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The Goal of Life

¹ Finally, my brethren, ^(C1)rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.

² Beware of the ^(C1)dogs, beware of the ^(C2)evil workers, beware of the ^(F1)false circumcision;³ for ^(C1)we are the true ^(F1)circumcision, who ^(C2)worship in the Spirit of God and ^(C3)glory in ^(C4)Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,⁴ although ^(C1)I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:^5 (C1)circumcised the eighth day, of the ^(C2)nation of Israel, of the ^(C3)tribe of Benjamin, a ^(C2)Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, ^(C4)a Pharisee;⁶ as to zeal, ^(C1)a persecutor of the church; as to the ^(C2)righteousness which is in the Law, found ^(C3)blameless.

⁷ But ^(C1)whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.⁸ More than that, I count all things to be loss ^(F1)in view of the surpassing value of ^(F2)(C1)knowing ^(C2)Christ Jesus my Lord, ^(F1)for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,⁹ and may be found in Him, not having ^(C1)a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, ^(C2)the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,¹⁰ that I may ^(C1)know Him and ^(C2)the power of His resurrection and ^(F1)(C3)the fellowship of His sufferings, being ^(C4)conformed to His death;^11 (F1)in order that I may ^(C1)attain to the resurrection from the dead.

¹² Not that I have already ^(C1)obtained it or have already ^(C2)become perfect, but I press on ^(F1)so that I may ^(C3)lay hold of that ^(F2)for which also I ^(C4)was laid hold of by ^(C5)Christ Jesus.¹³ Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: ^(C1)forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,¹⁴ I ^(C1)press on toward the goal for the prize of the ^(C2)upward call of God in ^(C3)Christ Jesus.¹⁵ Let us therefore, as many as are ^(F1)(C1)perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a ^(C2)different attitude, ^(C3)God will reveal that also to you;¹⁶ however, let us keep ^(F1)(C1)living by that same standard to which we have attained.

¹⁷ Brethren, ^(C1)join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the ^(C2)pattern you have in us.¹⁸ For ^(C1)many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even ^(C2)weeping, that they are enemies of ^(C3)the cross of Christ,¹⁹ whose end is destruction, whose god is their ^(F1)(C1)appetite, and whose ^(C2)glory is in their shame, who ^(C3)set their minds on earthly things.²⁰ For ^(C1)our ^(F1)citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly ^(C2)wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;²¹ who will ^(C1)transform ^(F1)the body of our humble state into ^(C2)conformity with ^(F2)the ^(C3)body of His glory, ^(C4)by the exertion of the power that He has even to ^(C5)subject all things to Himself.