Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same
things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for
those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who
worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no
confidence in the flesh—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: circumcised on the eighth
day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of
Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the
church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever
gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I
count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing
Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all
things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
and be found in him, 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—that I may know
him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his
sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means
possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
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. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But
one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward
to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the
upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature
think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will
reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have
attained.
Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who
walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I
have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as
enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god
is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on
earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we
await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly
body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him
even to subject all things to himself.
