The Opening Command and Warning

Introduction to Philippians 3 and the Two Monsters of Error

0:02 This sermon was preached on Sunday morning, August 23rd, 1981, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. And now will you follow in your own Bibles, please, as I read the opening words of the third chapter of Paul's letter to the Philippians, as we continue in our Lord's Day morning expositions, our careful attention to the mind of the Spirit as couched in the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians. Philippians chapter 3.

0:42 Finally, or furthermore, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed, is not irksome. But for you it is safe. Beware of the dogs.

1:00 Beware of evil workers. Beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh.

1:22 At the heart of the gospel of the grace of God lies the answer. The amazing fact that an infinitely holy and an inflexibly just God is prepared to accept wretchedly sinful and undeniably guilty men and women as perfectly righteous in His sight solely on the basis of the activity of Jesus Christ, who lived, died, and rose again. In order to provide such a righteousness. Now no sooner is that glorious message preached in its unfettered fullness, but that the enemy of men's souls turns loose two great perversions of that message. And the first is the perversion that I am calling the monster of legalism. And the second, the monster. The monster of antinomianism.

2:31 In the case of the former, the monster of legalism, men are told that something must be added to the work of Christ in order to complete the sinner's acceptance with God. The great error of legalism is the statement that the sinner's righteousness needs something more than the work of Christ. The work of Christ received by faith alone. Now in the apostolic age, the primary expression or manifestation of this monster came through that group of people generally designated as the Judaizers.

3:16 Those who taught according to Acts 15.1 that unless people were circumcised and committed themselves to the whole mosaic economy, they could not be saved. In other words, their insistence upon circumcision was not an insistence to maintain and to advance an innocent cultural ritual. It was, according to Acts 15.1, a theological insistence that salvation was not complete apart from circumcision and introduction to the world. It was, according to Acts 15.1, a theological insistence that salvation was not complete apart from circumcision and introduction to the world. And that error is dealt with powerfully, we might even say scathingly, in Paul's letter to the Galatians.

4:11 Now in the case of that latter monster, the monster of antinomianism, we have not an addition to the righteousness of Christ, but antinomianism adds to the perfection of Christ's work the logic of the work of God. And that is the reason why we have to say that the work of God is not complete without the work of God. And that is the reason why we have to say that the work of God is not complete without the work of God. And that is the reason why we have to say that the work of God is not complete without the work of the devil.

4:29 The Frankenstein monster of antinomianism is made of the doctrine of Christ's perfect righteousness to which there is added the devil's logic. The logic of Romans 6.1, Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? If we are accepted before God on the grounds of the work of another, then our work, our work is of no consequence.

5:01 If our sins are pardoned and we have an imputed righteousness because of what Christ is and Christ has done, and on that basis alone, then what I am and what I do is of no account.

5:15 Well, you see, in the case of this monster of legalism, there is an attempt to add to what Christ has done in order to provide the sinner with a perfect life. And in the monster of antinomianism, there is an attempt to subtract what Christ produces in the sinner's life as the evidence and the fruit of grace. And so if you don't have your theological mathematics straight, you're going to land up in tremendous problems. Now you say, Pastor Martin, what in the world does that have to do with Philippians chapter 3?

The Structure of Philippians and the Danger to the Church

5:56 Well, it has everything to do with Philippians chapter 3. Because in the overall structure of this letter, the Apostle having given an extended exhortation to unity and to its root graces in chapter 2, having followed that exhortation with a general admonition to Christian holiness and to blameless testimony before the world, the Apostle then went on to speak of the practical decisions he was making with reference to the fact that he was making a reference to two great men of God, Timothy and Epaphroditus and their relationship to the church at Philippi. And we concluded our study in that paragraph dealing with these two men in our exposition last week. Now when he makes this transition into chapter 3 and says, finally or furthermore, my brethren, he goes on in this chapter to zero in, to set his sights, as it were, upon the church. Upon these two monsters. The monster of legalism or the error of the Judaizers in the first 14 verses and then in verses 15 to the end of the chapter, the monster of antinomianism or the sensualists as he describes them.

