Philippians 3

1Finally, my brothers and sisters, be glad in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it keeps you safe.

2Watch out for those "dogs," those people who do evil, those who cut the body.

3For we are the ones who are truly circumcised — we who worship by the Spirit of God, who are proud of Christ Jesus, and who put no trust in human effort.

4Yet I myself could trust in such things. If anyone thinks they have reason to trust in human effort, I have more:

5I was circumcised on the eighth day. I am of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews. As for the law, I was a Pharisee.

6I was so eager that I attacked the church. As for being right by the law, no one could find fault in me.

7But all the things that were a gain to me, I now count as a loss for the sake of Christ.

8More than that, I count everything as a loss compared with the far greater thing of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have lost all things. I count them as garbage, so that I may gain Christ

9And be found in Him. I do not have a rightness of my own that comes from the law. Instead, I have the rightness that comes through faith in Christ — the rightness that comes from God and is based on faith.

10I want to know Christ, and the power that raised Him from death, and to share in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death,

11So that somehow I may rise from death myself.

12I do not mean that I have already reached this, or that I am already perfect. But I keep going, trying to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

13Brothers and sisters, I do not think I have taken hold of it yet. But this one thing I do: I forget what is behind me and reach out for what is ahead.

14I keep running toward the goal, to win the prize that God has called me to receive in Christ Jesus.

15All of us who are mature should think this way. And if you think differently about something, God will make that clear to you too.

16Only let us live up to what we have already reached.

17Brothers and sisters, join together in following my example, and watch those who live the way we showed you.

18For there are many who live as enemies of the cross of Christ. I have told you about them often, and now I tell you again, even with tears.

19They are heading for destruction. Their god is their stomach, and they are proud of what should make them ashamed. Their minds are set on earthly things.

20But our home is in heaven. And we are waiting for a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.

21By the power that lets Him bring everything under His control, He will change our weak earthly bodies to be like His own glorious body.