Sabbath School Lesson 7: A Heavenly Citizenship

 Uniting Heaven and Earth

Christ in Philippians and Colossians

Lesson 7

A Heavenly Citizenship

You may use this for presenting and studying the current Sabbath School Lesson.

Placing Our Hope in Christ, Not in the Flesh

 

Placing Our Hope in Christ, Not in the Flesh

A Study of Paul’s Teaching in Philippians

Introduction

One of the central themes of Paul’s letter to the Philippians is where the believer places his or her confidence. Again and again, Paul contrasts hope grounded in Christ with confidence placed in the flesh. This distinction is not merely theological—it is practical, pastoral, and deeply personal. Paul is concerned that believers not subtly exchange wholehearted trust in Jesus for trust in their own performance, heritage, morality, or religious achievement.

In Philippians, Paul teaches that true joy, righteousness, and salvation are found only by placing our hope fully in Christ, not in ourselves.

---

What Paul Means by “the Flesh”

When Paul speaks of “the flesh” in Philippians, he is not referring merely to physical bodies or sinful passions. Rather, he is addressing human credentials, achievements, and religious confidence apart from Christ.

Paul issues a strong warning:

“For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3, ESV).

Here, “flesh” includes anything that might give a person reason to believe they are acceptable to God based on who they are or what they have done, rather than on what Christ has done.

---

Paul’s Personal Example: A Renunciation of Fleshly Confidence

To make his point unmistakably clear, Paul offers his own life as an example:

“Though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more” (Phil. 3:4).

Paul then lists his impressive credentials:

• Circumcised on the eighth day

• Of the people of Israel

• Of the tribe of Benjamin

• A Hebrew of Hebrews

• A Pharisee concerning the law

• Zealous to the point of persecuting the church

• “As to righteousness under the law, blameless” (Phil. 3:5–6)

Yet Paul’s conclusion is shocking:

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ” (Phil. 3:7).

Not only does Paul reject reliance on these credentials—he considers them worthless in comparison to Christ:

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil. 3:8).

---

Righteousness That Comes Through Faith in Christ

Paul’s ultimate concern is how a person is made right before God. He makes a sharp distinction between two kinds of righteousness:

“Not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (Phil. 3:9).

This verse lies at the heart of Paul’s message. Salvation does not come from:

• Law-keeping

• Moral discipline

• Religious heritage

• Personal sincerity

Rather, it comes from God’s righteousness, given through faith in Christ. Any attempt to blend Christ’s work with human merit undermines the gospel itself.

---

Why Trusting in the Flesh Is So Dangerous

Paul warns that placing confidence in the flesh leads to spiritual ruin:

“Many…walk as enemies of the cross of Christ…who glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things” (Phil. 3:18–19).

Trusting in oneself for salvation:

1. Minimizes the cross, suggesting Christ’s sacrifice was insufficient.

2. Breeds pride or despair—pride when we think we succeed, despair when we fail.

3. Shifts hope from Christ to performance, leading to anxiety rather than joy.

4. Distorts obedience, turning it into self-justification rather than grateful response.

Paul reminds believers where true hope lies:

“But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20).

---

Common Ways Believers May Err in Trusting Themselves

Even sincere Christians can subtly fall into flesh-confidence. Some common errors include:

• Believing long church involvement earns favor with God

• Trusting moral comparison (“I’m better than others”)

• Assuming obedience secures salvation rather than flows from it

• Equating religious activity with spiritual life

• Forgetting daily dependence on Christ’s grace

Paul counters all of these with a call to ongoing faith:

“Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you” (Phil. 2:12–13).

Obedience is not self-reliance—it is God working within the believer.

---

Living with Hope Fully Placed in Christ

True Christian hope is forward-looking and Christ-centered:

“He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6).

Believers live not trusting their past achievements or present strength, but Christ’s finished work and promised future.

Paul sums it up powerfully:

“That I may know him and the power of his resurrection…not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Phil. 3:10–12).

---

Conclusion

In Philippians, Paul teaches that the Christian life begins, continues, and ends with confidence in Christ alone. To place our hope in the flesh—even subtly—is to misunderstand the gospel. True joy, assurance, and salvation come when we renounce self-trust and rest fully in Jesus, who is our righteousness, our Savior, and our hope.

“Rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil. 4:4)—not in ourselves, but in Him alone.

