Paul had learned the greatest secret in life – that knowing Jesus Christ is the most precious thing we can ever have in this life.
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The Excellency Of Knowing Christ
Philippians 3:7-11
Paul has been laboring for some time now to teach us about the futility of obtaining salvation by the flesh. He has enumerated all of his fleshly religious credentials. Some of them he had inherited by birth, and some of them he had chosen deliberately for himself. Through birth he was of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised on the eighth day, and a Hebrew of Hebrews. As to the law, he was a Pharisee. As to zeal, he persecuted the church. As to the righteousness which is by the law, he was found blameless.
Now, all of that must have sounded pretty impressive to any first century Jew. However, Paul drops the other shoe when he says in verse 7, “but whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” What he is saying is that he had taken all of the things that were in his religious assets column, and transferred them to his religious liabilities column. Why? Because all of those things would tempt Paul to trust in his own attainments for salvation, which would have damned him!
So, what did Paul exchange all of his religious credentials and attainments for? Well, let’s see how he put it.
7 – “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”
8 – “knowing Christ Jesus my Lord”… “so that I may gain Christ”
9 – “and may be found in Him… faith in Christ”
10 – “that I may know Him”
Paul traded in everything for Jesus Christ.
In our last study, we saw how that verses 4-6 are an unpacking and exposition of the last phrase of verse 3, “put no confidence in the flesh.”
Well, I would like you to see that verses 8-11 are an unpacking and exposition of another phrase in verse 3, “glory in Christ Jesus.”
The true Christian puts no confidence in the flesh and glories in Christ Jesus.
You could say that Paul is showing the worthlessness of the works of the flesh, and the excellency of knowing Jesus Christ. In our study this morning, I want to point you to 5 aspects of knowing Christ:
- Knowing Christ is Precious
- Knowing Christ is Pardoning
- Knowing Christ is Powerful
- Knowing Christ is Painful
- Knowing Christ is Progressive
1. Knowing Christ Is Precious (vs.8)
Paul’s Previous Judgment. His Jewishness was precious. His circumcision was precious. His nationality was precious. His rank was precious. His knowledge of the Law was precious. His zeal was precious. His law-keeping was precious. But now, he casts all of those things aside as garbage. The word in verse 8 “rubbish” is also translated as refuse, garbage, manure and dung. It is not just worthless. It is repulsive, because it diverts our eyes from Christ and weakens our dependence on Him. When Paul looked at the things he once trusted in, he counts it all as a filthy, stinking mess when compared to the excellency of knowing Christ.
Surpassing value. What Paul is saying is that nothing in his former life could even come close to the value of knowing Christ. Knowing Christ is far more valuable than any religious deed Paul could ever do. What do we call something that has surpassing value? Precious!
Counted – count. Did Paul make a snap decision to give his life to Christ, which he later regretted? Never! Not only did he once and for all count all those human attainments as worthless when he was converted on the Damascus Road 25 years earlier, he continued to count them the same at the present time.
All things. He was not just referring to his past human attainments, but all things. That would include even his Christian attainments, such as the souls he had won to Christ, the churches he had planted, the letters he had written, the sufferings he had endured, the workers he had trained. Even all of those things are rubbish compared to knowing Christ!
Here Paul is describing for us the doctrine of regeneration. In regeneration, our eyes are opened to see the worth and value of Jesus Christ. When we are born again, He becomes precious to us. He becomes our all-satisfying Treasure.
My friends, there is nothing in this world more precious than knowing Jesus Christ! Do you really believe that? Do you live like you believe that? Do you make knowing Christ the highest priority of your life?
2. Knowing Christ Is Pardoning (vs.9)
And may be found in Him. Earlier in his life Paul says he was found blameless. Now he says that all he wants is to be found in Him. Why the radical change of mind? Why the complete shift? Why the super valuing of Jesus Christ? He tells us next.
Not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law. This is what he used to have when he was seeking to obtain salvation by the flesh. He had tried and tried and tried to keep God’s Law. According to human standards he had been very successful. But Paul had discovered something about the righteousness he had attained. It was his own righteousness. It was a self-righteousness. It came from the Law. And in all those respects it was infinitely inferior to the kind of righteousness he needed. What was that?
But that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith. There is the righteousness which comes from Paul, and there is the righteousness which comes from God, and there is no comparison between the two! Paul’s own righteousness will never be perfect. It will never be good enough to make him acceptable before God. And it comes at the expense of great effort and exhaustion. Now compare Paul’s righteousness to God’s righteousness. It is perfect. The righteousness of Jesus Christ cannot be improved upon. He perfectly obeyed God’s Law in every point. Where does this righteousness come from? From God! It does not come from me. It comes from God. It is an alien righteousness. Does it arise from great strenuous effort and exhaustion? No, it comes on the basis of faith.
Here Paul describes the doctrine of Justification. When we trust in Christ alone, He becomes to us the righteousness of God. He takes our sin, and we receive His righteousness. When God looks on us, He sees the beauty and perfection of His Son. Knowing Christ is pardoning, because when we come to know Him, He removes all our sin, and grants us His own righteousness which gives us a perfect standing before God!
