Let the Mind Be in You!

Have the mind of Christ in His Attitude (sermon 6).

Philippians 3:1–16 (ESV)

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

What are your life’s ambitions?

Paul reveals his passion - “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord”(Philippians 3:7).

“What makes life worthwhile is having a big enough objective, something which catches our imagination and lays hold of our allegiance, and this the Christian has in a way that no other person has. For what higher, more exalted, and more compelling goal can there be than to know God?” (J.I. Packer).

Our Sermon Focus is to express the mind of Christ by striving relentlessly to live for Him above everything else, whatever the cost to our own self-esteem, comforts and reputation. To follow the example of Christ who at the cost of His own precious blood, did the will of His Father in Heaven.

1. An Attitude to Circumstances!

Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.

Paul begins this part of his leter with an exhortation to “rejoice in the Lord!” remarkable given His circumstances!

Joy is one of his great themes in this letter. The joy he speaks about surpasses everything else (The word "joy" and "rejoice" are used 16 times in this short letter).

We may divide Paul's concept of joy and its relation to him and his circumstances as taught and outlined in Philippians into four subsections:

(i). Paul has joy whenever he remembers them - Joy at the remembrance of their founding as a Church; joy at having been a part of that planting(Phil 4:1) as well as joy at reflecting upon the perfection that awaits those who are truly in Christ(Phil 1:6;Phil 2:17,18).

(ii). Paul has joy whenever Christ is preached - whatever the motives of the preachers(Phil 1:18). His joy is not bound up in his work but in his Lord(Phil 1:27).

(iii). Paul has joy whatver the circumstances(Phil 1:25;Phil 3:3) - he therefore exhorts them to continually 'rejoice in the Lord' whatever their circumstances just as he is doing(Phil 3:1;Phil 4:4).

(iv). Paul has joy when true Christian fellowship is expressed - It is expressed when relationships are renewed(Phil 2:28); when quarrels are quelled(Phil 2:2 with Phil 4:2) and when kindness is shown to Christ's servants(Phil 4:10). He is filled with joy whenever they remember him as they have demonstrated in their kind gifts.

This teaching on 'joy' is a tremendous challenge to the believer today.

We must learn from this that whatever our present circumstances, whether easy or difficult, whether in plenty or in want, whether in sickness or in health to always 'rejoice in the Lord'.

Our 'joy' will come about through the recognition that we can do 'everything through" Christ who gives us ‘strength'(Phil 4:13) and the resolve to learn 'the secret of being content in any and every situation'(Phil 4:12), leaning by faith upon God who promises to ‘supply all’ our 'needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus"(Phil 4:19).

When the emperor Valens threatened Eusebuis with confiscation of all his goods, torture, banishment, or even death, the courageous Christian replied, "He need not fear confiscation, who has nothing to lose; nor banishment, to whom heaven is his country; nor torments, when his body can be destroyed at one blow; nor death, which is the only way to set him at liberty from sin and sorrow."

Do we know the transforming power of God in our lives that produces in us confidence and joy?

A confidence that knows that what God has begun in us will be completed(Phil 1:6)

A joy that is not superficial, determined by immediate circumstances but one which transcends the mundane circumstance of his life. “Safety consists not in the absence of danger but in the presence of God. “

“If you cannot rejoice in your circumstances, you can always rejoice in the Lord who controls your circumstances. Fix your attention on Him. He may not change your situation, but He will change you; and that is even better.”(Weisbe).

A letter of Cyprian, preserved from the third-century AD, writing to a friend named Donatus, in anticipation of his own death, said: "It is a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and good people who have learned the great secret of life. They have found a joy and wisdom which is a thousand times better than any of the pleasures of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people, Donatus, are Christians. . . and I am one of them.”

2. An Attitude to Self!

Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Paul once had every reason to boast - to have “confidence in the flesh” Every reason to be proud of himself as he was admired and lauded in the Jewish community - though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. - but all of this changed once he gained sight of the risen Christ!

We need to recount the story briefly! We meet him consenting to death of Stephen, perhaps having heard the words which he would then have considered blasphemous: “Look,…I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."(Acts 7:56). It is not overtly stated how this impacted on Saul but there there is every indication that this simply hardened him in his resolve to be rid of the followers of this new religion! (Acts 9:1ff see also Acts 22:3ff.; Acts 26:10ff.; 1 Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:13; 1 Tim. 1:13).

All this changed however after the Damascus Road encounter. Here he encounters the risen Lord and to his horror realises the enormous crime of “persecuting Him” of which he repented immediately, as he learned that Jesus of Nazareth really was the Messiah, the Son of God and the Saviour of the World!

