Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.  For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh… (Philippians 3:7-8).

Paul is not happy.

He’s not afraid to let you know.

I like that.

In this passage, Paul is ticked off at a group of teachers who are telling new believers that they must follow the traditions of Judaism, particularly circumcision.  For some it’s a power thing–having control of the rituals gives these false teachers authority over new converts.  For others, it may simply be a faulty understanding of grace.  In either case, the message they’re teaching is that Christ Jesus is not enough.  

You need Jesus + rituals.

You need Jesus + accomplishments.

You need Jesus + stuff.

Frankly, if it’s “Jesus +…” it’s not really Jesus at all.  

You can see why this pushes Paul’s buttons.

And what of you, Beloved?  Are you stuck in “Jesus +” mode?  Are you trying to check items off an endless spiritual list, hoping to achieve what you’ve already been given?

Don’t answer that too quickly.

In fact, maybe you should let God answer that one for you.

I’ll leave you two alone to talk it over.