Lesson 16: Joy’s devotion to truth

Philippians 3:1-21 www.bible.com/bible/59/php.3 
3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh—
4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:
5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee;
6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

We read in the last lesson Paul’s warning against simply turning our worship into a religious rite. Nothing will steal our joy as quickly as a religious practice which we begin to follow. We find a number of reasons for the loss of joy in today’s verses.

First, in verse 3 we find self-confidence. Being confident in our ability to please God cannot bring joy because our heart is turned inward rather than toward Jesus. Since Jesus is our source of joy, turning away from Him disconnects us from His joy. (Hebrews 12:2)

 Second, in verse 4 we find pride stepping into our life. We begin to compare ourselves to others around us to see which of us is the most religious. Joy is gone as we become concerned when we cannot measure up to someone else in religious deeds (Luke 18:10-14).

Third, in verse 5 we begin to compete with others to raise our religious status. We no longer seek God’s will for our life, but rather the approval of others around us. (Psalm 1)


Fourth, we become zealots for a religious cause, and in our zeal to rise above the rest we can become prideful and destructive to others, sacrificing them for our own position. (Romans 14:13-23)

Joy is ours only as we remain close to Jesus, committed to Truth – John 14:6. In John 8 Jesus told us the key to joy – truth sets us free (verse 32), and the source or person of truth is Jesus (verse 38). So if Jesus sets us free then we are truly free – free from ourselves, free from pride, free from competition, free from battles which destroy others. In such freedom our joy can indeed be complete. Nothing but a true and intimate relationship with Jesus can ever satisfy our hunger for peace and contentment, and nothing but His peace and contentment can ever bring us joy.

 *Can a proud person trying to please God through their own efforts experience true joy? Why or why not? Ask the Lord of Truth to reveal areas of spiritual pride in your own heart and life, and then repent.