Paul seems never to have been able to forget his persecuting activity, based on that misdirected zeal for God (Acts 22:3; cf. Rom. 10:2) and his cause, of which he speaks here. The memory of it continually haunts him;

This revelation of the risen Christ made all the difference! He would never be the same again and his actions dem,onstrated this! “At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who caused havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 9:20-22).

One encounter with the Risen Christ literally changed this man and it is just such an encounter that he speaks of in our text: “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”

“The time has now come, in the sequence of the chapter, for the apostle to state clearly the reassessment of his spiritual life, which followed directly upon conversion. This is introduced by a strong asseveration: But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. The last words supply the motive and reason for this dramatic revaluation. Because of all that Christ has become to him Paul is willing to collect all his former privileges, described in verses 5–6, to put them, as it were, in one parcel, and write that off as loss. He is not content simply to dismiss them and become indifferent to them. Rather, as Barth suggests, he rejects them with horror, and treats them as liabilities.”(Ralph P Martin).

And the lesson he wants us to learn from this is that we should, like Him, have a deep distrust of our sinful selves!

He warns us against those who place great confidence in the flesh (Phil 3:1-3). If anyone had reason to boast about human accomplishments, it was Paul with his Jewish heritage (Phil 3:4-6). But all such things were considered rubbish - Grk σκύβαλα = anything from human excrement to food waste thrown to the dogs! - in relation to the excellence of knowing Christ Jesus (Phil 3:7-8).

Therefore Paul had as his goal, to be found in Christ, having that righteousness which is by faith in Jesus, imputed to his account by the mercy and grace of God, leading to his being justified by faith not works; knowing Him and the power of His resurrection, and even sharing in His sufferings, that he might by any means attain to the resurrection from the dead (Phil 3:9-11).

“The goal of Paul’s revaluation is the supreme one of a personal possession. He loses all, to gain—Christ.”(R.P. Martin). Howevert, havin

This was the most Valuable Thing he could possess(Phil 3:7-8). To be in the possession of this righteousness is the one essential thing for acquittal on the Day of Judgment.

A “righteousness of my own” is of no use because before God, “all our righteous acts are as filthy rags”(Isa 64:6) but with this “righteouensess of Christ”(Phil 3:9) that comes through faith in Him, “no weapon formed against you shall prosper and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.” (Isa 54:17)

This is also the most Precious Person He could know! - To know Christ and the power of His resurrection (Phil 3:10), even to share His sufferings, even in His death, so that by any means he might attain to the resurrection from the dead (Phil 3:10-11).

“Death, for the believer, is the gateway to life. Paul dies to himself that he may live to God (Gal. 2:20). Self, represented by his past life as a Pharisee (see vv. 4–6), is dethroned—indeed, crucified (Gal. 5:24; 6:14)—that Christ might be enthroned as supreme Lord.”(R. P. Martin).

“What is important to you? Do you feel you have made sacrifices to follow the Lord? Paul did not feel he had lost anything worthwhile by trusting Christ. Instead, he gained everything really worth having.”(Weisbe).

3. An Attitude to Service!

Paul calls us to have a great ambition. His is a call for every believer to seek strength and pursue faithfulness in spiritual service. He wants us to make it our ambition to follow Christ whatever the cost!

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Paul make it clear that the completion of the work of grace awaits the resurrection from the dead.

In the meantime, he presses on with the an ambition to to “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

C.H. Spurgeon said “I do not believe that I have a wish in all the world except to know more of my Master, and to win more souls for Him!” (Sermons Vol 40 p. 619,620 1894).

“I have a passion and it is He. He only”! (Zinzendorf).

a. Remember you have not arrived!

Note that in Philippians 3:10,11 Paul uses conditional words to express his hope for the future: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own…”

Paul was very aware of the struggle with the flesh that caused such an inner-conflict in his soul (Rom 7:25f;Gal 5:16f). It was this struggle which explains the hesitancy or “doubt” as to his final outcome

Paul is not complacent about His relationship with Christ! He does not take refuge in a “once saved always saved” doctrine that leaves no room for perseverance or the marks of Christian discipleship!

To be sure Paul often rejoices in his own salvation. He clearly believes and teaches that once we are in Christ we are in Christ forever! (Rom 6:5,8;Rom 7:25; Rom 8:1,16, 17,35-39;1 Tim 1:15-17;2 Tim 1:12;2 Tim 4:7,8) but in deep distrust of himself and deep humility he aimed at continuous striving, working our his own “salvation with fear and trembling”(Phil 2:12,13) so that He might certainly "attain to the resurrection from the dead" which will bring an end to all our struggles!

