Feeble Flesh, Mighty God
By Kristen Terrette
“For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by His Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh⎯” Philippians 3:3
If we could get to God through our own merit or efforts, Jesus wouldn’t have had to come. To put it simply, works-based grace is a farce.
I was always amazed at the ease my actress grandmother could slip into character on stage, then return to her normal self once behind the curtain. In a sense, her acting reminds me of the Jewish legalists’ double life Paul was talking about in this verse.
Long ago, God established the covenant of circumcision. This was an outward sign that demonstrated the Hebrews followed the One, true God. This tradition continued among the Jews for generations, but this external mark didn’t always reflect the condition of their soul.
Paul, the author of today’s verse, clarified that since Jesus’ birth and death, we believers are the Christ followers whether we have been circumcised (an external demonstration) or not. We cannot “put on” or “take off” that which makes us Christ-followers like my grandmother could assume or set aside a persona.
Rather, as believers we worship and glorify God from an internal change that surpasses any outward signs or declarations. Jesus has placed a seal over our hearts. We can proclaim all He has done in our lives. And we put our confidence in God’s strength, not our own.
Our flesh—our weak human nature—will fail. Christ won’t. Since we are His, we find security in Him—not in anything we achieve on our own.
Let this truth bring you peace today. Our flesh is feeble and shaky, but God’s Spirit remains strong inside us. As true believers, we can rest assured we serve a Mighty God, and we can share all He has done for us and in us.
Kristen Terrette holds a Master's degree in Theological Studies and served as a Children's Ministry Director for five years. She cherishes her Southern roots and currently lives forty-five minutes outside of Atlanta, GA. She’s following her dream by writing Christian during the day and being a wife and mom come early afternoon when the family starts to arrive home. She’serves on the Wholly Loved Ministries team, serves at her local church on the women's leadership and teaching team, and writes for Crosswalk.com. To see her blog and novels, check out her website at www.kristenterrette.com.
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Originally published Thursday, 25 January 2024.
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