Letting Go Of Myself So I May Know Christ

Philippians 3:1-14

This passage in Philippians chapter 3 contains so much truth. So much in our culture tells us to think of ourselves first, that we are “worth it,” or deserve to have life our way. I’ve seen this most recently when I look at those who promote abortion. So many are fighting to keep abortion going strong. They aren’t trying to find a way to help mothers and fathers raise their children, but, instead, they are fighting to be able to kill their children and the children of others. Those who are fighting for these practices in our culture as well as gender change and so much evil, have “confidence in their flesh.” They want all of us to be confident in the evil going on in the world around us and want us to support this kind of evil that violates what God has created. Many today refuse to bow to the truth that is in God’s Word. Instead, they gratify their own sinful desires. Paul tells us, though, to “Press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Each one of us who knows Christ can and should do and stand for the truth that God has established in His Word.

Here is what Paul wrote:

Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you. 2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put 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; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, 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 is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:1-14

I. Confidence In Our Flesh (3:1-6)

We can work hard and God does bless us when we work, but we don’t only work to prove to ourselves and others that we are great. We have to forget about our passions and our selfish motivations and think of and desire to know Christ above all! Life is not about gratifying ourselves, it is about glorifying God. We try to work hard to look a certain way to other people and to ourselves and so that we can be proud of ourselves and brag.

Daniel and I had a conversation with a guy a few days ago about pride. He didn’t define pride as we believe it is. Many people do define pride differently than Scripture defines it. Pride can be defined as when we work hard and we know that we did a good job. We can be proud of the work that we did. That is not a bad pride in fact, it can even drive us to have a better testimony before the world. This is a more positive pride. Most of the pride that the Bible condemns is very different. Some negative definitions of pride though are 1) Having too high an opinion of ones own ability or worth and 2) Belief that you are better or more important than other people.

Even when we look at the positive side of doing a good job, being a good person, being proud of ourselves, we tend to have “confidence in our flesh” though. We become confident that we did something good. Further in this post, we will learn more why this is a problem. We don’t have to think bad of ourselves but we should listen to what other people who want the best for us, tell us.

Paul spoke early on in this passage about how and what he could brag about in his own life. This passage calls it “confidence in the flesh.” This basically means that we rely on ourselves and what we do instead of what Christ gives us the ability to do. In order, though, to know what Christ gives us the ability to do; we have to know Him, like verse 10 tells us to do. How do we know Him, though? I will get into this later in another section.

Paul tells the church in Philippi, these four points in the first four verses-

• What I tell you will keep you safe

• Watch out for people who are dogs, evil, they tear apart the flesh. They throw rules around to look spiritual, yet they are not spiritual, they are rule followers.

• Paul said in other New Testament passages that we are the circumcision, just like he does here. We serve God, boast in Christ Jesus and do NOT rely on our flesh (put no confidence in the flesh). In other words, we don’t depend on our background as a Jew or Gentile where we follow the rules of our family/church. One commentary I read stated that they were Judaisers (people who believed that in order to become a Christ-follower, a gentile had to first become a Jew and follow Jewish practices).

• If anyone could be confident in their flesh, he likely had more reason to! But no one really had reason to have confidence in the flesh, even him!

The reasons why Paul felt that he could brag are due to the fact that 1st, he was a Jew and secondly, because he was passionate and gave his energy as a Jew to certain purposes before he met Christ. As a Jew, He was:

• Circumcised on the eighth day- Jewish tradition and law

• From the Tribe of Benjamin

• A Hebrew of all Hebrews

• According to the law, he was a Pharisee (very learned in the law and highly educated in what it meant to be a Jew).

Because of his zeal (enthusiasm, energy)

• He persecuted the early church

• As for righteousness based on the Law and Not on Grace, he was considered faultless.

II. For The Sake Of Christ, My Own Gains I Now Consider As Loss (3:7-11)

Verses 7-11 are an outstanding preview to verses 12-14. I believe that these verses are among the greatest verses in the Bible that a believer in Christ can learn to live. Every believer should hold these verses close. They help remind us to forget what is behind and look towards what is ahead. We learn what we should aim for in our life.

