Confidence in the Flesh

‘Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.' (Philippians 3:4-6 KJV)

Those who are not Jews by nature also come with confidence: in their foundation and equipping, the nobility of renowned names, the prominence of their occupations, their consideration of righteousness.

'But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is through the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.' 

(Philippians 3:7-11 KJV)

We won't win Christ with confidence in the flesh.

Through Faith unto Salvation

‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God THROUGH faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the LAST time.' (1 Peter 1:3-5 KJV)

Strong's concordance defines 'through' as a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act. The act being the testimony of Jesus Christ, him crucified then resurrected by God. By faith we understand and through faith we believe, being called to continue toward, and into the channel of his actions. If I drive THROUGH a tunnel, there is an entrance and an outlet. Understand that 'through faith unto salvation' is a matriculation: the end result uncovered in the LAST time: the furthest, uttermost channel of his actions.

God gives more Grace to Our malintent

‘But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. Do you think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he sayeth, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.'

(James 3:17-4:6 KJV)

'And he said to me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' (2 Corinthians 12:9 KJV)

God's grace to our strong, futile desires! Ask God for more grace, making peace!

In THAT He Is MADE Low

‘Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being MADE conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.' (Philippians 3:4-12 KJV)

'Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted: but the rich, in THAT he is MADE low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.' (James 1:9-11 KJV)

Recognize, receive, and rejoice in THAT which we are MADE low, for the brother of low degree rejoices in THAT he is exalted!

Sanctify Them Through Thy Truth

‘For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now I come to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them THROUGH thy truth: thy word is truth.'

through- continuing in time toward completion of (a process or period); so as to complete successfully; from beginning to end of

'As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified THROUGH the truth.'

(John 17:8-19 KJV)

What manner of sanctifying truth was yet to be completed by Jesus? The cross of Christ! How much of Jesus' willing sanctification through the truth do you lack?

Ask, According to His Will, and Receive

‘And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: and if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.'

(1 John 5:14,15 KJV)

'This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.' (1 John 1:5-7 KJV) 

Ask for/to walk in the light, as he is in the light.

'And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.' (1 John 2:28,29 KJV) 

Ask how to do righteousness, as he is righteous.

'Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.'

(1 John 3:1-3 KJV) 

Ask how to purify yourself, even as he is pure.

'Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is the spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.' (1 John 4:2,3 KJV) Ask how to confess that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.

These things certainly are according to (in conformity with) God's will.

No more can Ye, except Ye abide in Me

‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no MORE can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for WITHOUT me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done UNTO you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye shall bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.' 

(John 15:1-8 KJV)

without: outside, external

Is there enough in these verses to encourage you to ASK the Father, that he purge from your works that which is outside and external to the true vine? In the natural branch, purging refers to the cutting off of shoots which run to waste, and removal of every excrescence (abnormal outgrowth) which hinders the growth of the branch.

'As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no MORE can ye, except ye abide in me.'