Rejoicing in the Lord Always

 Uniting Heaven and Earth

Christ in Philippians and Colossians 

Lesson 6 - Friday Further Thought

Rejoicing in the Lord Always

Scripture Focus: Philippians 3:1; 4:4–9

Paul’s command, “Rejoice in the Lord” (Phil. 3:1; 4:4), is both simple and profound. Notice carefully what Paul does not say. He does not command believers to rejoice in their circumstances, nor even in their trials, though elsewhere Scripture teaches that trials can produce endurance and maturity (James 1:2–4). Rather, Paul directs our joy toward a Person—the Lord Himself. This distinction is essential for understanding the durability and depth of Christian joy.

Rejoicing in the Lord, Not in Circumstances

The book of Philippians is often called the “epistle of joy,” yet it was written from prison. Paul’s chains did not define his joy; Christ did. “I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice” (Phil. 1:18). His joy flowed not from comfort or success but from the unchanging reality of who Christ is and what He has accomplished.

To rejoice in the Lord means to keep before us His character—His goodness, power, love, and saving grace. Circumstances fluctuate, but “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). When joy is anchored in Him, it cannot be stolen by hardship, loss, or uncertainty.

Keeping Christ Before Us

Paul models this Christ-centered focus throughout Philippians. He writes, “For to me, to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21). Christ was not merely a part of Paul’s life; He was its center. Paul counted all former achievements as loss “for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil. 3:8). Fixing one’s heart and mind on Christ reshapes perspective, values, and emotional stability.

This focus is deliberate and practiced. Paul exhorts believers to set their minds on what is true, honorable, just, pure, and praiseworthy (Phil. 4:8). These virtues find their fullest expression in Christ Himself. By dwelling on Him, believers guard their hearts against despair, bitterness, and fear.

The Peace That Guards the Heart

Rejoicing in the Lord is inseparably linked to peace. “Rejoice in the Lord always… Be anxious for nothing” (Phil. 4:4, 6). When believers bring their concerns to God in prayer, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). This peace does not remove trials, but it fortifies the believer within them.

Paul learned contentment “in whatever state I am” (Phil. 4:11), not because circumstances were easy, but because Christ supplied strength: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). Rejoicing in the Lord shifts attention from the weight of the trial to the sufficiency of Christ.

Joy as a Witness and a Shield

A life marked by rejoicing in the Lord becomes a powerful testimony. Paul encouraged the Philippians to “shine as lights in the world” (Phil. 2:15), holding fast to the word of life. Joy rooted in Christ stands out in a world driven by fear and instability. It also serves as a spiritual shield, reminding believers of God’s nearness: “The Lord is at hand” (Phil. 4:5).

Why This Matters in Trials

Trials are inevitable, but despair is not. When believers continually bring to mind the Lord—His sovereignty, His sacrificial love, His victory over sin and death—they gain perspective. Suffering is real, but it is not ultimate. Salvation is secure, Christ is present, and glory lies ahead (Phil. 1:6; 3:20–21). Rejoicing in the Lord steadies the soul and renews hope.

---

Prayer

Gracious Father,
We thank You that our joy is not dependent on changing circumstances but is found in You alone. Help us to fix our eyes on Christ—His goodness, His power, His love, and His saving work on our behalf. When trials come, guard our hearts and minds with Your peace, and teach us to rejoice in You always. May our lives reflect the joy of knowing You, and may that joy strengthen us to trust You more deeply each day. We ask this in the name of Jesus, our Savior and our joy. Amen.

Just One Thing—Knowing Christ: Pressing Forward

 Uniting Heaven and Earth

Christ in Philippians and Colossians 

Lesson 6 - Thursday

Just One Thing—Knowing Christ
Philippians 3:10–16

In Philippians 3:10–16, Paul opens his heart and reveals the single, overriding passion of his life: to know Christ. Not merely to know about Him, but to know Him deeply, personally, and experientially. Everything else—status, past achievements, even spiritual milestones—fades in comparison to this one pursuit.

Paul begins by expressing his desire to know Christ in the fullness of His life and work: “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings.” Knowing Christ means sharing in His victory and His pain. The resurrection power Paul longs for is not only future glory, but present transformation—the power that raises us from spiritual death and reshapes our lives into Christ’s likeness. At the same time, Paul understands that intimacy with Christ also involves suffering. To walk closely with Jesus is to walk the same path of self-denial, sacrifice, and faithfulness that He walked. Yet even suffering becomes meaningful when it draws us into deeper fellowship with Him.

Paul is careful to clarify that he has not “already attained” or reached perfection. This is a key lesson of the passage: spiritual maturity does not mean complacency. The more Paul knows Christ, the more he recognizes how much there is still to know. Rather than discouraging him, this awareness fuels his determination. He presses on, not to earn Christ’s acceptance, but because Christ has already made him His own. Grace is not an excuse to stop growing; it is the reason we can keep moving forward.

