The Glorious Satisfaction of Knowing Christ

Phil 3.1-11

Philippians 3:1–11 ESV

1 Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. 2 Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 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: 5 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; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 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 9 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— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

PRAY “Make the book live to me, O Lord. Show me yourself within your Word. Show me myself and show me my Savior, and make the book live to me, for Jesus’ sake. Amen” -Hudson Pope

1. Rejoice and Be on Guard

Observations:

Paul writes, “Finally” but like many a preacher since him, he’s not really closing. But Paul means what he’s saying, the greek phrase is just different than how we would communicate today.

The Greek phrase translated “finally” functions as a formal signal that Paul has transitioned to a new section, not the final or last section of the letter. It is a transitional phrase, not a terminal phrase signaling the end of the discussion.

NIV = “Further”

CSB = “In addition”

v1 Rejoice in Repetition

It’s good to hear things more than once isn’t it? How many of us responded to the Gospel of Jesus Christ the first time we heard it.

We like being reminded of some things…we need to be reminded of many things. I’m sure many of you right now could recall a number of things we’ve needed to be reminded about this week for which we’re grateful.

It can grate on our nerves, though, to be the reminder. This is not just with parents - although it may most easily apply there. The more we “remind” folks about things, the more irritated we can become.

But this is about the Gospel. Even strong believers have a tendency to forget the Gospel and its implications.

Notice Paul’s distinction here - “It’s no trouble to me…it’s for your good.” He’s not irritated…this is SPF 1000 for the UV Rays of doubt, dismay, discouragement, depression...

This is a work of the Spirit of God in this man’s life. The fruit of the Spirit is

English Standard Version Chapter 5

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

In these first couple verses, we observe Paul giving a:

Warning - about the Judaizers.

Judaizers were Jewish Christians (or ostensibly Christians) who insisted that Gentile Christians must submit to the Mosaic law, including circumcision

DOGS - first-century Israelites didn’t have pets, and they had no use for dog food. Dogs were coyote-like scavengers who fed on roadkill, carrion, filth, and garbage—they were vivid images of the unclean

EVILDOERS - claiming to be doing the right things...

Isaiah 5:20–21 ESV

20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!

MUTILATORS - Peter T. O’Brien concludes, “ Circumcision, their greatest source of pride, is interpreted by the apostle as mutilation—a sure sign that they have no part in God’s people at all.”

Reminder

Circumcision was a PREVIEW of what Christ was going to do for us

Christ enabled the TRUE and more complete circumcision

The Judaizers were trying to add legalistic requirements to the Gospel of Grace…friend we cannot do that. We will not do that. We won’t do it with our Membership Covenant, or any other guiding documents...

LESSON: Satan is always promoting a “Better Way”

in the Garden...

tempting Jesus...

(Philippians) You can’t JUST have faith…you need a sign!

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I'm using a breakdown of this next passage I found extremely helpful and difficult to improve upon. The outline is borrowed, the content is not. Tony Merida (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary on Philippians), points out that this passage in the Bible here is speaking of what it means to know Christ in 2 parts:

3 Marks of those who know Christ

and How to know Christ

Embracing what the Bible says about being a disciple is where true joy is discovered.

There are 3 marks here that the maturing Christian has as they live this Christ.

2. Marks of Those Who Know Christ (3:2-6)

Mark 1: We serve/worship by the Spirit of God (3:3b).

NIV = Serve

ESV = Worship

Romans 12:1-2 (Phillips)

With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.

Mark 2: We boast in Christ Jesus (3:3c).

I WILL GLORY IN THE CROSS

I boast not of works or tell of good deeds For naught have i done to merit his grace All glory and praise shall rest upon him So willing to die in my place

My trophies and crowns, my robe stained with sin Twas all that i had to lay at his feet Unworthy to eat from the table of life Till love made provision for me

IN CHRIST ALONE (Shawn Craig / Don Koch, ca 1990)

(v1) In Christ alone will I glory Though I could pride myself in battles won For I've been blessed beyond measure And by His strength alone I overcome Oh, I could stop and count successes Like diamonds in my hand But those trophies could not equal To the grace by which I stand

(ch) In Christ alone I place my trust And find my glory in the power of the cross In every victory let it be said of me My source of strength, my source of hope Is Christ alone

(v2) In Christ alone will I glory For only by His grace I am redeemed Only His tender mercy Could reach beyond my weakness to my need Now I seek no greater honor Than just to know Him more And to count my things but losses To the glory of the Lord

So if we will boast in CHRIST…we cannot boast in ourselves.

