Rejoice in the Lord!

In Philippians 3 Paul tells the Philippians to rejoice.

I think as Christians we really should be the most joyful people on earth.

If you are walking with the Lord there should be a joy in your life.

Now when Paul writes to the Philippians we have got to remember that he is a prisoner of Rome. As a prisoner of Rome, he has an uncertain earthly future…He is also in chains…

He is confined in Rome…He is away from the believers in Churches that he deeply loved and yet Paul has joy.

In fact Paul's letter to the Philippians is known by some as the "Epistle of Joy!

Paul could rejoice, despite his circumstances for he knew that God was in control of every circumstance that came into his life!

Paul's Command: Phil 3.1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.

Paul's Concern: Phil 3:2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!

Paul wanted the Philippians to be people of Joy but he also wanted them to be people of discernment.

Paul warned the Philippians about evil workers in (Phil 3:2)
In Paul's day there were false teachers called Judaizers whom were adding to the Gospel.

The Judaizers wanted to force people in the early church into keeping Jewish laws, specifically the circumcision of male Gentiles that had come into the Church.

Paul knew that there was the constant danger of false teachers that would come along and ad to the simple message of the Gospel.

It's the same in our day. There are those within various cults and denominations that add to the Gospel.

We have false teachers today that require religious observances and good works for their people .