7:20 And Paul realized that that infant church there in Philippi, some 10 years old at the time that he wrote, wrote this letter, was in grave danger of being consumed by these two monsters. And as a faithful shepherd of the sheep of God, he warns them in this chapter. So much then for that general introduction and overview of the structure of the book. This morning we will concentrate our attention upon opening up verses 1 and 2.

The Transition and Preamble: 'Rejoice in the Lord'

7:55 Finally, my brethren, we can rejoice in the Lord, to write the same things to you. To me indeed is not irksome, but for you it is safe. Beware of the dogs. Beware of evil workers.

8:12 Beware of the concision. In verse 1 of this chapter, we have what I am calling the transition and preamble to this section of the epistle. That we have a transition is indicated by the opening word translated, in most of our versions, finally. Now, the words he uses, translated finally, ta loipon, can mean now for the last thing.

8:43 But as we look at the usage of this construction in other places in the New Testament, it does not necessarily mean now to move on to the last thing, or it can be properly rendered as one has translated it. Furthermore, or the rest, or for what remains. For example, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 in verse 1, he uses this construction and then goes on for two chapters to give us the finally. So there is a transition and the apostle indicates that as the Philippians sit there in the assembly that Lord's day when this epistle was first read, and their minds have just been instructed with regard to Paul's intention, concerning Timothy and Epaphroditus, and the last word is said about Epaphroditus, receive him therefore with joy in the Lord, hold all such in high regard, because for the work of Christ he hazarded his life. He, as it were, now wants them to forget Timothy and Epaphroditus, and concentrate all of their attention upon the warnings that will come in this chapter, and he makes the transition by saying finally, or first, furthermore, my brethren. And then he gives us in this first verse a preamble to this entire section. And I want you to notice three things about the preamble.

10:10 First of all, the self-conscious climate of address in this section. He says finally, my brethren. The self-conscious climate in which the apostle penned this section was the climate of felt affection for the Philippians as his brothers in Christ. Now granted, he is their spiritual father and could have called them his children.

10:45 In his capacity and office as an apostle, he was their superior in authority, in knowledge, and in privilege. And though he was miles beyond them in experience, and in grace, yet he addresses them self-consciously in the climate of his attachment to them as a brother in Christ. In other words, it was not the things in which he differed from them that constituted the climate of this chapter, but it was the things in which he stood with them in their common union with the Lord Jesus. He writes out of the self-conscious awareness that he is a brother to all of the people of God, Philippi. And so family affection and family concern beats deeply within his breast. All that follows in this chapter is an expression of deep, principled, God-like, brotherly, love. Now if you want to know how deep, principled, God-like, brotherly love is to that issue

12:12 with our assumptions. How often people say, well, I can't imagine God being like that. Well, the problem, you see, is with your imaginations. And the scripture says we are to bring down imaginations and every high thing that exalts self against the knowledge of God and bring everything to the obedience of Christ.

12:38 You have no right beforehand to determine how brotherly love will act. You and I are no fit to understand the proper actings of brotherly love, and we are fit because of the twisting influence of sin to understand any other dimension of Christian duty apart from the light of the Spirit given to us in the Word of God. And so the self-conscious climate of address in this section is that, of brotherly affection. But then there is in verse 1 an expression of the central concern of this section.

13:17 What is the Apostle's fundamental concern in this section? Well, it's given to us in the imperative. Rejoice in the Lord. The whole burden of this entire section is stated in this gospel command to rejoice in the Lord.

13:39 That is, the Philippians are to find those glad, exalting only in that which Christ and that which Christ has done and that which Christ is relationship to His people. And in a very real sense, obedience to this command will immunize the Philippians against the infectious diseases described in the chapter or to go back, to the original analogy, it will fortify them to slay the monsters of legalism and antinomianism. You see, the Judaizers came along and said, Christ is not enough. To Christ and His righteousness must be added ritual, ceremony, and the empty, abolished types and symbols of the Mosaic structure. And the moment any Philippian who would be infected, any Philippian would be infected by that teaching, his joy would no longer be supremely exclusively in Christ, but there would be a glory in his flesh, a glorying in his attachment to and subservience to Mosaic ritual.

