Two weeks ago, we were introduced to the Judaizers, a group of Jews who believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but at the same time believed and aggressively spread the message that the only way that anyone could receive salvation from Christ was if they first became Jews and then followed the Law. This group of people appear to have followed Paul’s ministry from place to place; that each time he would leave a Gentile city after establishing a church that they would then come in and attempt to undermine the message of “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith . . .” and attempt to lure the new believers to be circumcised and keep the Law so that they would then be worthy of receiving the gift of salvation through faith. They were a people that held the Law up next to Jesus, who added to His work, who, whether they knew it or not, spread a message that said that Jesus was not enough, that His work was not sufficient and that His sacrifice could only provide atonement for those who also followed the Law and kept the traditions. They did not present a true picture of Christ or the true gospel of God’s kingdom. Paul refers to them as dogs, evil workers and the mutilation, they are a group of people that had repeatedly created divisions within the Body of Christ by preaching physical, outward, fleshly requirements for being accepted by Jesus. They were the cause of the division within the church in Philippi. Outward requirements, truthfully, any requirements that we put upon each other, create divisions, they open the door for judgements based on cultural expectations and personal experiences. In tonight’s text, we see that requiring anything along with Jesus reduces Jesus’ greatness and once again binds us in the belief that we must prove our worth to God. Legalism, defined as the requirement of proof of being worthy of salvation, always divides the Body of Christ, it’s purpose is division and so Paul writes to the Philippians not only to call them to unity through humility but to expose the scourge of demanding proof from each other that we are somehow deserving of God’s grace. If we are honest we continue to be divided and like the Philippians, many of our divides are not about a lack of liberty but rather the burden of requirements, Paul teaches us tonight that he threw off his requirements both of himself and others and he calls us to do the same.