1Finally, my brothers and sisters, be joyful in the Lord. It’s not a bother for me to write the same things to you again, and it will keep you safe.
2Watch out for those ‘dogs,’ those who do evil, those who insist on physical circumcision.
3For we are the truly circumcised, who worship God through the Spirit, who find joy in Christ Jesus, and who do not depend on human accomplishments.
4Even though I could rely on my own human achievements. If anyone else thinks they have reasons to boast about their human accomplishments, I have even more:
5I was circumcised on the eighth day, I am from the people of Israel, from the tribe of Benjamin, a pure-blooded Hebrew. Regarding the law, I was a Pharisee.
6Regarding my passion, I persecuted the church. Regarding righteousness that comes from following the law, I was faultless.
7However, I now consider all those things that were once important to me as worthless because of Christ.
8Yes, I consider everything to be worthless compared to the supreme value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have lost everything for his sake and consider it all garbage, so that I can gain Christ
9and be found united with him. My righteousness doesn't come from obeying the law, but from faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is based on faith.
10I want to know Christ and experience the power of his resurrection. I want to share in his sufferings and become like him in his death,
11hoping that I may somehow attain the resurrection from the dead.
12I don’t mean that I have already achieved this or have already become perfect. But I keep moving forward to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
13Brothers and sisters, I don’t consider myself to have taken hold of it yet. But I do one thing: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. If you think differently about anything, God will make that clear to you as well.
16Nevertheless, let us live by what we have already achieved. Let us have the same mindset.
17Brothers and sisters, join together in imitating me. Pay attention to those who live according to the example we have given you.
18For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ, and I have often told you about them and now say it again, even with tears.
19Their end is destruction. Their god is their appetite. They take pride in shameful things, and their minds are set on earthly matters.
20But we are citizens of heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
21He will change our humble bodies to be like his glorious body. He does this through his power, which enables him to control everything.