Loss and Gain

What things in our life might be classified underneath these two headings?

Loss and Gain

What things do we consider to be of greatest advantage to us?

And what do we consider to be of no advantage?

This is the topic of Paul’s discussion as we move into Ch. 3

How we see Paul classify the circumstances of his life under these two titles is not at all what we might expect.

The text before us is a sobering one, it is one that cuts to the heart of what it means to be a true Christian.

In Ch. 2 Paul has just presented Timothy and Epaphroditus as godly examples to be followed.

Godly men who had proven their steadfast faith in Jesus Christ and therefore were worthy to be imitated.

Timothy had shown the very “mind of Christ” in being concerned with the interest of others rather than his own, and faithfully serving alongside Paul for all these many years as a son with a father.

Epaphroditus had risked his life for the sake of Christ as he delivered the Philippians gift to Paul in prison. He became so ill he nearly died.

Both men had shown their love for Christ through their actions.

Now Paul introduces Ch. 3, with the words “in addition” or “finally” which may be misleading because Paul yet has two more chapters to go.

V.1

We have yet another call to rejoice. This is now the 12th time we see Paul use this word in his letter to the Philippians.

I like what Tony Merida says at this point:

“You don’t get joy when you get what you desire, you get joy when you know what you deserve.”

Many people think that they will have joy if they can just get that job, or that car, that husband or wife.

But real joy doesn’t work like that, it isn’t tied to circumstances that are always changing, it is tied to the unchanging grace of God that has been poured out on us through Christ.

V.2

But he couples it with a warning.

Our rejoicing is not one that is oblivious to the very real dangers that exist.

As much as Paul wants to remind the believers to rejoice he also wants to remind them to be on their guard and to watch out for those who distort the truth.

Paul uses strong language here to describe these people.

Adding to the Gospel is a great offense against God’s perfect gift and should be treated as such.

V.3

When Paul says “we are the circumcision” he is saying we are the covenant people of God.

Not those who have these so called qualifications.

This Covenant is not secured by works but by the atoning and all sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Paul then offers these three marks of a true believer:

Worship by the Spirit of God.

We who are under this new covenant have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a life of worship to God.

John 4:24 CSB

24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and in truth.”

Worship is not just some compartment of our life.

Worship is not just something that we do, it is who we are.

We are worshippers.

The true believers life is marked by evidence of the Holy Spirit.

2. We boast in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:8–9 CSB

8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—9 not from works, so that no one can boast.

We do not boast in ourselves, in our accomplishments, in our social status.

We boast in Christ alone. We make much of Christ.

We just can’t stop talking about Christ, what He has done for us, the hope that He offers, the joy, peace, fulfillment that we have found in Him.

He is our greatest treasure and the object of all our affections.

The true believer can’t stop boasting in Christ because he understands the gift that he has received.

3. We do not put confidence in the flesh.

Romans 7:18 CSB

18 For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it.

We realize our own sinfulness and do not attempt to hide it.

We are God confident not self confident.

We allow the light of God’s Word to shine on those deep, dark areas of our own soul.

We realize that if it were not for the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, there is no end to the evil which we would commit.

We realize that the only thing good in us is Christ.

As Jonathan Edwards says, the only thing we contribute to our salvation is the sin that made it necessary.

The true believer is always aware of his own sinfulness. To the true believer, no one’s sin is as ugly as his own.

Paul shows us these three marks of a true believer.

V.4

Paul now offers himself as an example. As a case study to be examined.

This friends is what first century trash talking looks like.

V.5-6

Paul lists here 7 qualifications that make him far superior to these other Jews who were proclaiming a Christ plus works gospel.

I doubt many of us would dare to boast about the things that Paul mentions here.

None would boast about the day we were circumcised, our tribe that we descended from.

The things that Paul mention here can seem strange and disconnected from our own culture.

But really they are no different than the things that people boast in today, we must only look at them in categories:

Family Heritage

Social Status

Occupation

Personal Achievements

Moral Standing

Do any of us find confidence in these things?

The problem with these things is not that they are bad, the problem is that they just aren’t good enough.

If we are trusting in any of those things they are going to fail us terribly when we stand before our Holy Creator.

But then everything changed for Paul.

V.7

It was all a loss.

Even though all of these are good things, they can all be a hindrance to knowing Christ.

Many see no need for Christ because, “they are basically a good person”

All of those things are considered a loss because they are not a good enough goal.

When compared with Christ, they don’t stack up.

V.8

Not only that but he says I consider everything to be a loss compared to knowing Christ.

Paul says there is nothing more important to him than knowing Christ, nothing even comes close.

It is all a loss when compared with Christ.

Our Christian lives can be summed up in this:

To know Him and to make Him known.

This is much more than just knowing things about Christ, it is knowing Him personally.

Knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord!

It is to know His heart, to know His character, to experience His goodness, mercy, and love, yes and even His discipline.

That is what it means to really know Christ.

Any attempt to know Christ will be tied inseparably to the study of God’s Word and to prayer.

Jesus is the Word made flesh, and prayer is our line of communication to Him.

If we value knowing Him, we will value the means through which we know Him.

If we neglect these then we prove that we do not really value knowing Christ.

To know Christ is to love Christ.

We will never love Him more than we know Him.

Now when Paul says he has suffered the loss of all things, what a loss it was.

Paul traded praises for beatings, comforts for shipwrecks, safety for danger.

He went from being the persecutor to being persecuted.

But he says he considers it all as dung. All the things that he lost for Christ, whether good or bad are meaningless.

Many translators render this Greek word as rubbish, garbage, filth, trash, refuse.

But I like the CSB on this one.

Paul can say this because Christ is the greatest gain.

If we know anything at all about Christ, we must know that everything else is worthless compared to Him.

Nothing comes close to the value of Christ.

V.9

He wants to be found in Him.

When people look at Paul, he doesn’t want them to see him, he wants them to see Christ.

V.10,11

Paul lists three specific ways that he wants to know Christ.

The power of His resurrection

The fellowship of His sufferings

Being conformed to His death

Paul isn’t unsure about whether he will reach the resurrection or not but just unsure about through what means, or at what time it will take place.

V.12-14

Paul admits that this lofty goal of knowing Christ is not something that he has already achieved or completed.

Paul is determined. Over time his passion for Christ has not weaned but has only grown stronger.

He makes every effort to know Christ!

There is a holy discontentment in Paul’s voice here.

The same holy discontentment should be in every single follower of Christ.

If we are satisfied with the amount of Jesus that we have, than we have settled for too little!

The true Christian is like Paul, passionately pursuing the Savior, making every effort to know Him.

If this is not our mindset, then something is terribly wrong.

Have we been taken hold of by Christ?

Has He taken hold of our passions, our desires, our longings?

Do we really want to know Him in the way that Paul wanted to know Him?

Do we count everything as loss because of Christ?

Have we grown comfortable and satisfied with what little of Christ we have taken hold of?

These verses in Philippians should shake us to the core and stir up a holy discontentment in our bones.