Philippians 3:4-11
A pastor once recounted sitting with a dying man who
had everything the world says matters.
Money. Recognition. Success. Influence.
As death approached, he did not ask for his trophies to
be brought into the room.
He did not ask to review his accomplishments one final
time.
Instead, he asked for his Bible.
He asked for his family.
And he asked someone to pray.
Because at the edge of eternity, we suddenly see things
for what they really are.
The question is whether we’ll wait until then.
Transition: Paul didn’t wait until the end of his life to
learn that lesson. He discovered it the moment he
encountered Christ.
Philippians 3:4-11
I want to remind you of the context of our passage today.
Last week we looked at the first three verses of
Philippians 3.
Paul gave some warnings against the Judaizers and some
examples of the true circumcision. The last one was they
put no confidence in the flesh. Today we are going to see
Paul provide a list of the confidence he has in the flesh,
but he quickly moves on to the fact that none of it is
worth anything compared to knowing Christ.
Sermon in a sentence:
Everything else is rubbish compared to a
relationship with Christ.
Philippians 3:4-6
Paul’s Confidence in the Flesh
Paul has a lot to be confident about.
He writes that he has more to be confident about than
anyone else. He then goes on to list 4 inherited privileges
and 3 personal accomplishments
Circumcised on the 8th day – this speaks to the covenant
God made with Abraham. Paul’s parents were obedient
and made sure Paul was circumcised on the 8th day.
Of the people of Israel – he was a pure-blood Israelite.
Both his parents were from Israel making him a true
Israeli.
Of the tribe of Benjamin – Benjamin was the son of
Rachel and the only son who was born in the Promised
land.
Hebrew of Hebrews – he sat under the expert teaching of
Gamaliel the famous rabbi. He also spoke Hebrew and
Aramaic unlike many of the diaspora Jews who only knew
Greek.
As to the law, a Pharisee – Pharisee means “separated
one”. They distanced themselves from unclean people
and didn’t eat with Gentiles.
As to zeal, a prosecutor of the church – Paul watched the
garments of the men who stoned Stephen. He also
obtained papers from the high priest so he could bound
up any believers and bring them to Jerusalem. He was
zealous for the Jewish faith.
As to righteousness under the law, blameless – Paul
doesn’t claim to be sinless or perfect, but blameless. The
Pharisees believed that the law provided means of
forgiveness and purification after sin, so as long as one
kept up with those he would be considered blameless.
And Paul did that.
But Paul’s confidence in the flesh is external.
A relationship with Christ is about our heart.
In Scripture righteousness is a legal term not a moral
one.
The question is “what must man do for God to declare
him righteous?”
The Jews would say keep the law and be circumcised.
Christians understand that the only way for God to
declare us righteous is through faith in His Son Jesus
Christ.
When we trust in Him, God doesn’t see our sin, because
Jesus paid the penalty for us. God pronounces us not
guilty because of Jesus.
After listing the reasons he has for confidence in the
flesh, he quickly makes his point that all of it is
meaningless compared to a real relationship with Christ.
Philippians 3:7-8
Paul’s Accounting
Every asset Paul had that he mentioned earlier, he counts
it as a liability now.
Assets
Liabilities
Christ
Everything else
Christ alone stands in the asset column of his life
spreadsheet.
He counted every gain as loss for the sake of Christ
He considered all of his confidence in the flesh as rubbish
– dung, compared to knowing Christ.
He said the first will be last and the last will be first.
He said God’s power is made perfect in weakness.
He said the greatest among you will be your servant.
He said love your enemies and pray for those who
persecute you.
He said whoever exalts himself will be humbled but
whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Even though he has every reason to boast in his heritage,
his education, his zeal, he considers it all rubbish
compared to his relationship with Christ.
Philippians 3:8-9
Paul’s Relationship with Christ
Next, Paul describes his relationship with Christ.
In Acts 9 we read of Paul’s conversion on the Damascus
road.
Jesus confronted him, asking him why he was
persecuting Him.
Paul met Christ in a personal way that day and from then
on he began following Him and developing his
relationship with Him every day.
Paul mentions
Knowing Christ – he says that he counts everything as
loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ.
What is knowing Christ worth to you?
Do you consider it a great privilege like Paul?
We should.
Paul mentions knowing Christ again in verse 10.
Paul also mentions being
Found in Christ – he is aware that righteousness doesn’t
come from the law, because no one can keep it perfectly
except Christ Himself. We are found in Christ when we
meet God and He asks us what we did with His Son. Once
we tell Him we received His grace and asked Jesus to
forgive us of our sins, He will say “well done my good and
faithful servant, enter in my rest”. That is being found in
Christ.
Paul knows that righteousness comes from God and
depends on faith. Remember Ephesians 2:8 we are saved
by grace through faith, not by works so no one can
boast.
This leads us to Paul saying that righteousness comes
through
Faith in Christ – none of our inherited privileges or our
personal accomplishments can earn us a place in heaven.
It is only through faith in Christ. Everything else is
rubbish compared to a relationship with Christ.
Philippians 3:10-11
Relational Fruit of Knowing Christ
Paul understands that a relationship with Christ helps
believers bear fruit.
Paul mentions knowing the power of the resurrection.
We know that when we follow through in believers
baptism.
Going under the water is a symbol of us uniting with
Christ in the likeness of His death. We die to ourselves
each and every day when we take up our cross and follow
Him rather than our own desires. We know the power of
the resurrection when we come up out of the baptistry in
a symbol of God raising Christ from the dead. We know
that one day He will come back for us and we will be
caught up in the clouds and the trumpet will sound and
He will take us to heaven.
We also bear fruit when we suffer with Christ or share in
His sufferings.
Jesus told His disciples that they would suffer much for
following Him.
The Lord told Ananias to go to the house of Judas and
look for Saul of Tarsus. He also told him he was going to
show Paul how much he would have to suffer for His
name.
And suffer Paul did.
Shipwrecked, bitten by a snake, beaten and left for dead,
put in prison.
But he always kept a good attitude because he knew how
important his relationship with the Lord was.
APPLICATION
If I asked you “Why should God accept you?”
What would your answer be?
I go to church
I was raised in a Christian home
I serve in ministry
I’ve avoided major sins
The only acceptable answer is “I trusted Jesus to save
me from my sin. He died on the cross to take away my
sin.”
Or something similar.
There is nothing we can do to get to heaven.
Jesus has already done everything.
After trusting Him for salvation, we simply need to;
Pursue a relationship with Jesus
Paul wanted to know Him
And be found in Him
And have faith in Him.
My prayer is that you desire Him and want to grow in
your walk with Him.