What a joy it is to witness lives transformed by Christ, as we saw in last week’s baptisms. There’s nothing quite like seeing someone profess faith and begin a new journey with Jesus. But as we walk this gospel-centered life, we must be aware of the saboteurs that threaten our faith. Often, we look outward—at the world, the flesh, or the devil—but the greatest saboteur is often the person staring back at us in the mirror. We sabotage our own faith when we add anything to Christ, rely on our religious resume, or allow our past to define us.

Paul’s words in Philippians 3 challenge us to examine what we truly value. He counted all his achievements, heritage, and religious credentials as garbage compared to the infinite value of knowing Christ. The language he uses is intentionally strong—everything else is not just less important, but utterly worthless, like refuse, when compared to Jesus. This is a call to radical reorientation: to let go of anything we think commends us to God, and to cling to Christ alone.

There are those who would try to add requirements to the gospel—Christ plus baptism, Christ plus tongues, Christ plus church attendance or giving. Paul calls these “dogs,” not as a term of endearment, but as a warning against those who would mutilate the gospel and burden believers with legalism. Salvation is not Christ plus anything; it is Christ alone. Even our best efforts, our spiritual resumes, and our good deeds cannot earn us favor with God. They are, as Isaiah says, like filthy rags.

But perhaps you don’t struggle with legalism or spiritual pride. Maybe your saboteur is your past—shame, regret, or a sense of unworthiness. Paul, who persecuted the church and carried deep scars from his past, reminds us that God’s love is greater than our failures. The call is to forget what is behind and press on toward what lies ahead, knowing that our citizenship is in heaven, secured by Christ alone. Our past is not a barrier; it is garbage, discarded in light of the resurrection power of Jesus.

In the end, our only passport to heaven is Jesus. Everything else—our achievements, our failures, our attempts to add to the gospel—is worthless. Let go of the garbage, and hold fast to Christ, who alone is of infinite value.

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome

[01:07] - Celebrating Baptisms and New Life

[01:57] - The Saboteurs of Faith: An Introduction

[03:26] - A Story of Sabotaged Projects

[06:16] - Who Really Sabotages Our Faith?

[07:06] - The Parable of the Soils: The Role of the Heart

[09:17] - What Do We Value? Paul’s Radical Reassessment

[13:36] - Christ Plus Anything: The Danger of Legalism

[16:21] - The Story of Philippi: Paul’s Deep Connection

[21:11] - Watch Out for the “Dogs”: False Teachers and Legalists

[32:02] - The Trap of Our Religious Resume

[40:16] - The Futility of Good Deeds Without Christ

[44:10] - The Problem of Our Past

[50:14] - Two Sides of Pride

[51:33] - Our True Citizenship: Home is Where Jesus Is

[54:32] - The Infinite Value of Christ Alone

[55:06] - Closing Prayer and Invitation

Beyond Sunday Devotional: https://eaglesview.church/devotional

Sunday Sermon Notes: https://www.bible.com/events/49509872