The Excellence of the Knowledge of Christ

Joy in the Lord (3:1). “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.” Paul wrote this to the believers in the city of Philippi. Real joy comes from knowing Jesus, not from having things or doing well. A strong warning (3:2). Paul told the believers to be careful. Some teachers said that people who believed in Jesus also had to keep certain rules from the law of Moses to be saved. Paul knew that was a wrong way to God. Nobody is saved by keeping rules. We are saved by trusting Jesus. True worship (3:3). God’s people “worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” Confidence in the flesh means trusting in who you are or what you do to make you right with God. Paul’s list (3:4–6). Paul had a lot to brag about. He came from the people of Israel and “of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews.” He was a Pharisee, a leader who studied God’s law closely, and he kept it so carefully that he called himself “blameless.” Glad to belong. Paul was thankful to belong to Israel. God chose Israel, and God keeps His promises to Israel. A hard truth. Before Paul knew Jesus, he even tried to hurt the church. Later Jesus changed his whole life. Not enough. All of Paul’s good things could not make him right with God. Only Jesus could do that. What this means for you. Thank God for the good things He has given you. Then remember that your joy and your hope rest on Jesus, not on how good you are.

Rejoice (3:1). “Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe.” Paul most likely wrote this letter from prison in Rome, and still he called the believers to joy. Joy in the Lord rests on who Christ is, not on how life is going. Beware (3:2). Paul gave a strong warning about teachers who said that believers in Jesus must also be circumcised and keep certain rules of the law to be saved. Adding anything to Christ turns the good news into a wrong way to God. The true people of God (3:3). “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” Paul means people whose hearts God has changed through Christ. Flesh here means human effort and human advantages. More reason than anyone (3:4). “If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so.” Paul was showing that if anyone could have earned God’s approval, it was he. Born with privileges (3:5). “Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews.” Paul was born into Israel and raised in its language and ways. He valued that heritage, and rightly so: God chose Israel and keeps His promises to Israel. Hard-won achievements (3:5–6). “Concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” Paul studied and kept the law with great care. Before he knew Christ, his zeal even drove him to attack the church. An impressive record. By every human measure, Paul’s record was outstanding. Yet it could not make him right before a holy God. Application. Make a list of the things you might be tempted to rely on: grades, skills, a good reputation. Thank God for each one, and tell Him your confidence is in Christ.

Where does real joy come from? Paul told God’s people, “Be full of joy in the Lord.” Our joy comes from Jesus, not from things we have. Paul also warned about people who taught a wrong way to God. Jesus is the only way to God. God’s people do not trust in themselves to be saved. Then Paul told about his own life. Paul had a lot to brag about! He came from Israel, God’s chosen people. He knew God’s law very well. He obeyed it so carefully that no one could find fault. Paul was glad to belong to Israel. But none of those good things could make him right with God. Only Jesus could do that.

Paul said to be full of joy in the Lord. Paul had many good things to brag about. But he trusted Jesus, not himself.

Gain and loss (3:7). “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.” Gain is something that helps you get ahead. Loss is something you let go. Next to Christ, Paul let go of everything he had leaned on. Better than everything (3:8). “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” Excellence means being far better than anything else. Knowing Jesus is worth more than everything else put together. Thrown out. Paul said he counted his old reasons to boast “as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” Rubbish is what people throw out. Good gifts. Paul still loved his people and God’s law. Those were good gifts. But compared with Jesus, nothing else came close. Found in Him (3:9). Paul wanted to “be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ.” Two kinds. Righteousness means being right with God. One kind is what we try to earn by being good, and it is never enough. The other kind is a gift from God, given to everyone who trusts Jesus. Better than a trophy. Jesus is better than any trophy, toy or good grade. He is better than trying hard to be good enough. What this means for you. Tell Jesus this week that He matters more to you than anything you own or anything you can do.

Counted loss (3:7). “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.” Loss is zemia (say: zay-MEE-ah), something given up and written off. Paul made a decision about everything he had once relied on. All things (3:8). “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” Paul does not stop at his old record. Beside knowing Christ, everything else is loss. Excellence means surpassing worth: nothing compares. My Lord. Paul calls Him “Christ Jesus my Lord.” This knowledge is personal. Paul is not describing facts about Jesus but a Person he loves and serves. Rubbish (3:8). “For whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” Rubbish is skybalon (say: SKOO-bah-lon), scraps thrown out as worthless. Next to Christ, even Paul’s best achievements were scraps. Gain Christ. Paul’s loss was not empty. He let go of everything so that he might gain Christ, the greatest treasure of all. Found in Him (3:9). “And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.” Two righteousnesses. One is “my own,” built from law-keeping and always falling short. The other is “from God,” received through faith in Christ. Paul gave up the first and trusted the second. Application. Name one thing you are tempted to treat as your gain before God. Thank God that your standing with Him rests on Christ alone.

Is anything better than Jesus? Paul had many good things in his life. But he said those things were “worth nothing because of Christ.” Knowing Jesus was better than all of them. Paul did not hate his family or God’s law. He just knew that Jesus was far better. Jesus is better than any trophy, toy or good grade. He is better than trying hard to be good enough. Paul knew he could never be good enough by himself. God makes us right with Him in a different way. Being right with God “comes from God through faith.” Faith means trusting Jesus. When we trust Jesus, God gives us His goodness as a gift.