I mentioned pride and “confidence in the flesh” in the first paragraph. We often think of ourselves and who we are and what we can do. Verses 7-11 mentions what we have and how Paul says that everything in our lives is a loss, compared to knowing Christ! It is the only thing in our life if we know the Lord, that is worth anything, from now into eternity.

For those who do not know Christ as their Savior, knowing Christ is the most important person that you can ever know. Having an eternal relationship with Him is the best decision that you can ever make. Nothing in this world is better! Nothing! Not our riches or lack of finances, not our family even though our family is important, it is not eternal unless we all know Christ and we will all spend eternity with Him. Knowing that He is our personal Lord and Savior, is the beginning of knowing Him though. Hold on though, there is more!

1. To know the power of His resurrection

2. Participate in His sufferings

3. Become like Him in His death

4. Attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Some believe that this is in reference to the rapture and some believe that faithful believers will have a greater resurrection than those who were not faithful, but were believers. Attaining to the resurrection

So, do we know the power He has in our life, as He was resurrected from the grave? He is capable of anything in our life, there is nothing He can’t do!

Have we participated in His sufferings? Are we willing to suffer for our faith as He suffered as well? Do we identify with Him in our lives and maybe even in our death? We are part of Him and we live knowing Him and how He suffered too. It was physical, emotional and spiritual suffering. He died on the cross for our sins. He cried tears of blood in the Garden of Eden. Even His disciples fell asleep and didn’t pay attention to what He was dealing with right then. Then, spiritually, He took on the sins of the whole world. That had to be incredible. He did this knowing that some will hate and reject Him. Knowing Christ and the price He paid, is the foundation of knowing his suffering as it is, because of His suffering and the price He paid that we are cleansed from our sin.

Are we becoming more and more like Him in His death? (sanctification). As he was approaching His death, He spoke to His Father and struggled as He was taking on the sin of the whole world. What are we willing to give up to become more like Him? He didn’t have to do it, especially not for those who hated Him then and hate Him now.

Will our eternity with Him, our resurrection from this life be greater than others? (Attaining to the resurrection from the dead) Are we looking forward to Him coming to get us at the rapture? How about worshipping at His feet for eternity? Knowing Him is more than the first step of receiving Him as Lord and Savior. This is such a great important step (Justification); but knowing Him more each day is what He really desires in His relationship with us.

III. I Haven’t Obtained It, But Only Because Of Him, Here Is What I Do: (3:12-14)

Verses 12-14 are my favorite verses in Scripture. It’s not about me! I have not obtained my relationship with Him because of myself! I cannot have confidence in my own flesh.

Press on, regardless of anything in my past, and move forward (Paul actually calls it straining) for what the Lord wants for my life. To strain is to make a strenuous or unusually great effort. But only with Christ can we press on towards the goal to win the prize that He has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. We can only have trust and confidence in Him and not us. We can’t be proud and have confidence in our own flesh. Paul even says, “brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it…” He is saying that I don’t have it together yet or I have not accomplished this in my own life. We haven’t accomplished all that God has given for us to do yet either. When we have learned something spiritual, it isn’t even because of ourselves, it is Only God, through the Holy Spirit, who has taught us and given us power and strength to do it.

It is often hard, as we are sinners, to make the effort to let go of ourselves and our own pride, confidence in our flesh. It takes a lot to keep our mouth closed at times, to not go somewhere that we shouldn’t, to forgive when we don’t feel like it or ask for forgiveness. Making choices outside of our own flesh and relying only on God is very difficult. It takes great effort, strain to press on. Look now at the Doxology in Jude verses 24-25.

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Jude 1:24-25

It is great to see that He is the one “who is able to keep us from stumbling and to present us before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy.”

And may He find us waiting with our lamps burning still

Keeping watch through the night, ‘til He comes

For soon it will be morning and the sun will appear

Christ who brought us this far brings us home

Press on all you saints, press on ‘til the end

Christ with us, ever with us, until He comes again (until He comes)

Press on all you saints, run and run to win

Christ with us, ever with us

Until He comes again

Oh, until He comes again.

By Keith and Kristyn Getty