15:08 And so the apostle, as it were, gathers together in one succinct mandate, the heartbeat of the entire chapter when he says, Rejoice in the Lord. And to the extent that the Philippians rejoice in the Lord and in the Lord alone, they will not fall prey to the Judaizers. And likewise, they will not fall prey to the antinomians or the sensualists. For you see, they would make them rejoice in their so-called liberties.

15:39 They would make them rejoice in the so-called indulgence of their prayers, privileges, and they would end up, according to verse 19, glorying not in Christ, but in their shame. And so the great antidote to sensualism and to antinomianism is to rejoice in the Lord. For if one is rejoicing in the Lord, he cannot help in that context of rejoicing in the Lord, but be transformed into that image from one stage of glory to another. And so the apostle clearly understood that the practical tendency of all doctrinal error was to start away from singleness in rejoicing in the Lord.

16:34 And in his deep and sensitive pastoral awareness of this, he passes over the threshold of the transition into this expression of the climate of his affectionate, and introduces the entire section with the central concern, namely, rejoice in the Lord. But then note in the third place the pastoral attitude with which he writes this section. To write the same things to you, to me indeed, is not irksome, but for you it is safe. Conscious that he is repeating himself, and that the great theme of joy already touched upon numerous times in the epistle, and it will yet again be introduced in chapter 4. Conscious that repetition in the life and ministry of a preacher often raises eyebrows, the apostle says to write the same things to you. From my pastoral perspective, I want you to know it is not an indication of salvation, it is not sluggishness, or it is not irksome to me, and it is difficult to translate and to ascertain with precision precisely what the apostle had in mind. It was one of those two things.

18:00 You see, when a man begins to repeat himself, they say, well, you know, he is overly tired, he is mentally drained, he is repeating himself. Well, they say he is getting old, you know, and a bit loose here, and a bit thin at the edges, so he is repeating himself. Paul says this is not an indication of sluggishness, or he may be saying, I do not do this with sluggishness, it is not irksome, it is not like going to a task that is distasteful to me. And he said, furthermore, it is not only not a matter of irksomeness for me, it is for you Philippians, he said, a matter of safety.

18:39 And so this pastoral attitude born of brotherly affection as well as a sense of pastoral duty causes the apostle to express himself in this way. And surely we learn from this example the great principle that repetition of essential and central truths is a vital part of pastoral duty. The repetition of essential and central truths is a vital part of pastoral duty, and therefore a man so jealous to guard his image, the image, of being fresh and original, who will not repeat himself and thereby leave people vulnerable, is not worthy to be a shepherd of God's sheep. And if any of you men aspiring to the ministry have not died sufficiently to your imitation to be a repeater of essential truths until your ego is buried,

19:52 God's precious sheep will be left vulnerable to error that will destroy them. While you fawn yourself and preen the feathers of your own image.

The Warning: 'Beware of the Dogs, Evil Workers, the Concision'

20:07 Well, so much for that transition and preamble to this section. Now then, notice in verse 2 the warning by which the section is introduced.

20:23 Beware the dog.

20:28 Beware evil workers. Beware the concision. And in these words we have basically two units of thought. The essence of the warning and the objects of the warning.

20:44 Now look at the essence of the warning. Most of our translations translate the word beware. And it's the word that is the common word in the New Testament for looking at something. If I were to write in Greek I was in the parking lot looking at the birds, I would use this word.

21:06 To look. But when it's used in a context such as this and comes in the imperative it does not mean to look with the physical eyes but it means to pay attention to as it were with the eyes of the soul. To be alert to something. To watch out for something.

21:27 And the form of the verb is that of a present imperative. That is, it is a command and a command that has continued pressure upon it. O Philippians, be continually be continually be continually for as someone has said like the man in a grand assembly seeking to get the attention of that assembly and he takes his gavel and he pounds it once and part of the assembly comes to attention. Then he pounds it a second time and he gets about three quarters of the assembly and then the third time he brings the gavel down with all his might and the whole assembly and the hushed silence falls upon that assembly. So the apostle with a stroke of rhetorical genius says in the simplest most streamlined Greek imaginable beware the God beware the workers beware the concision three summons that Philippians to the most intense and continuous watchfulness in the way of this warning. The dangers to you Philippians are the dangers to you Philippians are real beware the dang Philippians are serious

