Title: Science and Faith/ Philippians 3:1-20
The study of content is the closest and most important thing to a person. Therefore, the kingdom of those with skills is destined to be victorious.
1. What if we only know God and do not know science?
1) It is easy to become a person of unsound faith (= mysticism).
I want to break away from common sense by emphasizing subjective experience. It may be used by a confused spirit.
2) It is easy to fall into mysticism.
It is easy to ignore God's basic creation order, which claims only the Word and ignores even the most common sense. If you pursue this, it will be difficult to get out later.
3) You cannot have a big mission.
Because it is easy to miss the precise will of God, it is difficult to understand the great mission of the gospel.
2. What if you only know science and do not know God?
1) Even if it succeeds, it fails.
Success is ultimately due to God's permission. It is God's unique authority to exalt and humble people. Even if everything is provided, it is impossible without the will of heaven. Even if you want to be successful, you will not be successful.
2) Fall into secularism.
They fail to keep their success, and soon fall into worldly pleasures.
3) You fall into pride.
He thinks he can do everything with his own strength, so he has no choice but to be proud. that you consider yourself to be the best. In the end, this pride is the vanguard of destruction. God gives grace to the humble, but rejects the proud.
4) You become spiritually ignorant.
Recognize only the visible, not the invisible. Therefore, we have no choice but to be ignorant of the spiritual world. However, what is invisible to the world is more important.
3. Paul knew God (Christ) well and excelled in studies.
1) To know God and to know science
Only then can all worldly science be used properly. If you do not know God and know science, you will fall into foolish arrogance and arrogance, and you will not be able to get out of it forever and you will face the bad luck of destruction. All the sciences of knowing and learning God rightly can be used as essential tools for the gospel.
2) Know God and know the world
You can understand the world right away and see the problems of the world. In other words, we see six problems with unbelievers.
4. Paul being used
1) The person who enjoyed the greatest mission on earth
The mission of world evangelization was effectively carried out. He became one of the people who left the most fruit of the gospel.
2) His study and background (Philippians 3:1-7)
(Philippians 3:5) "I was circumcised on the eighth day, of the house of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, as to the law a Pharisee; (7) But whatever things that were useful to me, I counted them all as loss for the sake of Christ.”
Paul's academic background; A student of Gamaliel, the greatest rabbi of his time.
Paul's other (family) background; Those who are perfect in the law (circumcision, Pharisees) Tribe of Benjamin (royal descendants)
3) His faith (Philippians 3:7-8) - He regarded his studies and background as filth in front of the gospel
“But whatever things were useful to me, I counted them all as loss for the sake of Christ, and I count all things as loss because of the noblest knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, because for his sake I lost everything and counted it as dung. and gained" - I realized and discovered the preciousness of Christ (=Gospel).
4) His plan (Philippians 3:12) - Reaching the measure of mature faith in Jesus Christ
“Not that I have already obtained it or that I have completed it, but I am pursuing what I have been caught up with by Christ Jesus (= the blessing of the gospel, the reward).”
5) His center (Philippians 3:14) - The highest value was to obtain the heavenly reward.
“I am pursuing the goal for the reward of the above calling of God in Christ Jesus.” - Devotion and movement for the kingdom of God and the gospel were Paul's greatest values. For this, Paul threw away his family background, academics, and opportunities for success in the world like dung. He even gave up on marriage.
6) Victory background (Philippians 3:20) - He moved without forgetting the consciousness of being a citizen of heaven.
"But our citizenship is in heaven, and from there we await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." That is the secret to Paul's success. The success and failure of the saints today diverge here.