he is referring to. In the same verse he says to beware of the concision. What does he mean to beware of dogs and the concision? He is talking about a group of people that were teaching circumcision. He uses pretty harsh terminology, especially with the term dogs. We have seen in previous posts who these people were that were trying to get people back under law in order to be right with God. They are named throughout the book of Galatians.
In verse 3 he tells them they don’t need to be circumcised but he tells they ARE the circumcision. He is telling them that what the law said they had to do; they now were through the grace of God. It was no longer something they had to do but it was something they were in Christ. Under the law, circumcision was a physical requirement as were many other things. Under grace those things are all complete because they were fulfilled in Christ Jesus at the cross. In the latter part of the verse he tells them he rejoices in Christ and has no confidence in the flesh to achieve any of this righteousness.
Paul was telling them if they were still trying to be righteous by their deeds and actions then they were still trusting in their own good works. He warned them to beware of those that will try and bring them back under law because then it becomes a work to gain what has already been freely given to them.
In verse 4 Paul tells them if anyone could have confidence in the flesh because of what he did, it would be him. He then goes on to list all the things he used to do when he was under law and then concludes them all as dung that he would win Christ. He was saying none of these works he was doing could gain him knowledge of Christ. Nothing has changed in our day and age. We may be told we have to work and perform to attain right standing with God, but that is the same as what Paul called it. It is dung. The word means what is thrown to the dogs, manure, and excrement. I would say it is pretty clear what our works to attain right standing with God amount to.
