RELYING ON WHAT JESUS HAS DONE

Philippians 3:2-3 says, "Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort." Paul referred the dogs to the Jewish teachers who tried to infiltrate the church with wrong teachings. These false teachers taught that the new believers in the Lord should also be circumcised in order for them to complete their salvation. Circumcision was important in the Old Testament because it was a sign for the Jews that they belonged to God; however, it was no longer needed in the New Testament because it was through faith in Jesus, not through physical circumcision, that a person can be saved. Through our Lord Jesus, the circumcision is no longer done through physical means but through spiritual means. Spiritual circumcision is about cutting off sin in our lives, and Jesus did that through His death and resurrection. We are no longer under sin, but under the righteousness of our Lord Jesus.

The false teachers still relied on their works for their salvation through physical circumcision. However, Paul was teaching the Philippian believers that their salvation could only be received through faith in the Lord Jesus, and not through any means, such as circumcision. We depend solely on Christ Jesus for our salvation and place no confidence in ourselves. The danger of putting our confidence in ourselves for our salvation is that we will never completely trust in God; thus, we will never have hope that will give us security and peace. We will always doubt our salvation because we do not know if we are good enough. It will be impossible for us to rejoice in our suffering if we do not have complete hope in Christ Jesus. We must completely trust our Lord Jesus for our salvation because it is only through faith in Him that we are saved. 

Salvation through faith in Jesus and other means is not biblical. We are only saved through faith in Jesus because He has done it all for us through His death and resurrection. We put no confidence in ourselves for our salvation. 

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) Can my good works save me? What must I do to be saved? Why is it that it is only by faith in Jesus that I can be saved?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for dying for my sins on the cross so that I can be forgiven. I believe in you alone for my salvation, and not on any other means. Thank you for saving me through faith in you, for I will never have a way to gain my salvation through my good works. Please help me to live out my faith in you throughout the day. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.