(REFLECTIONS ON Philippians 3:1-11)

1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is not trouble to me, and it is safeguard for you.

Does Paul repeat himself in his letters? Yes, indeed he does, but he says the same things again because of their importance, and because we so easily forget what we have been taught, shown, and even experienced in our hearts.

Rejoice in the Lord, Paul again reiterates, because a life of faith in Christ comes with great spiritual and worldly challenges. If we don’t remember to rejoice in the Lord then it will be easy for us to get discouraged, lose hope, and turn away from Him.

Yes, we are to rejoice, not in ourselves, not in our success, not only in the good times, but in all times. That is because our rejoicing is in the Lord, not in our circumstances. Let the joy of the Lord be our strength!

The same things again also refer to Paul’s consistent message that it isn’t in works of the Law that we are justified. We do not and are not able to obtain God’s righteousness on our own. Righteousness is found only through faith in Christ, the faithfulness of Christ, and comes not from out of us, but from God.

That is why Paul emphasizes worshiping in the Spirit of God, and to glory in Christ Jesus, and not to put any confidence in the flesh. Even though Paul could put his hope in his identity as a Pharisee and someone that had taken hold of the righteousness of the Law, but the righteousness of God was what he desired, and the reason that he rejoiced.

The same things again reminded the Philippians and remind us today that only as we share in Christ’s sufferings and are conformed to His death do we walk in the hope and power of His resurrection.

May this be a constant message on our hearts, may we daily be reminded of the same things again, because in them is life everlasting. So again,

  1. Let us rejoice in the Lord above anything else.
  2. Let us worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.
  3. Let us be found in Him, not having a righteousness of our own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ (by Christ’s faithfulness), the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Philippians 3