22:54 the danger that's the essence of the warning but now look at the objects and the objects obviously just three descriptions of one basic group of people the Judaizers. Those people who had embraced the fundamentals of the Christian faith but were determined to undermine that faith by their bad mathematics putting plus signs where God put full stops by their mathematics and their grammar. There's no indication that they were presently at work at Philippi. There is nothing in the text of Scripture itself to indicate that. We know they were at Galatia and the entire epistle to the Galatians is this white hot pouring forth of passionate concern to maintain the purity of the gospel. However the apostle from the past track record of the Judaizers knew that they were like spiritual cuckoos and like the cuckoo bird who doesn't build his own nest but sits in someone else's nest he knew that wherever there was a nest of believers wherever a church was formed like so many of the cultists today there the Judaizers would come seeking to propagate their heresy. Wherever there was a congregation of God's people

24:21 instructed in the doctrines of grace there the antinomian and the secularist would come adding to the doctrines of grace the devil's logic that would appeal to remaining corruption. And so the objects of the warning particularly in this passage though are the Judaizers. And notice the threefold description he gives of them. First of all he calls them dogs.

24:50 Beware the dogs. Now this demonstrates perhaps perhaps more vividly than many other parts of Philippians why we must interpret the Bible in terms of the historical setting in which it was given to us. When we think of the word dog generally speaking the connotations are man's best friend. The lovely animal that stretches out by the glowing fireplace and just sort of adds an extra dimension to the coziness of the house.

25:27 Or we may think of a creature that's helpful in terms of the dogs that are trained right nearby in Morristown to help guide the blind or some of you who are hunters. The dog is your friend to help you in making sure that the prey you have shot is brought back to you or helping you in quarrying your prey. But the whole connotation that we have with the word dog is primarily a positive one. But this was not true in the world in which Paul wrote.

25:57 For the Gentile world the major connotation of the dog was derived from the fact that packs of wild dogs could be found in almost any city. And they would roam about eating whatever they could get their mangy mouths upon. And often they would become even a threat to human beings because in their packing together there was a sense of strength and if they were ravenously hungry they would be it was not beyond them to turn on human beings. So the whole connotation to the Gentile mind with respect to the dog was something that was a ravenous unclean scoundrelous kind of creature. Now for the Jew the dog was an unclean animal. And when a Jew wanted to use a term by which to describe his feelings about Gentiles who were unclean and unfit for communion with the Jew the term they used was dog. And this is picked up even in scripture for we read in Revelation 22 15 without that city that is the church in its perfected state in the world to come without are the dogs.

27:17 So John describes the wicked as the unclean the dogs who are cast out of the presence of God. So what does Paul call the Judaizers? He doesn't say oh Philippians beware of our dear misguided brethren. Oh Philippians beware of our poor dear but ignorant brethren.

27:47 He says beware well that's not a way to push forward the ecumenical movement.

27:59 I mean these people believe the Bible Old and New Testaments these people believe in Christ these people believe in salvation by the blood. Yes they have a little problem with their plus signs and putting commas where they ought to put periods but let's be gracious let's be like the Lord Jesus. Well that's exactly what Paul was doing. Jesus called false teachers ravening wolves.

28:31 In Matthew 7 15 he called them whitewashed sepulchers and it's precisely because this great apostle drank so deeply of the spirit of his Lord that when he warned the Philippians about the Judaizers he calls them nothing less than this they are dull.

29:04 Then he moves from metaphorical language to blunt plain language he calls them evil workers oh yeah they're workers all right like their spiritual forefathers the Pharisees they compass land and sea to make a proselyte they're full of zeal as Paul says in Romans 10 although it is not a zeal according to knowledge but he said wherever they work the product of their work is nothing but evil. Everything that they work results in evil. They are evil workers. Then he adds a master stroke when he calls them in the third place the concision.

29:45 Now there are most of us here if our lives depended on it we couldn't give a definition of what concision means could we? Well the reason it's translated concision in the older translations is that the translators were trying to preserve something of the play on words that's in the original between circumcision and concision. You see in those two words in the original you have a different prefix to the same fundamental word. The word for circumcision is peritome and concision is katatome.

