Uniting Heaven and Earth
Christ in Philippians and Colossians
Lesson 6 - Sunday
Rejoicing in the Lord
Read Philippians 3:1–3
Paul opens Philippians 3 with a command that is both simple and demanding: “Rejoice in the Lord.” This is not a suggestion based on favorable circumstances but a spiritual discipline rooted in who Christ is and what He has done. Paul writes these words from prison, reminding us that Christian joy is not fragile or dependent on comfort. It is anchored in the Lord Himself.
In these verses, Paul sounds both positive and negative notes, and they are closely connected. Positively, he calls believers to joy and confidence in Christ. He speaks of rejoicing as something “safe,” a safeguard for the soul. Rejoicing in the Lord protects believers from drifting into self-reliance or spiritual pride. It keeps the heart centered on Christ rather than on performance, tradition, or personal achievement.
Negatively, Paul issues a sharp warning against those who place confidence in the flesh—those who trust in outward religion, human effort, or religious credentials. His strong language highlights the danger of substituting human works for Christ’s sufficiency. The negative warning exists to preserve the positive reality: true joy cannot survive where trust in self replaces trust in Christ. The two notes belong together. When believers stop rejoicing in the Lord, they almost inevitably begin to rejoice in something else—often themselves.
Paul also clearly describes who believers are. They are those who “worship God in the Spirit,” who “rejoice in Christ Jesus,” and who “have no confidence in the flesh.” This description shifts the focus from what believers do to where their confidence rests. Christians are not defined by external marks of religion but by an inward, Spirit-led relationship with God. Their joy is Christ-centered, and their confidence is Christ-dependent.
Life, however, has a way of testing this truth. Difficulty is universal. Even when things appear to be going well, uncertainty, loss, and disappointment are never far away. When life is hard, rejoicing can feel unnatural, even impossible. Yet Paul does not say rejoice in circumstances, success, or ease. He says rejoice in the Lord. That means there is always something solid to rejoice in: Christ’s unchanging character, His finished work on the cross, His present intercession, and His promise to complete what He has begun.
What, then, should we rejoice about when life is heavy? We can rejoice that we are known by God, forgiven in Christ, and held by grace rather than by our own strength. We can rejoice that our identity is secure, our future is promised, and our suffering is not meaningless. Even in sorrow, joy remains possible because it rests on eternal realities, not temporary ones.
What often stops us from rejoicing is not the absence of reasons but the presence of distractions. Fear, self-focus, guilt, comparison, and misplaced confidence in the flesh can all choke joy. When we fix our eyes on ourselves—our failures, our limitations, or even our successes—we lose sight of Christ. Rejoicing returns when confidence shifts back where it belongs: away from self and fully onto Jesus.
Paul’s call is clear and deeply pastoral. Rejoicing in the Lord is both an act of worship and an act of trust. It is a daily choice to anchor the heart in Christ rather than in circumstances, feelings, or human effort.
Prayer
Lord Jesus,
You know how easily our joy fades when life becomes difficult or uncertain. Forgive us for the times we place confidence in ourselves instead of in You. Teach us to rejoice in You alone—Your grace, Your faithfulness, and Your saving work. When our hearts are heavy, lift our eyes to eternal truths. When fear or distraction steals our joy, draw us back to Yourself. Help us worship by the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and rest fully in Your sufficiency. Amen.
More on Lesson 6 Confidence Only in Christ
This Quarter's Sabbath School Lessons Here: Christ in Philippians and Colossians

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