Philippians 3: 1-3
(1) Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.
No matter what is going on around us, we all who are Christ's have the joy of the Lord, which should display even in the middle of the mess. We can't be reminded enough to continue to rejoice in the Lord. This is our "normal" state of mind.
(2) Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;
Even in our positive mindset, we are to be wary of all the false teachers. They claim to be Christians, but their teachings are not according to the Truth. Their circumcision is only done in the flesh, their flesh has not been separated from their spirit.
We see how God cut away our flesh from our life in His Holy Spirit, cutting off the connection so that our flesh has no more addictive pull on our life (in Colossians 2: 11-14).
(3) for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh.
We who have been born into God's family have been spiritually circumcised. When God cleansed us and put His Holy Spirit in us, making our dead human spirits alive, he cut the connection between the flesh and the spirit, so we are free to do what is right, and not go back to the old bad habits that had trapped us before. So we put no importance on the flesh, since our life is spiritual, and we live our lives in worship of our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
O my Father, You are so good, and great, and gracious to us, to provide the means of breaking the addictions and bad habits that were destroying us, and teaching us how Your Holy Spirit is our life now.
Father, Your Spirit gives us the strength and power to live our lives in positively joyful days, even when the world around us is swirling negativity around us. We are still in the world, but we are not of the world. We're in it, but it's not in us any more. You have cut off that connection to the flesh that pulled us down and unshackled us; now we can fly!
Send us out, Father, to show the world how much You love them, too, and want to unshackle them also from their destructive ways. How You want to give them Your joy, to wipe away their tears and depression. To redeem them also into Your glorious paradise.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation; to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!
