Letting Go of Religious Privilege A Study of Philippians 3, 2, 14 on the Daily Bible Refresh with Dr.

Brad Miller hello good people.

Welcome to Daily Bible Refresh.

So glad you joined me.

My name is Dr.

Brad Miller and here to just share with you some directly a fresh look at the New Testament reading which is selected for this very day.

In order to do that we use the Revised Common Lectionary, the selected verse for this day.

We're in year C of a three year cycle in the Lenten season.

We make the Bible understandable.

We read from the message version relatable.

We give you some points to ponder applicable.

I give you an action step.

We have a prayer and we do all that in under 10 minutes.

It's all brought to you by voiceofgoddaily.com our website where you can find the ABC 1, 2, 3 Bible study method.

Here's our reading for the day from Philippians 3, 2:14 reading for the message Steer clear of the barking dogs, those religious busy bodies all barking no bite.

All they're interested in is appearances.

Knife happy circumcisers I call them.

The real believers are the ones the Spirit of God leads to work away at this ministry, filling the air with Christ's praise as we do it.

We couldn't carry this off by our own efforts and we know it, even though we can list what many might think are impressive credentials.

You know my pedigree.

A legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day.

An Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin, a strict and devout adherent to God's law, a fiery defender of the purity of my religion, even to the point of persecuting the church, a meticulous observer of everything set down in God's law book.

The very credentials these people are waving around as something special.

I'm tearing up and throwing it out with the trash along with everything else I used to take credit for.

And why?

Because of Christ?

Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master firsthand.

Everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant dog dung.

I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by Him.

I don't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ.

God's righteousness.

I gave it all up that all up that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering and go all the way with him to death itself.

If there's any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.

So focus on the goal.

I'm not saying that I have this all together that I haven't made, but I am well on my way reaching out for Christ, who is so wonderfully reached out to for me.

Friends, don't get me wrong, by no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal where God is beckoning us onward to Jesus and I'm off and running and I'm not turning back.

Wow, what are some great metaphors and imagery Paul uses there in this powerful passage from Philippians.

And it really is used.

We can use this to examine our own true value, what we truly value and what we need to release.

And also we need to embrace to have authentic spirituality.

Let's have some teaching points and points to ponder.

One is about deconstructing religious privilege.

Paul's radical inventory of his own religious credentials and his willingness to count them as dog dung speaks powerfully to our contemporary moment of religious deconstruction.

He critiques those who use religious authority to exclude others and to maintain power.

And this invites us to examine how our own privileges, religious or otherwise, might prevent genuine solidarity with other people.

Another point is about going beyond a rule based religion.

Paul makes the contrast here between keeping a list of rules and knowing Christ personally.

And this really challenges to move beyond performative religion.

In progressive faith, this means shifting from rigid dogma to authentic relationship with God the divine and with our neighbors.

It's about moving from what may be called the container to the contents.

Point number three is the bracing holy uncertainty.

Paul's humble admission that he doesn't have it all together offers a refreshing alternative to religious certainty.

This vulnerability creates spaces for doubt, questions and growth.

A progressive faith isn't about giving a perfect understanding, but about continuing the journey with authenticity and openness.

Here's your action step for for today.

Make a list of your own personal religious credentials, your own beliefs or practices or positions that you have held, maybe you've held them pretty tightly.

And choose one that might be creating a barrier between you and others, between you and a deeper spiritual growth and and practice letting go or holding it more loosely.

This might mean engaging with someone whose beliefs are a little different than yours, and do so with genuine curiosity or participating in a worship service or event or a spiritual practice which is kind of outside your comfort zone or maybe examine a religious belief that you may have that you may want to re examine and perhaps even sharing even your own spiritual doubt with a friend or a small group.

Several things that you can do.

We're going to pray in just a moment but I did want you to know that one of the things that you can do is to participate in daily Bible study of your own accord.

We want you to listen course here and just encourage you to listen to the Daily Bible Refresh.

You can head over to our website Voice of God Daily not only and hear over 800 episodes of this program which are for you but we also want you to have Bible study of your own accord.

And and there@voiceofgoddaily.com we have a resource for you.

It's called the ABC 123 Bible Study Guide.

It'll help you do Bible study in your own place.

Pick it up please.

Let's pray.

Oh God, you are the Divine Master.

We confess how often we cling to religious certainties and privileges that separate us from you and others.

Help us find the courage to let go of what no longer serves love and justice.

Thank you for meeting us in our questions and doubts.

Guide us toward authentic relationships over rigid rules, transformation over tradition and loving solidarity over religious superiority.

May we, like Paul, just keep moving forward in this journey even when the path isn't clear.

Amen.

Well, our pathway perhaps will lead you again to be with me again tomorrow here on the Daily Bible Refresh.

I hope that it will.

I'm here every day.

We usually drop these episodes before 6:00am Eastern Time.

Why don't you come join me again tomorrow and this time bring a friend.

Until then, My name is Dr.

Brad Miller.

Reminding you that God's loyal love doesn't run out.

His merciful love hasn't dried up, is created new every morning.

Sa.