Mark 3: We put no confidence in the flesh (3:3d-6).

Philippians 3:3–6 ESV

3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 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: 5 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; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

1. Don’t put your confidence in a RITUAL.

Circumcised to the Letter of the Law - PERFECT START

Being baptized as a baby…or dedicated to the Lord as a baby doesn’t make you a Christian.

2. Don’t put your confidence in your ETHNICITY.

Born into right people of privilege when it came to access to Jehovah.

Your red-blooded American status in the land of the free and home of the brave has NO BEARING ON YOUR SPIRITUAL STATE. You can be a fine citizen of noble deeds…you can among the majority or the minority and not been transformed and made new by the power of God.

Heaven is for the people of EVERY TRIBE AND TONGUE who have come to know the Lord personally, powerfully, and by His grace have a right standing before the Father!

3. Don’t put your confidence in your RANK.

“Tribe of Benjamin” - of distinct lineage and honor

Your titles and accolades will not sway the King of Kings and Lord of Lords in the slightest. You will stand before a higher authority than the Supreme Court - the Judge of all the earth, the Judge of the living and the dead - from the ELITE to the ENTITLED your rank/status is of no consequence.

The question will be, “have you been to Jesus for the cleansing flood, are you washed in the blood of the Lamb!”

4. Don’t put your confidence in your TRADITION.

Hebrew of Hebrews - right crowds doing the right things

BEING A CONSERVATIVE TRADITIONALIST IS OF NO MORE VALUE THAN BEING A PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL if you’re not focused on Jesus Christ - the Author and Finisher of our Faith.

5. Don’t put your confidence in your RULE-KEEPING.

“Pharisee of the Law”

Remember the Pharisees in the Intertestamental Period of Scripture were those who initially contended for the purity of the Law…your righteousness has to exceed that…hear Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 5:19–20 ESV

19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Few of us are in that category…but lest we think more highly of ourselves than we ought...

James 2:10 ESV

10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

6. Don’t put your confidence in your zeal.

“Zealous for the law” - worked harder than most. One writer notes, He considered himself a modern-day Phinehas (a righteous war hero also from the tribe of Benjamin). You can be entirely sincere…and completely wrong.

Romans 10:2–4 ESV

2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

7. Don’t put your confidence in your obedience to the law.

“righteous under the law” I’m a good person!

What about you? Do you consider yourself a good person?

By whose standard? Have you kept the 10 Commandments?

Ever told a lie?

Ever stolen anything?

Ever committed adultery (Jesus said in the NT that if you’ve looked on a woman or man with lust in your heart then you’ve committed adultery in your heart?

We’re only through 3 of them, and already you’ve admitted to being a lying, thieving, adulterer.

Have you ever put anything above God in your life? That’s the first one...

A rich young ruler came to Jesus. He was banking on his obedience to the law to afford him eternal life (he was legit keeping several points of the law)…but he was holding too tightly to things of this world to joyfully turn to Christ! When he was confronted with the COST of following Jesus, he went away sorrowful.

Now remember that he clearly stated in 3:3 that no one was to put confidence in the flesh, period. So why does he show off all of his accomplishments?

He does this to illustrate just how much he is willing to give up in exchange for knowing and being identified with Christ.

It’s one thing to say that you would give up everything to follow Christ, and quite another to list and sign over all of your most prized assets.

The latter is exactly what Paul is doing. By showing the incalculable value of all that he was willing to give up, Paul raises the value of knowing Christ. Steven E. Runge, High Definition Commentary: Philippians (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2011), Php 3:4b–11.

3. How to Know Christ (3:7-11)

See yourself as in need. See Christ as EVERYTHING!

Philippians 3:7–9 ESV

7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 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 9 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—

These are the things that would have given Paul respect, honor, and influence in his culture, yet he’s willing to disavow them in exchange for knowing Christ

Can you hear Jesus question from Matthew 16?