One of Paul’s strongest images in this passage is his refusal to look back. “Forgetting those things which are behind,” he says, “and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” Paul’s past included both apparent successes and profound failures. He had once been a respected Pharisee, and he had also been a persecutor of the church. Yet neither his achievements nor his sins would define his present walk with Christ. Looking back—especially at sins and failures—can quietly undermine faith. It can trap us in guilt, shame, or spiritual paralysis, causing us to live as though Christ’s forgiveness were incomplete.

In the Christian walk, constantly revisiting forgiven sins is not humility; it is often unbelief in the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice. When God forgives, He truly forgives. To keep looking back is to live as though the cross were not enough and as though resurrection power were not real in the present. Paul understood that growth requires forward vision. God’s promises are not only about heaven someday, but about new life, freedom, and transformation right now in Christ.

Paul ends this section by urging believers to have this same mindset—to walk according to the light they have already received. The Christian life is not about perfection, but direction. It is about steady movement toward Christ, eyes fixed ahead, heart anchored in grace, and confidence rooted in what God has promised.

To know Christ, then, is to live unburdened by the past and energized by the future God has secured. It is to trust that what Christ has begun in us, He will carry forward until the day of completion.

Prayer

Lord Jesus,
You alone are the treasure of our lives. Teach us to desire You above all else—to know You, Your power, and Your heart. Help us to release the weight of past sins and failures, trusting fully in Your forgiveness and grace. Keep our eyes fixed ahead, on the promises You have already given us in You. Give us courage to press on, humility to keep growing, and faith to believe that You are at work in us even now. May our one great pursuit be to know You more each day.
Amen.

The Faith of Christ: Clothed in a Righteousness Not Our Own

 Uniting Heaven and Earth

Christ in Philippians and Colossians 

Lesson 6 - Wednesday

The Faith of Christ

One of Paul’s most powerful and repeated phrases is the simple expression “in Him.” To be found “in Christ” is not merely a poetic way of describing belief; it is the heart of the Christian experience. It describes a complete change of standing, identity, and hope. For Paul, everything that truly matters flows from this union with Christ.

Ephesians 1:4 tells us that God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. Our salvation was not an afterthought or a reaction to human failure; it was rooted in Christ from eternity. God’s plan was always to place humanity back into right relationship with Himself through His Son. Being “in Him” means that our lives are now caught up in God’s eternal purpose, not defined by our past or our failures.

In 2 Corinthians 5:21, Paul explains how this union becomes possible: Christ, who knew no sin, became sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. This is not a transfer of good behavior but a transfer of status. Our sin is laid on Christ, and His righteousness is credited to us. To be “in Christ” means we stand before God clothed in something we could never produce on our own.

Colossians 2:9 reminds us that in Christ “all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily.” Our faith does not rest in a partial Savior or a diminished Christ. The One we are united to possesses the fullness of divine life and power. This makes our union secure. If Christ lacked anything, our salvation would be fragile. But because He is fully God, being “in Him” means we are connected to an unfailing source of life and grace.

Galatians 2:20 brings this truth into daily experience: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” To be found in Christ is not only a legal declaration; it is a living reality. Our old self—defined by self-reliance and self-justification—has been put to death. Now Christ lives His life in us, and we live by faith in the Son of God. This is what many have called “the faith of Christ”—not merely faith in Him, but faith that flows from His faithfulness and obedience, working itself out in our lives.

Philippians 3:9 brings all of this into sharp focus. Paul contrasts two kinds of righteousness: one that comes from the law and one that comes through faith in Christ. The first is “my own righteousness,” built on performance, comparison, and effort. The second is the righteousness that comes from God, received by faith. This contrast is crucial because the human heart constantly drifts back toward self-reliance. Even sincere believers can begin to measure their standing with God by how well they are doing spiritually.

Paul never forgot that his greatest danger was not open rebellion, but subtle confidence in himself. To always remember this contrast keeps us humble, grateful, and dependent. Our assurance rests not in how strong our faith feels, but in the faithfulness of Christ. When we are found in Him, our salvation is secure because it depends on what He has done, not on what we manage to do.

To be “in Christ” is to live from a place of rest rather than striving, of gratitude rather than fear. It means trusting that the same Christ who justified us also lives in us, sustaining us day by day by His faithfulness.

Prayer

Father in heaven,
Thank You for the gift of being found in Christ. We confess how easily we trust in our own righteousness and forget that our only hope is Jesus. Teach us to rest fully in what He has done for us and in us. Let His faithfulness be our confidence, His life be our life, and His righteousness be our joy. Keep us humble, grateful, and dependent on You each day. We ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.