The True Righteousness
1 In conclusion, my friends, be joyful in your union with the Lord. I don't mind repeating what I have written before, and you will be safer if I do so. 2 Watch out for those who do evil things, those dogs, those who insist on cutting the body. 3 It is we, not they, who have received the true circumcision, for we worship God by means of his Spirit and rejoice in our life in union with Christ Jesus. We do not put any trust in external ceremonies. 4 I could, of course, put my trust in such things. If any of you think you can trust in external ceremonies, I have even more reason to feel that way. 5 I was circumcised when I was a week old. I am an Israelite by birth, of the tribe of Benjamin, a pure-blooded Hebrew. As far as keeping the Jewish Law is concerned, I was a Pharisee, 6 and I was so zealous that I persecuted the church. As far as a person can be righteous by obeying the commands of the Law, I was without fault. 7 But all those things that I might count as profit I now reckon as loss for Christ's sake. 8 Not only those things; I reckon everything as complete loss for the sake of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have thrown everything away; I consider it all as mere garbage, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be completely united with him. I no longer have a righteousness of my own, the kind that is gained by obeying the Law. I now have the righteousness that is given through faith in Christ, the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith. 10 All I want is to know Christ and to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death, 11 in the hope that I myself will be raised from death to life.
Running toward the Goal
12 I do not claim that I have already succeeded or have already become perfect. I keep striving to win the prize for which Christ Jesus has already won me to himself. 13 Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead. 14 So I run straight toward the goal in order to win the prize, which is God's call through Christ Jesus to the life above.
15 All of us who are spiritually mature should have this same attitude. But if some of you have a different attitude, God will make this clear to you. 16 However that may be, let us go forward according to the same rules we have followed until now.
17 Keep on imitating me, my friends. Pay attention to those who follow the right example that we have set for you. 18 I have told you this many times before, and now I repeat it with tears: there are many whose lives make them enemies of Christ's death on the cross. 19 They are going to end up in hell, because their god is their bodily desires. They are proud of what they should be ashamed of, and they think only of things that belong to this world. 20 We, however, are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly wait for our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven. 21 He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body, using that power by which he is able to bring all things under his rule.
Par uzticēšanos miesai
1 Tad nu, mani brāļi, priecājieties Kungā! Man nav par apgrūtinājumu vēlreiz atkārtot to, ko esmu jau rakstījis, bet jums tas kalpos stiprinājumam. 2 Uzmanieties no suņiem, no nederīgiem darboņiem, uzmanieties no tiem, kas miesu sagraiza. 3 Īsti apgraizīti esam mēs, kas kalpojam Dieva Garā un dižojamies Kristū Jēzū, nevis paļaujamies uz miesu. 4 Lai gan es varētu paļauties arī uz miesu. Ja kāds domā, ka tas var paļauties uz miesu, es vēl vairāk: 5 apgraizīts astotajā dienā, cēlies no Israēla, no Benjāmina cilts, ebrejs, cēlies no ebrejiem, pēc bauslības farizejs. 6 Biju tik dedzīgs, ka vajāju Kristus draudzi, pēc bauslības taisnības biju nevainojams. 7 Bet tagad visu, kas toreiz man bija ieguvums, es Kristus dēļ vērtēju kā zaudējumu. 8 Jā, patiesi, es visu iepriekšējo vērtēju kā zaudējumu tā pārākuma dēļ, ko dod Kunga Jēzus Kristus iepazīšana – viņa dēļ viss pārējais man ir zudis un es to uzskatu par mēsliem. Lai tik es iemantoju Kristu 9 un lai es tieku atrasts Kristū nevis ar savu taisnību pēc bauslības, bet ar to, kas nāk caur ticību Kristum, ar to taisnību, kas ir no Dieva un ir iegūta ticībā! 10 Lai es atzīstu Kristu un viņa augšāmcelšanās spēku un līdzdalību viņa ciešanās, darīts līdzīgs ar viņu viņa nāvē, 11 tā ka es varētu sasniegt augšāmcelšanos no mirušajiem!
Dzīšanās pēc mērķa
12 Nav tā, ka es to jau būtu ieguvis vai būtu darīts pilnīgs, bet es dzenos pēc tā, lai iegūtu, jo ar to Kristus Jēzus ir mani ieguvis. 13 Brāļi, es nedomāju par sevi, ka esmu jau ieguvis, bet vienu gan – aizmirsdams to, kas aiz muguras, un tiekdamies pēc tā, kas priekšā, 14 es dzenos uz mērķi – iegūt balvu, uz kuru Dievs aicina augšup Kristū Jēzū. 15 Tad nu, visi pilnīgie, domāsim tā; bet, ja jūs domājat kā citādi, tad jums to atklās Dievs. 16 Bet vienīgi – no tā, ko esam sasnieguši, neatkāpsimies ne soli. 17 Brāļi, ņemiet par paraugu mani un skatieties uz tiem, kas dzīvo pēc mūsu dotā parauga, 18 jo daudzi dzīvo tā, kā jums bieži esmu mēdzis par viņiem teikt, bet tagad jau raudot saku: viņi ir Kristus krusta ienaidnieki. 19 Viņu gals ir pazušana, viņu dievs ir vēders, un kauna darbi ir viņu gods. Viņiem rūp tikai zemes lietas, 20 bet mēs piederam debesīm, no kurienes mēs ar pacietību gaidām glābēju Kungu Jēzu Kristu, 21 kas pārmainīs mūsu zemības miesu un darīs to līdzīgu viņa godības miesai, darbojoties tam spēkam, kas spēj visu pakļaut viņam.