30:22 And Paul was using a play on words. You see the Judaizers went around saying we are of the circums. We preserve the dignity of the ancient Mosaic rituals and they were imposing upon the Gentiles the necessity of circumcision and obedience to the law of Moses if they were to be saved. Paul doesn't give them the dignity of calling them the circumcision party.

30:48 He calls them the concision. You know what the word means? It means mutilators. He says you go around saying we are of the circumcision.

30:59 We are of the peritome. He says no not just mutilators of your flesh but mutilators of your souls. All the sins beware they come with fair speeches. They come with plausible arguments but they are out not simply to cut off for sins but to mutilate souls.

31:30 And take them to hell with their works righteousness.

31:38 Strong language. Dogs. Evil workers.

31:45 Mutilators. Now my friends I didn't write the Bible. My task is to expound it.

31:56 And that is Paul's introductory warning. The essence is Philippians be on your guard. Watch out for be alert to the danger of these Jews. They are Judaizers.

32:09 They are dogs. They are evil workers. They are mutilators. Now what are we to learn from this warning?

Application 1: Constant Watchfulness Against Well-Defined Errors

32:19 Well let me set before you three very simple but vital lines of application this morning. Number one constant watchfulness with respect to well defined errors is no little part of continuous Christian duty and responsibility.

32:44 Constant watchfulness with respect to well defined errors is no little part of continuous Christian duty. There is no evidence as I've asserted that the Judaizers had already done their dastardly work at Philippi. But knowing their patterns patterns which had emerged into something that could clearly be defined and recognized Paul says to the Philippians Oh Philippians beware beware beware we're not planes Philippians they are dogs who will tear you they are evil workers who will infect you with their evil work and they are mutilators who will butcher your souls. And as with the Philippians so with us you see it is not enough to take the injunction to heart rejoice in the Lord. It is not enough to say I am determined by the grace of God to find in Christ Jesus crucified buried in risen in all the glory of his unique person and the sufficiency of his saving work my only reference point of boasting and glory my friend if it were enough

34:13 for Paul to say rejoice in the Lord once why did he say beware thrice that says it is enough to have the positive injunctions of the Bible this negativism must go my friend this passage is three quarters negative and the Holy God when men get wiser than God they leave themselves vulnerable to all forms of spirit , sickness and evil watchfulness is a wearisome task any of you who have been in the military and have had to pull night watch know what I'm talking about there is no stimulating activity physically or mentally to keep all your faculties alert and it's a matter of the most dogged kind of discipline for a man to stand upon his watch and to look out into the woods or the trees or the surrounding for the slightest intimations of the approach of an enemy and it becomes wearisome but as a good soldier he endures the hardship and the wearisomeness of keeping watch

35:39 and so the child of God is called upon to watch as well as to pray that he enter not into temptation and my dear friends would to God that these monsters had died in the first century the monsters of legalism the basic teaching of the Judaizers and the monster of antinomianism and sensualism but there is much lurking about Trinity Church today as they were lurking about the church at Philippi when Paul penned this letter because the human heart with its remaining sin has something that continually answers to the flirtations of both antinomianism and legalism and therefore constant watchfulness with respect to these well-defined errors is no little part of our Christian duty but then there is a second principle that I want to underscore by way of application and it's this there is a holy harshness that is not at all inconsistent with holy love and gentleness you will remember those who were with us how we stood amazed when we went through the latter part of Philippians 2 when we saw those dimensions of the most sensitive empathy and love

Application 2: Holy Harshness is Consistent with Holy Love

37:08 and the part of the apostle Paul and the part of Epaphroditus the largeness of Timothy's heart who did not seek the things of himself but naturally instinctively sought the good of others and all of us I think sense something of the narrowness of the constrictedness of our own hearts as we drew near to the heart of the apostle the heart of Epaphroditus the heart of Timothy sensitive pulsing with unusual dimensions of Christian love and grace and forbearance and self effacement and all of those gentle graces of Christ and yet in such a short compass the same apostle with the same heart of love and empathy says beware the dogs beware the evil workers beware the mutilators now I call that language the language of holy harshness and it was not at all inconsistent with a heart full of holy love and gentleness dogs are the most evil workers mutilators this language

