Navigate through the teachings of Apostle Paul on salvation and righteousness, as discussed by Nicole McBurney and Pastor Bob Enyart. This episode covers Paul’s extraordinary journey, his credentials, and the tremendous shift he made towards embracing the righteousness offered by faith in Christ. Discover how Paul’s experiences and epistles continue to inspire believers to seek a deeper understanding and a purposeful life in Christ.
Greetings to the brightest audience in the country and welcome to Theology Thursday. I’m Nicole McBurney. Every weekday we bring you the news of the day, the culture, and science from a Christian worldview. But today, join me and Pastor Bob Enyart as we explore the source of our Christian worldview, the Bible.
SPEAKER 02 :
Through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor. Yet what I shall choose, I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again. Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs that you stand fast in one spirit with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation and that from God. Just to comment on that first, the fact that these people were their adversaries, their enemies, Paul was saying with the authority of his apostleship, that the fact that they are your enemies is proof of their perdition. That they are in rebellion of God, but it’s proof of your salvation. And that from God. Notice he qualifies that salvation. The term salvation, we tend to gloss over its use in individual passages. And we assume it always means eternal salvation from hell. It doesn’t always mean that. Sometimes it means salvation in this particular circumstance. You’re in prison and you’re saved out of prison. You’re living in Corinth and you’re saved from the filth of this present life. So salvation does primarily mean your eternal life in Jesus Christ, but it also means salvation from the wickedness of the world that’s around you right then. So when Paul uses the term salvation here, he just wants to clarify the fact that they are your enemies that is proof of their perdition, but to you it’s proof of your salvation and that from God. In other words, the fact that you are truly saved eternally. So that just indicates the two uses of that term salvation. Verse 29. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for his sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now here is in me. Philippians 2. Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interest, but also for the interest of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. And here’s one of the more important passages in Scripture. The humility of Christ being an example to us. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God. If there is a millionaire and you make yourself equal with him by stealing money, now you’re a millionaire too. You have made yourself equal through robbery. So you’re not really equal. You’re a criminal. But Jesus Christ was in the form of God, but He didn’t consider it robbery to be equal with God because that was His natural estate. He is the eternal God the Son. But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. So this is a fabulous circle that has been completed. The very first thing God created Before He made anything else, He created a form for the Son to indwell. And that form is the form of a man. A head, torso, arms, and legs. That form. Jesus Christ today has taken upon Himself that form for all of eternity. He will always be the man Jesus Christ. So when God created us in His image and likeness, God is a spirit. A spirit doesn’t have a form or a shape. But He made a form for the Son to indwell. And so when it came to making man the pinnacle of creation, He made man in God’s image. The image that He had just previously made for Himself, for His Son to indwell. So Jesus Christ, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore, God also said, has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name. Those who say that God never changes, they tend to overlook passages like this that speak of the extraordinary humility of God the Son. Where God the Son emptied Himself of these extraordinary attributes of God. Like we read in the Gospel of John where Jesus said, after he has now spent 33 years on earth as a man in the flesh, he says, Father, he’s looking forward to being reunited with the Father so that they can share the glory that they shared before the world was. He’s looking forward to that again because he had lowered himself from that kind of grandeur. To become a human being. And born in a stable. And laid in a manger. And treated the way he was treated. This is all God the Son humbling himself. Lowering himself. And if anyone thinks that. Humbling yourself is not a change. Well then that person probably doesn’t have. Much experience with humbling himself. That is one of the greatest conceivable changes. For God the Son to do what he did for us. Now he doesn’t change. in His righteousness, His commitment to holiness and goodness. That is eternally certain. But He changes in countless ways because He’s alive and because He loves us. That at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the earth and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you, both to will and to do, for his good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing. that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain. Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering, on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. For the same reason, you also be glad and rejoice with me. But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character that as a son with his father, he served with me in the gospel. Therefore, I hope to send him at once as soon as I see how it goes with me. But I trust in the Lord that I myself shall also come shortly. Yet I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, but your messenger and the one who ministered to my need, since he was longing for you all and was distressed because you had heard that he was sick. For indeed, he was sick almost unto death, but God had mercy on him and not only on him, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. Therefore, I sent him the more eagerly that when you see him again, you may rejoice and I may be less sorrowful. Receive him therefore in the Lord with all gladness and hold such men in esteem. Because of the work of Christ, he came close to death, not regarding his life to supply what was lacking in your service toward me. Philippians 3 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord, For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware of the mutilation. The mutilation, that is, those who teach that followers of Christ should be circumcised. Circumcision is a good thing when God gave it to Abraham as a covenant of circumcision. And it’s perfectly acceptable as a social statement that it’s just the norm for young boys, baby boys to be circumcised in a culture. But it’s a terrible thing if you’re using it to ruin someone’s walk in grace. Because the gospel of grace is very different from the covenant of circumcision. The covenant of grace is very different From the covenant of circumcision. And Paul gets emotionally angry. When he thinks of those. Who would take his converts. And convince them to circumcise. And keep the Mosaic law. He gets angry. So here. He calls them the mutilation. They want to come and convince you. In Philippi. To circumcise. Oh boy. He says in Galatians. I wish they’d cut themselves off. He’s really angry at them. So he says, beware of the mutilation. For we are the circumcision, he writes. We who worship God in the Spirit rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. So he says, like he says elsewhere, we are circumcised in the Spirit. We don’t need the circumcision of the flesh. We have no confidence in the flesh. So beware of the circumcision We are the true circumcision. That’s his argument here. Though I also might have confidence in the flesh, if anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so. And by the flesh, he’s saying, look, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that was a physical descent of a lineage of human beings. And they were all circumcised. And they were all Jews. Of the flesh. And so if that’s where it’s at. I have top credentials. If being of the circumcision. And being a Jew. And following the Mosaic law. If that’s what’s important. I have top credentials. But I consider all that loss. For the gain. Of. Jesus Christ. So he writes. I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else. thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so. Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, concerning the law, a Pharisee. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church. Concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. Now this wasn’t a claim to sinlessness, but As outward appearance goes, no one beat Paul, whose name at the time was Saul of the tribe of Benjamin. Just like the very first Jew in Israel’s kingdom was who? Saul of the tribe of Benjamin. The very first believer in the body of Christ was who? Saul of the tribe of Benjamin. God worked that parallelism so we wouldn’t miss the point that he began Israel’s kingdom with King Saul, the first to be anointed king of the tribe of Benjamin, and he began the body of Christ with Saul of the tribe of Benjamin. The first Saul under the law, who started tremendously and ended up terribly, and the second Saul under grace, who started terribly and ended up exalted by God under grace. But what things were gained to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed, I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection. That is eternal life, knowing God. Knowing God is eternal life. That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death, if by any means I may attain salvation to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained or am already perfected, but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let us, as many as are mature, have this mind. And if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you. Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule. Let us be of the same mind. Brethren, join in following my example and note those who so walk as you have us for a pattern. For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ whose end is destruction. And I think of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Denver where they promote homosexuality and abortion and evolution. They are a post-Christian church. And tragically, throughout the Scriptures, Old and New Testament, there are those who outwardly proclaimed to follow the God of Abraham, but who inwardly hated him. In the time of the New Testament, you have the high priest, Caiaphas, and his father-in-law, Annas. And you have so many whom Jesus would say, you call me Lord, Lord, but I will tell you I never knew you. Depart from me into everlasting fire. They are enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to his glorious body according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things to himself. Philippians 4 Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved. I implore Iodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers whose names are in the book of life. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I will say rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to all men the Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, Whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do and the God of peace will be with you. But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last Your care for me has flourished again, though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. Paul is concerned for even their feelings. He doesn’t want to hurt their feelings as he’s complimenting them. He says, now your care for me has flourished. And as he’s writing that, he’s realizing, oh, they may be hurt to think that they weren’t caring for me six months ago. Now they’re caring for me. So he writes, I rejoice that your care for me has flourished. Again, you’ve cared for me in the past, though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. So those times that you were not actively caring for me, I know you just lacked the opportunity. Notice how thoughtful he is. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. I know how to be abased and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things, I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Wow, what a beautiful, and encouraging teaching. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I could win the devil’s salvation so the devil gets saved. True? No, not true. No, this is a figure of speech. All things throughout the Bible, a hundred times over, hundreds of times, all is a figure of speech. I can do all the things that God wants me to do. All the things that God wants Needs me to do, I can do through Christ. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you have done well that you shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, that is so interesting because Paul speaks of the beginning of the gospel when he came to the Lord. He speaks of that In 1 Timothy chapter 1. That was the beginning. Of the body of Christ. Before that. There was Israel’s kingdom. And God was working with Israel. In the covenant of circumcision. Circumcision means to cut off. Then he cut off Israel. Grafted in the body of Christ. In the covenant of grace. It’s no longer the covenant of circumcision. That transition happened. happened in the book of Acts when Ananias laid his hands on the apostle Paul and transferred the authority for winning over the nations from the 12 apostles to Paul. And from that time forward, the apostles no longer evangelized. The 12 apostles, they stayed in Jerusalem for the most part. They did not go out to all the nations and preach the gospel. They agreed with Peter, James, and John in Galatians 2. They said, Paul, you go to all the nations. You go to the uncircumcision, that is the Gentiles, the nations. We will go only to the Jews. So Jesus had given the 12 apostles the great commission to go to every nation, but he also gave them the authority to loose what was bound. So he had bound them to go to every nation they loosed themselves from the Great Commission. And they said, we will not go to every nation. Paul will go. Because we have the covenant of circumcision and the kingdom gospel, and it’s no longer applicable to the Gentiles. Because God has cut off Israel. He’s put our kingdom in abeyance. He’s held it in a state of sort of suspended animation, waiting for a future time after the fullness of the Gentiles comes in. then God will return to his prophetic plan with Israel. But for now, Paul is the one who has the authority from God to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. And Paul is not going to preach circumcision. He’s not going to preach keeping the law. He’s not going to do it because Jesus Christ said to Paul that he gave the law to Israel, but now no longer are believers under the law, but we are now under grace. And so don’t circumcise. If you do, you’ll be cursed. Paul teaches. Not Peter. Not James. Not John. Not even Jesus. That was all under the covenant of circumcision in Israel’s kingdom gospel. But now Paul is given the gospel of grace. And that’s why he repeatedly refers to the gospel of grace as, quote, my gospel, he calls it. And he says that he was the first He was the first as a pattern for all who would believe in Jesus Christ. He was the first. So here he says, now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving, but you only. For even in Thessalonica, you sent aid once and again for my necessities. not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed, I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. Greet every saint in Christ Jesus. The brethren who are with me greet you. All the saints greet you, but especially those who are of Caesar’s household. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. And that is Paul’s epistle to the Philippians that he wanted All those in Philippi to read publicly. So we’ve now read that. And Lord willing, with our next class, we’ll begin a verse-by-verse discussion of the teaching that the Holy Spirit gave to Paul for us. May God bless you guys.
Navigate through the teachings of Apostle Paul on salvation and righteousness, as discussed by Nicole McBurney and Pastor Bob Enyart. This episode covers Paul’s extraordinary journey, his credentials, and the tremendous shift he made towards embracing the righteousness offered by faith in Christ. Discover how Paul’s experiences and epistles continue to inspire believers to seek a deeper understanding and a purposeful life in Christ.