Matthew 16:25–26 ESV

25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Can you feel the weight of this question here?…on your own life?

Paul would write to Timothy:

1 Timothy 1:15–17 ESV

15 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

One of the expressions of the Mission of Jesus Christ can be summed up in this:

Jesus Christ’s mission was to redeem humanity

He came to seek and save the lost (Lk 19:10 See also Lk 15:1–10)

He came to save from sin (Mt 1:21 See also Ro 3:25–26; 1 Ti 1:15)

He came to break the devil’s power (1 Jn 3:8 See also Ge 3:15; Jn 12:31; Heb 2:14–15)

He came to bring eternal life (Jn 10:10 See also Jn 6:38–40; Jn 17:2–3)

He came to give access to God (Eph 2:18; Eph 3:12; Heb 10:19–20)

He came to restore a fallen humanity (Ro 5:17–18; 1 Co 15:21–22)

Jesus did it. God did it. We are justified by Christ alone!

Justification - Christ alone (v9)

Philippians 3:9 ESV

9 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—

Some define “justification” as “just as if I never sinned.” But we should add that it’s more than this. It’s “just as if I’ve always obeyed.” For we haven’t just gone from negative to neutral; we have gone from negative to positive. We have not just received forgiveness; we have been given the perfect righteousness of Jesus.

Merida, Tony. Exalting Jesus in Philippians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary) (p. 142). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Romans 3:21–26 ESV

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

QUESTION: ARE YOU IN CHRIST? HAVE YOU BEEN MADE RIGHT BEFORE GOD?

Romans 5:1 ESV

1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:9 ESV

9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

Sanctification - Knowing and becoming more like Him

Philippians 3:10 ESV

10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

It’s been 30 years since the Damascus Road encounter here. Paul expresses a longing of his heart - a heart that already knows Jesus more intimately that most of us. This is a longing for an ever-deepening, ever-widening , personal knowledge of the Son - and it’s born of love - love makes us want to know one another more and more.

J. I. Packer put it well: “Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life’s problems fall into place of their own accord” (Knowing God, 34).

If you keep persisting down the path that you are on, where will it lead?

Ephesians–Philemon Comment

The greatest joy this life has to offer is to know Christ. Jesus proclaims, “This is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Jeremiah 9:23–24 says that the one who boasts should boast that he understands and knows God. The difference between knowing about Jesus and really knowing Jesus makes all the difference in this world and the next.

I wonder if you know Him in such a way that you want to know Him more and more and more. Though we spoke some of the gift of suffering earlier in our series (Part 2 of Living Out The Gospel Together), it’s worth noting that it’s here again...

Ephesians–Philemon Comment

Sinclair Ferguson once said in a sermon that God makes us like Jesus the same way Jesus became like Jesus: through suffering (Heb. 2:10; 5:8). Paul is not telling us to go look for ways to suffer. The message of Philippians counsels us to have the mind of Christ: go look for someone to serve for the cause of Christ and do not be deterred by suffering. Pursue Christlikeness, not misery.

Finally we see Paul speaking of the Resurrection.

Glorification - Resurrection

Philippians 3:11 ESV

11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Paul is not uncertain about his participation in the resurrection. The resurrection was certain, but the timing and circumstances were not . Would he die and later rise from the dead? Or would he remain alive and undergo transformation to his new resurrection body?

Everybody wants to go to Heaven. We all want perfect bodies in a place with no pain, no crying, no evil…but only the Bible speaks of such a place.

Philippians 3:10 AMP

10 [For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]

Have you ever prayed this? Can you pray this? Will you pray this?

Points of Reflection for our response time?

Brother or Sister, what area of our daily walk do well to be reminded of the truth of the Gospel?

2. Friend, maybe you have put your trust in all manner of Christianny, Churchy, Things (Rituals, Ranks, Rule-Keeping, Living a Moral Life). What’s on your trophy wall?

Do you realize today that its all rubbish and has no value before the Holy and Righteous God of this Bible?

3. Do you know Him this morning? It is your determined purpose? It’s what you were made for.

I wouldn’t leave this place this morning, without making sure my identity was IN CHRIST…

IN CHRIST ALONE MY HOPE IS FOUND

HE IS MY LIFE, MY STRENGTH, MY SONG

TRANSITION PRAYER