38:37 is essential why because the dangers to the church at Philippi are real dangers and Paul would not be indicted as the prophets in the old testament who were called dogs that would not bark now let me ask you a very pointed question when we were working through the latter part of Philippians 2 and I was seeking to be honest to the text opening up such words as these he longed after you all he was sore troubled because you heard that he was sick and we focused our attention upon the ability of Epaphroditus to feel with and for his dear Philippians what was your reaction to all of that was it one in which you said oh finally it's so good to hear that note in this place every thing is usually so harsh and so right angled and so jagged oh it was so lovely to hear that and then this morning when I began to expound dogs evil workers mutilators did you sit there and say oh no here we go again my friend you listen to me if that was the inner reaction of your mind and spirit you have defective inward religious experience

40:03 I repeat you have defective inward religious experience if your heart does not rise with equal desires the whole Philippians 3 2 then it's apparent embrace of Philippians 2 26 is not spiritual but carnal and I reverse it when I was expounding that latter part of Philippians 2 where there's some of you who said oh Pastor Martin's gone soft in his old age he's really pressing stuff out of there that I really don't think it's all that much to get excited about so this guy Epaphroditus felt a few twitches for the people at Philippi that's fine he was sort of soft and a little bit of but oh when I mentioned the words dogs this morning then you said ah now we're in my territory is that your attitude now you be honest because you had some emotional reaction to that preaching if you're listening

41:24 now if that was your reaction my friend your inward religious experience is defective yes and your reaction to the preaching this morning is not positive in terms of a spiritual reaction but it's positive in terms of a carnal reaction whereas the spiritual reaction is that of David who said I esteem all of thy precepts concerning all things to be right and I hate every false way I hate the false way of a non-empathetic non-sensitive non-loving harsh Christianity I hate the way that does not match up to the way of Timothy and Epaphroditus in Paul the way of large sensitive pulsing hearts I hate a way that doesn't match up to Philippians too and I hate any attitude to error that doesn't match up to Philippians chapter 3 and verse 2 I hate any treatment of evil doctrine that is not labeled for what it is the work of the work of evil the work of mutilators you see if your response to the word is born of the

42:54 spirit there is an affinity of the Holy Ghost within to every word that the Holy Ghost has inscribed without in his word the Holy Ghost within a believer when operating powerfully and ungrieved and unquenched leaps as it were within the affections and judgment of the believer to everything that the Holy Ghost has inscribed in this book now where do you stand why do we commit ourselves to verse by verse exposition why are we committed to consecutive reading of the old and the new testaments my friends that's not a ritual we've inherited and it is certainly not in terms of preaching the easiest course to take it is labor labor labor but we love your souls enough to commit ourselves to a course that by the grace of God will keep us as much as is humanly possible from projecting our own imbalances upon your life as a congregation I didn't give the contrast the Holy Ghost gave it he longed for you all beware of the now which part does your religion feel uncomfortable with

Application 3: Painting Error in its Ugliest Colors

44:23 well my friend you better get down on your face before God pray and wrestle until you feel at home with tender sympathetic empathetic loving gentleness and the Holy harshness of dogs evil workers and mutilators and then the final point of application I wish to make is this it is essential to paint error in its most ugly colors so that the people of God may not be deceived by its fair speech you see when the Judaizers approached people their speech was fair it was impressive they would appeal to that which was noble in people don't you respect the whole of God's revelation did not God bring down from heaven that revelation deposited amongst his ancient people are not the words of Exodus and Deuteronomy and the laws of Leviticus are they not given by God the apostle wishes to forty five the Philippians and he does so by painting error

45:50 in its ugliest colors so that no matter how fair its speech may be the Philippians the moment they hear speech that says Christ plus circumcision these words will come to their mind that's why he did it and when the sensualist would come along and say oh isn't it marvelous to be absolutely free from the law it can never touch you with condemning authority you're accepted in the beloved your sins are pardoned you're standing before God in Christ in no way is influenced by what you are or what you do isn't that a marvelous thing and then when they begin to say now in the light of that you really need not be concerned about a life of holiness Paul says I want you armed beforehand we'll see the strong language he uses with regard to the sensualist later on in the chapter scathing language again why he is painting error in its most ugly colors so that the people of God may not be deceived by its fair speech and so dear people it's not a matter of a temperamental quirk in us that we speak of error