There is only one thing worse than struggling with sin. NOT STRUGGLING WITH IT!

It is our struggle with sin that keeps us pursuing Christ! It is because we NEED Him always to help us overcome to change your imperfections into holiness!

Paul's pursuit of Christ rises out of a profound dissatisfaction with the way he is. He knows that there is so much of Christ to know and yet he knows that He could and should know so much more of Him!

“Stand in front of the mirror of the Word and recognize that you have not yet arrived. The hearty admission of our spiritual imperfections is the starting point for the pursuit of God.” (John Piper)

“More about Jesus would I know,

More of His grace to others show;

More of His saving fulness see,

More of His love who died for me”.

b. Forget the Things, Which Lie Behind

Anything in your background which hinders your pursuit of God should be put out of your mind.

Some memories are good and worth keeping - some battles are won by remembered mercies (Psalm 77:11; Hebrews 11).

The point is not: never look back. The point is: only look back for the sake of pressing forward. Memories of failure can make you hopeless and paralyzed in your pursuit of God. Never look back like that. Give humble thanks for successes; make humble confessions for failure; then turn to the future and press on!

“Christians are like runners who refuse to look around or look back but keep running with their eyes on the goal. To look back at past successes or failures, or to look around to see what others are doing or saying, is to invite defeat. Heed Hebrews 12:1–2.”(Weisbe).

c. Know What Lies Ahead

To know what Paul means here we can turn to his own illustration of straining forward in 1 Corinthians 9:25–27. It takes all the discipline and self-denial of an athlete to push on in the Christian life. This is what it means to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling”. No Christian has ever reached heights of knowledge and joy and obedience without discipline and self-denial.

God does not promise his riches to aimless people. Paul did not run aimlessly or beat the air. He lived with spiritual goals in view and controlled his passions for the sake of those goals.

We should make it our ambition “to know more of the Word of God, to grasp more of the will of God, to love more of the wonder of God; and then make a plan of prayer and study and worship and go for it with all your might”(John Piper).

So to conclude:

Imagine the scene: A couple rejoice at the birth of their child!

They enjoy observing what babies do best. Looking sweet, lying in a cot and gurgling. This same baby is fed and changed and transported to various places. The infant child’s main role in life is to be served and waited upon.

However gradually the parents begin to be concerned. Something is wrong. The baby is not developing. There is mental handicap and consequent physical handicap. Somehow it was missed by the doctors!

Years later that child is still lying in a cot, still gurgling. Still being changed and transported from place to place. Still being served and waited upon.

The parents are of course devastated. At an age when they could have envisaged the child using a developed mind and body to engage in living relationships, mentally the child is still a baby! Muscles have never been tested, limbs never used. Vocal chords never uttered words. By the time the child should have been giving love and service to his family, he is only capable of receiving!

Stunted growth....we want our babies to remain babies only as long as it reflects normal growth patterns. We want the growth cycle to be NORMAL!

Many Christians act out this tragedy!

They are born again but they never really develop; never mature; never serve but only receive (c/f Heb 5:11,12). They do not “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ”(2 Pet 3:18).

A.W. Tozer: “The Pursuit of God” wrote: “How tragic that we in this dark day have had our seeking done for us by our teachers. Everything is made to center upon the initial act of 'accepting' Christ. . . and we are not expected thereafter to crave any further revelation of God to our souls. We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him, we need no more seek Him. This is set before us as the last word in orthodoxy, and it is taken for granted that no Bible-taught Christian ever believed otherwise. Thus the whole testimony of the worshiping, seeking, singing church on that subject is crisply set aside. The experiential heart-theology of a grand army of fragrant saints is rejected in favor of a smug interpretation of Scripture….. To have found God and still to pursue Him is the soul's paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too easily satisfied religionist, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart" (A. W. Tozer).

Let me end with a challenge based on a profound truth - “The greatest moment of your life is now. Not because it's pleasant or happy or easy, but because this moment is the only moment you've got. Every past moment is irretrievably gone. It's never coming back. If you live there, you lose your life. And the future is always out there somewhere. You can spend an eternity waiting for tomorrow, or worrying about tomorrow. If you live there, you likewise will lose your life. This moment is God's irreplaceable gift to you.” (― John Ortberg, God Is Closer Than You Think: If God Is Always with Us, Why Is He So Hard to Find?).