Pastor Luther Walker resumes the Sunday morning service in Philippians, turning to the more excellent way. In Philippians 2:19-24 Paul notes that no one shared the same soul-level emotional concern for the Philippians that he possessed. In chapter 3 he issues a clear warning: beware of dogs—those who return to their former sins after being helped; beware of evil workers; and beware of the mutilation—those who insist on physical circumcision and life under the Mosaic Law. True circumcision is of the Spirit. Believers render religious service to God in spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and place no confidence in the flesh.

Paul then demonstrates that fleshly credentials hold no lasting value. If anyone could boast in the flesh, it would be him: circumcised on the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee concerning the law, zealous to the point of persecuting the church, and blameless in the righteousness that is from the law. He had been trained under Gamaliel, the teacher of Israel, and held authority sufficient to consent to Stephen’s death. Yet every earthly advantage—position, training, status, and zeal—he now counts as loss for the surpassing excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord. He regards them as rubbish so that he may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of his own derived from law, but the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith.

Living by faith means taking God at His word without requiring visible miracles, audible voices, or emotional experiences. The Holy Spirit indwells and teaches the believer how to abide in Christ. The power of Christ’s resurrection is the inherent ability given to every believer: freedom from the mastery of the sin nature, victory over Satan, and the capacity to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). This same resurrection produces a living hope—an expectant anticipation of God’s fulfilled promise that can be applied in the present (1 Peter 1:3).

Fellowship with Christ’s sufferings involves sharing the passions of one who has crucified the flesh with its desires (Galatians 5:24). It includes the intense pressure that arises when the believer refuses the sin nature, resists Satan, and continues in righteousness even when that choice brings grief or opposition (1 Peter 4:1; 5:8-9; 2:19-21). Believers are also being conformed to His death: the old man who belonged to Adam has been crucified so that the body of sin is rendered idle and no longer rules (Romans 6:6); the world system has been crucified to the believer and the believer to the world (Galatians 6:14); and a carnal mind that seeks emotional experience rather than truth produces death, while a spiritually minded life produces life and peace (Romans 8:6).

Paul’s aim is to attain the resurrection from the dead in the sense of fully living out his identity in Christ now—not earning eternal life, which is already possessed by everyone who has the Son (1 John 5:11-12), but laying hold of that life through the proper struggle of the faith (1 Timothy 6:12), working out salvation with respect for the consequences of sowing and reaping (Philippians 2:12), and practicing the armor of God. Christian life is not presented as ease; it involves suffering for righteousness, yet that suffering is itself a gracious gift.

Paul does not claim to have already reached full maturity or his intended end. He presses on—pursues with the intensity of a persecutor—so that he may lay hold of that for which Christ laid hold of him. He forgets what lies behind, including his former persecution of the church, and reaches forward to what lies ahead. He pursues according to the goal, on the basis of the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus—a prize he already possesses. The goal is Christ Himself and the consistent living out of identity in Him. Believers are to keep their eyes fixed on that mark, carefully scoping those who walk according to the same pattern, and refuse to be distracted by past failures or present fleshly credentials.

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As we continue in Philippians, Paul addresses conduct in the world from chapter 2:14-18—do all things without complaining, becoming blameless and harmless (unmixed motives) children of God, shining as lights in a crooked generation while holding fast the Word of Life for rejoicing in the day of Christ.

Working out our own salvation (Philippians 2:12) with fear and trembling means living out the salvation we already possess, not earning it. It involves deep respect for what God has done—He saved us from sin, so we should not return to it. We reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7-8); sowing to the flesh brings corruption, while sowing to the Spirit produces eternal life in our experience. God disciplines His children (1 Corinthians 11:30-32) with weakness, sickness, or even death to train them and prevent condemnation with the world. Perfect (mature) love casts out fear of judgment (1 John 4:18), but we maintain reverent respect.

Paul, facing possible death in Rome, stands somewhat alone but plans to send Timothy, who genuinely cares for the Philippians’ state like a son serving his father in the gospel. Everyone else seeks their own interests, not Christ’s. He also sends back Epaphroditus, their messenger and minister to Paul’s needs—his brother, fellow worker, and fellow soldier—who nearly died in service. Such dedicated servants deserve honor.

In Philippians 3, Paul warns: beware of dogs (those who return to sin like a dog to vomit), evil workers (those lacking character who do wrong, often rooted in love of money), and the mutilation (those insisting on fleshly circumcision). True believers are the circumcision who serve God in spirit, rejoice in Christ, and have no confidence in the flesh. Paul lists his superior credentials—circumcised, tribe of Benjamin, Pharisee, zealous persecutor, blameless under the law—yet counts them all as loss and dung compared to knowing Christ. A more excellent way exists beyond the flesh.

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Pastor Luther Walker teaches through Revelation chapter 6, explaining the beginning of the Tribulation period after the Rapture and the signing of the seven-year peace treaty by the man of lawlessness. The 24 elders represent the redeemed Church. The seals depict escalating global judgments.

The first seal releases a white horse rider with a bow but no arrows, bringing false peace and conquest as Satan establishes one-world control through the ten kings and the harlot religious system. This connects to the man of lawlessness rising after the Church is removed.

The second seal brings a fiery red horse, removing peace from the earth and initiating wars, with a great sword given to the rider. This includes the man of lawlessness subduing three kings (Daniel 7), leading to nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom (Matthew 24). Israel remains protected initially.

The third seal releases a black horse with scales, signaling severe famine where a day’s wage buys minimal food (a quart of wheat or three quarts of barley). Oil and wine (medicinal) are spared.

The fourth seal unleashes a sickly pale (greenish) horse named Death, followed by Hades. Authority is given over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, hunger, death, and beasts. At this early Tribulation stage, no believers remain on earth post-Rapture; all who die go to Hades. This ties into dispensational failure, the restraint by the Holy Spirit (2 Thessalonians 2), and strong delusion for those rejecting truth.

The teaching covers Satan’s history from Ezekiel 28, his desire for one-world government, historical world systems, and distinctions like Sheol/Hades chambers, paradise’s relocation, and why the current age is perilous (2 Timothy 3).

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