Knowing Jesus is better than any trophy. We cannot be good enough by ourselves. God makes us right with Him through faith in Jesus.

Know Him (3:10). “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” Paul already knew Jesus, but he wanted to know Him more. Knowing a Person. You can know facts about someone without knowing that person. Paul wanted to know Jesus Himself, the way you know someone you love and talk with every day. The power of His resurrection. God raised Jesus from the dead. That same power is at work in everyone who trusts Him, helping them say no to sin and live for God. Sharing His sufferings. Paul suffered because he followed Jesus. He was most likely in prison in Rome when he wrote this letter. On hard days, Paul stayed close to Jesus, who suffered first for us. Like Him in His death. “Being conformed to His death” means letting go of living for ourselves, the way Jesus gave Himself for others. Raised one day (3:11). Paul wrote, “if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Paul was not unsure of God’s love. He was humbly longing for the day God raises His people to live with Him. Every day. Knowing Jesus grows the way a friendship grows: by spending time together, talking and listening. What this means for you. Spend a few minutes with Jesus each day this week. Talk to Him in prayer, and read about Him in the Bible.

To know Him (3:10). “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” This is the goal of everything Paul let go. He knew Christ already, yet he longed to know Him more deeply. Personal knowledge. To know God is more than holding true facts about Him. It is trust, love and closeness. Jesus prayed, “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3). Resurrection power. The power that raised Jesus from the dead now works in every believer. It gives new life now and the promise of being raised later. Fellowship in suffering. Fellowship means sharing. Paul shared in hard things because he belonged to Christ, and he found Christ near him there. A believer who suffers is never alone. Conformed to His death. To be conformed is to be shaped to match. Paul wanted his life shaped like Christ’s self-giving death: no longer living for self, but for God and others. The resurrection hope (3:11). “If, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” If by any means is humble longing, not doubt about grace. Paul’s eyes were on the day believers are raised to be with Christ. Application. Set aside time each day this week to know Christ better: read one chapter of a Gospel, and talk with Him about what you read.

What does it mean to know Jesus? It is more than knowing facts about Him. It is like having a friend who loves you very much. We talk to Jesus when we pray. We listen to Him when we read the Bible. Paul wanted to know Jesus better every day. He also wanted to know God’s great power. God used that power to raise Jesus from the dead. That same power helps God’s children say no to sin. Paul had hard days because he followed Jesus. On hard days, Jesus stays close to His people. One day God will raise His people to live with Him. Paul looked forward to that day with hope.

Paul wanted to know Jesus more and more. God raised Jesus from the dead. Jesus is with us on good days and hard days.

Not yet (3:12). “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on.” Paul had followed Jesus for many years, and he still said he was growing. Held by Jesus. Paul pressed on “that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” Jesus took hold of Paul first. We keep growing because Jesus already holds us. Grace first. You do not have to be perfect for Jesus to love you. When you sin, tell Him, and He forgives. Then keep following Him. One thing (3:13). “But one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” Paul did not let his old record, good or bad, hold him back from following Jesus. Hurts are different. Some hurts should never be kept secret. If someone has hurt you, tell a parent or a grown-up you trust. It is never your fault. The goal (3:14). “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” The upward call is God calling His people to Himself. The goal is to know Jesus more and more. The prize. Many Christians see the prize as Jesus Himself: knowing Him fully and being with Him forever. What this means for you. Ask Jesus to help you grow this week. When you make a mistake, tell Him, thank Him for His forgiveness and keep following Him.

Not yet perfected (3:12). “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” Paul, an apostle who had served for many years, still said he had not arrived. Laid hold of. Christ took hold of Paul first. Everything Paul pursued rested on that grip of grace. Forgetting (3:13). “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind.” Paul would not rest on his old record or stay stuck in his old failures. Forgiven sin does not define a believer. Speaking up. Some hurts should never be kept secret. If someone has hurt you, tell a parent or a grown-up you trust. It is never your fault. Reaching forward. “And reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” Reaching forward is epekteinomai (say: ep-ek-TIE-noh-my), to stretch out toward what lies ahead. Paul leaned his whole life toward knowing Christ. The goal (3:14). “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” The upward call is God’s call to come up to Him, given in Christ Jesus. The prize. Many Christians see the prize as Christ Himself, known fully when believers are with Him forever. Application. Write down one thing from the past, good or bad, that you tend to look back on. Give it to the Lord in prayer, and ask Him for the next step of growing He has for you.

Was Paul perfect? No, and he said so. Paul said, “I have not yet reached that goal.” But Jesus had already made Paul His own. Jesus loves us before we are perfect. Paul said, “I forget the things that are past.” He did not let old mistakes stop him from following Jesus. Jesus forgives us when we tell Him our sins. Some hurts should never be kept secret. Has someone hurt you? Tell a parent or a grown-up you trust. It is never your fault. Paul kept going toward the goal of knowing Jesus. Paul wrote about a prize. It was his because God called him “to the life above.” Many Christians see the prize as being with Jesus forever.

Paul kept going toward the goal of knowing Jesus. Tell a parent or grown-up if someone hurts you. It is never your fault.

The Excellence of the Knowledge of Christ

🎉 All Matched!