3
All for Christ
1Finally, my brethren, ⚓rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.
2⚓Beware of dogs, beware of ⚓evil workers, ⚓beware of the mutilation!
3For we are ⚓the circumcision, ⚓who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,
4though ⚓I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I ⚓more so:
5circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, ⚓of the tribe of Benjamin, ⚓a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, ⚓a Pharisee;
6concerning zeal, ⚓persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7But ⚓what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
8Yet 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
9and 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;
10that I may know Him and the ⚓power of His resurrection, and ⚓the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
11if, by any means, I may ⚓attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Pressing Toward the Goal
12Not 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.
13Brethren, 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,
14⚓I press toward the goal for the prize of ⚓the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
15Therefore let us, as many as are ⚓mature, ⚓have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, ⚓God will reveal even this to you.
16Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, ⚓let us walk ⚓by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
Our Citizenship in Heaven
17Brethren, ⚓join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as ⚓you have us for a pattern.
18For 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:
19⚓whose end is destruction, ⚓whose god is their belly, and ⚓whose glory is in their shame—⚓who set their mind on earthly things.
20For ⚓our citizenship is in heaven, ⚓from which we also ⚓eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
21⚓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.