47:20 in denunciatory terms we call the Pope Antichrist because he is Antichrist in his person and in his teaching any man who calls himself the very visible representation of Christ is Antichrist any man who supports a system that says my blessed Lord is offered up again upon Romish altars and attacks the foundational doctrine of the Christian faith is Antichrist when respected religious protestant leaders call him a lovely Christian man oh we have a few differences they do no service to God's people he's the Pied Piper of Romanism and with his contagious masculinity and with his very attractive outgoing personality and general charisma Pope Antichrist beware God beware of that evil worker beware of that butcher of souls who if he had his way would bring you under the neck of Romanism tomorrow we love you too much to paint him in any other

48:48 colors likewise with liberalism that has abandoned the gospel of the grace of God for a gospel of social action a gospel of pull yourself up by your own bootstraps it needs to be called what it is and all who propagate it what they are my friend if you sit here this morning a stranger to the grace of God I hope one thing has come through to you it does make a difference what you believe you believe wrongly albeit ever so sincerely and you'll be damned men are saved by the truth and it's only as that truth is known and believed and submitted to that you can have any hope of salvation now I am not saying we are the true church you want to find a cult one of the marks of every cult is they claim to be the true church no we gladly confess we are but one little manifestation of the true people of God scattered throughout the whole earth we believe ourselves to be a true church of God but we believe there are many true churches of God under many denominations Lutheran Presbyterian many but the great issue is this is the heart of the gospel both preserved and proclaimed in purity

50:18 that sinners have no grounds of acceptance before a holy God but in the person and work of Jesus Christ and is that benefit of his person and work received by faith alone and does it issue then in the life of holiness and obedience as the fruit of faith that's the gospel and anything else is error no matter how fair its speech may be whatever else we may or may not say of Martin Luther he captured the spirit of the apostle Paul one writer says that when the end was drawing near and Luther knew that he was going over that bridge that only goes one way and he was pronouncing a blessing upon his people upon his sheep upon those whom he had instructed it is said that he wished for them two things the blessing of God and the curse of the Pope he wished for them two things the blessing of God and the curse of the Pope now what did he mean by that he meant exactly what the apostle Paul was saying he wished for them the blessing of God that can only come where the gospel is known believed and loved and where that pure gospel is seen in contrast to every form of error and seen

51:46 in such a way that error is painted in its true colors and that will always bring forth the opposition of error that's what he meant that they should have the blessing of God and the curses of the Pope and what do we as your overseers wish for you as God's people the blessing of God that can only come as you rejoice in the Lord only as Christ in all the glory of his person and perfection of his work holds the central place in your understanding your faith and your love oh dear people at Trinity rejoice in the Lord and anything that would make you rejoice in anything else reject it as detestable damnable error rejoice in the Lord beware of dogs beware of evil workers beware of mutilators beware that love the Lord we read in our opening psalm this morning hate evil and wherever one exists the other is there God willing in our study next week we'll notice no I'll be gone on vacation next week but two weeks from today God willing how the apostle then to give a true description of the true circumcision in undermining the very heart of the Judaizers describes the true people

53:16 of God may the Lord be pleased to write his own word upon the fleshy tables of our hearts enabling us to rejoice in the Lord and to beware of the dogs let us pray our father we are so thankful that we have the hold of scripture we thank you that we have it in our native tongue we thank you that we are able to meet as we have met this morning unmolested undisturbed in the coolness and comfort of this building father we praise you for these privileges and yet we know that to whom much is given of him shall much be required may your word not be preached in vain but may it be written upon all of our hearts and may we rejoice only in our Lord Jesus Christ may we constantly beware of the dogs of our day the evil workers the mutilators the evil of souls who in our day would draw us away from Christ to put our confidence in something else seal that word to our hearts and bring it to our remembrance again and again and mold even our deepest emotional reactions to truth by the power of the Holy Spirit

54:44 we ask in Jesus name Amen