3. Knowing Christ Is Powerful (vs.10a)
That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection. All true Christians have experienced the power of Christ’s resurrection when they were born again. Paul gives us this great truth in Ephesians 2:4-6, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
What did God do? He made us alive together with Christ. What is true of Christ? He has been raised from the dead. He has ascended to the right hand of the Father. He has sat down at the Father’s right hand. Well, God united us with Christ. That means that what is true of Him is also true of you. You have been raised from spiritual death. You have been raised up with Him. You have been seated with Him in the heavenly places in Christ. And for that to happen, you had the experience the power of His resurrection.
And we do not only experience the power of His resurrection at our conversion. We experience it all along our Christian life. Along with new life comes new desires, a new heart, new longings, new values. This power of His resurrection is what gives us power to endure our trials. It gives us power to fight the devil. It gives us power to overcome temptation. It gives us power to serve. It gives us power to witness. It gives us power to love. Thank God that we do experience the power of His resurrection! This is the doctrine of regeneration.
4. Knowing Christ is Painful (vs. 10b)
And the fellowship of His sufferings. When you come to know Jesus Christ, there is also pain involved. The Christian enters into the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings. Jesus suffered, and a disciple is not greater than his Lord. Jesus’ sufferings were the result of persecution. The Jewish religious leaders were threatened by Jesus’ popularity. They feared that all people would flock to Christ, and they would lose their positions of power and influence. And so they did everything in their power to discredit Him with the masses. They accused him of being born of fornication. They accused him of being a drunkard and a glutton. They accused him of being possessed of the devil.
Paul wanted his life to be just like Christ’s. He wanted to identify with Jesus in all things. But why would Paul desire to suffer for Christ? He felt it would be an honor to suffer shame for His name. He also knew that greater eternal rewards will be given to those who suffer for Christ. Hebrews 11:35 says, “others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection.” But what I suspect was Paul’s greatest motivation for entering into Christ’s sufferings was the sweetness of fellowship with Christ he knew he would experience. Notice he speaks of “the fellowship” of His sufferings. Yes, the Christian may suffer for Christ, but he doesn’t suffer alone. Christ draws near and fellowships with Him. When the three Hebrew children were thrown into the fiery furnace for not bowing down to the idol, a fourth person who was like “the son of God” walked with them in the flames. 1 Peter 4:14 says, “If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”
There are many who want to wear the crown of glory but don’t want to wear the crown of thorns. They want the throne, but not the cross.
Being conformed to His death. Paul’s goal was that he would live the same kind of life that Jesus lived. And how did Jesus live? He prayed, “Father, let this cup pass from me, nevertheless, not my will but Yours be done.” That is how the Christian is conformed to Christ’s death. He puts to death every desire that is contrary to God’s will.
Think of the Christian woman who falls in love with a young man, who does not share her love for Jesus. For her to be conformed to Christ’s death, is to break off the relationship, knowing that it is not God’s will for her to marry him.
Think of the Christian who is a salesman for a large corporation. He is told he must lie in order to make the sales, and if he doesn’t, he will be fired. Being conformed to Christ’s death for him, is to give up his job, and trust God to take care of him.
Think of the Christian teenager in high school, who wants to fit in and be popular, but in order to do so he is expected to do the same things that they do – drink, take drugs, and sleep around. Being conformed to Christ’s death for him is to remain pure and committed to Christ, and be thought of as the weirdo on campus.
Being conformed to Christ’s death is to put to death the deeds of the body. Here Paul is describing the doctrine of sanctification.
5. Knowing Christ Is Progressive (vs. 11)
In order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Knowing Christ is the path that takes the Christian from his new birth, his justification, his sanctification, and ultimately to his glorification. The ultimate end of knowing Christ is to be raised up from the dead to spend eternity in His presence.
Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
2 Timothy 2:11-12, “If we died with Him, we will also live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him.”
John 6:40, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”
Matthew 25:34, “Come you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
Matthew 13:43, “Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.”
Knowing Christ is progressive. It leads ultimately to the resurrection of the dead!
Conclusion
- Is knowing Christ precious to you? Does the way you live demonstrate that it is precious to you? Paul’s passion after 25 years was to know Christ more. Is it yours? If a man’s marriage is precious to him, he will invest time and energy on his relationship with his wife. If knowing Christ is precious to you, you will devote time and energy to your relationship with him. You can know whether knowing Christ is precious. Look at your life. Are you spending time with Jesus? Are you spending time in worship and prayer? Are you sitting at His feet, with His word open before you, listening to His voice. If you are not doing those things, your relationship to Christ is not precious.
- Are you experiencing the power of His resurrection? Are there times in your Christian life, where you find yourself able to do what you know you can’t do in yourself? Maybe it is the power to hold your tongue when someone says cutting and unkind words to you. Maybe it is the power to endure painful trials without blaming God or losing faith. Maybe it is the power to say “No” to a temptation that you would ordinarily give in to. Maybe it is the power to boldly proclaim Christ to an unbeliever. Brothers and sisters, there should be times in our Christian life where we are experiencing the power of His resurrection!
- Are you being conformed to Christ’s death? When the Lord shows you that your will is contrary to His, do you say, “Not my will, but Yours be done”? Do you forsake those things that the Lord has made clear are sinful? Is doing the will of God your highest goal? If you are not involved in putting to death the deeds of the body, you can’t say that you are being conformed to His death. What deed of the body have you been killing this past week?
May God help all of us to repudiate the works of the flesh, and to glory in Christ Jesus!
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