Philippians 3: Confidence in Christ
This is Living: A Series on Philippians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Confidence in Christ
Confidence in Christ
Have you ever put your confidence in something that turned out to be a terrible decision? Like maybe it was confiding in someone you thought was a friend, and they ended up stabbing you in the back. Or maybe it was a simple as making a boat out of cardboard and hoping it would float. For me, I remember this time when I was about 8. In my house at the time, our basement was connected to our garage, so we had to go into our garage and down the stairs to get to the basement, well at the entrance of the basement there was this ledge that was perfect to do chin-ups on. Well, I would do one every time I’d go up the stairs, just because, but one time, I did it, and the lip of the ledge just snapped off, and I fell backwards and hit my back on the first step down to the basement. It hurt so bad. Did I mention the stairs were made of pure cement? Hardly any carpet, anyway, I probably shouldn’t have trusted it to not snap like that. But in Philippians 3, we read that there is only one thing we should ever put our confidence in… and it isn’t a wooden ledge…
We’re going to read the first 9 verses, but I’ll talk about the whole chapter, but go ahead and open there… Let’s read together, Philippians 3:1-9
Philippians 3:1–9 (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—
What do you put your confidence in? That is what you’re going to build your life on. Think about it, (Call on a student) what do they build houses on? Cement, right!
Do you think they have confidence in the cement? You better, otherwise your house is going to crumble. Likewise, if our life is built on anything else other than Christ, the house is gonna crumble! Paul says that we are to place our confidence, not in flesh, but in Jesus. He even says that he has the best reasoning to have confidence in his flesh, in his life.
Paul rips off that list we just read, all these things were AWESOME back then… I mean, Paul was a well educated, smart guy, a top-tier Hebrew, a Pharisee, and someone who was circumcised, followed the law to a T! Paul was AWESOME. But then he says, I don’t brag about my flesh… I only boast in Jesus. In fact, he goes as far as to say “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.” Paul said that the flesh was not worth anything compared to knowing Christ.
Meaning we can have confidence in our church, we can have confidence in our political sides, we can have confidence in our money, family, whatever… but those things will ultimately fail us; those things can’t save us… but what Christ does is he saves us. He’s there, ready and willing to save us. Making us able to show Christ to those around us. Check verse 9 again
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—
Paul does, and we should find all of our worldly gains and confidences rubbish, in comparison to gaining Christ. He says that everything on this Earth does not and can not surpass knowing Christ.
Have you ever really really wanted something and just promised that you would give up everything else you may get for it? I remember (Tell story of wanting the bass guitar, and how you were telling mom and dad that you were willing to get only that for Christmas.)
You see? I wanted so badly the bass that I was willing to give up everything else that I might have gotten or had for it… the same here, is true for Paul… he was so ready to receive righteousness through Christ that he didn’t care what he had to give up for it. He just knew he wanted it that much. His reputation, his stuff, his family background… all of it was moot compared to his love and drive for knowing and receiving Christ. Paul makes it clear that Christ is the one true gain. Everything else is worthless… in comparison to Christ.
So my question for you today is this… is your confidence in Christ enough for you? Will you be okay to live a life that is fully dependent and confident that Christ is turning you more righteous as you continue to live for him? Will you say “Yes, Lord. This is enough for me. I don’t care what people say about me. I don’t care about my fair share. I just don’t care. Because you are enough for me.”
We talked about this in week one of the series. Philippians 1:21 says:
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. When we truly have that mind set, that we can die and gain everything because we will be living with Christ in the new creation… But God will defend us and protect us until it is our time to go home. In 2 Corinthians 4:7-11 it says
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body.
That our treasure is in jars of clay… now this is something that is so fragile… that in Bible times it became a metaphor for human life… That our lives hold this treasure, that is our faith in Jesus, but that even when we are “hard pressed” and “perplexed” and “Persecuted.” We are not “crushed” or “in despair” or “abandoned”… God is our protector. And we, in this life, when we put our confidence in Christ, have Jesus’ death in our ‘jars of clay’ and that shows Him to the world… so…
Will you put your confidence in Jesus? Will you let him take you where you need to be, walk through this life, putting you confidence in nothing else except Christ? It’s a hard task… but will you? Let’s pray.