Recognizing True Value

Transcript

GR 633
2/13/1983
Recognizing True Value
Philippians 3:8-11
Gil Rugh

In the Third Chapter Philippians we’ve been confronted by Paul’s challenge to the Judaizers those who would attempt to mix the grace of God with the works of men, who would proclaim a message that salvation is by faith in Christ plus obedience to certain legalistic principles. For the Judaizers the focal point was circumcision. They wanted to emphasize faith in Christ plus circumcision equal salvation and result in God’s blessing in the life.

Paul attacks that very directly and very strongly and gives himself as an example, if there was any possibility Paul says, that you could gain favor before God by what you did, by living a most religious life, by being obedient to the principles of the law, then I could make a claim to having favor with God on the basis of my efforts. That was the emphasis in verses 4 through 6; although I myself might have confidence in the flesh, I might have grounds for confidence in the flesh. In other words he is meeting the Judaizers on their own ground, their own territory. If you think you have something to boasts about in your human fleshly accomplishments I have more to boasts about.

Look at the list of things that are true of me, things that are true of me by my birth, things that are true of me by my own accomplishments, each of these things are those which the Judaizers or which Jews would look up to and respect and feel like very important beginning with circumcision the eight day, demonstrating he was born as a Jew into a Jewish family and right through to keeping the law without blame. It doesn’t mean that he was perfect, but humanly speaking no one would have brought a charge against Paul for being deficient in carrying out the instructions of the law. But that’s all summarized in verse 7, whatever things were gained me those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. And that verse becomes a focal point and a key.

We noted in our consideration last time that this is foundational and basic for salvation, unless a person comes to realize the hopelessness. If their own religious activity in attainments thus they realize the futility of their own righteous accomplishments they cannot be saved where people who’ve been confused and thinking they’ll add to what they have been accomplishing faith in Christ and they will have salvation. True saving faith always involves a recognition of my own sinfulness, my own unworthiness and naturally that entails the recognition that what I have attempted through my own efforts, what I have inherited by my birth, by the work of my parents is of no value in securing my salvation.

Peter wrote to the same point when he said knowing that we were not redeemed with perishable things such as silver and gold; that we inherited or received from our forefathers. Not by the traditions of our family, salvation is only through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. So Paul says, I’ve counted that all loss for the sake of Christ. Whatever you might humanly speaking says again I counted as a loss. Now we’ve broken in to the floor here. So encourage you if you would to be reading these sections in their entirety otherwise you’ll lose the flow of the thought because with verse 8 we continue what he has said in verse 7.

Verse 7 is the transition here’s what I was and what I had in Judaism, I’ve counted that all loss and I tell you I go on in my attitude of viewing that as loss so it continues that development and demonstrate there has been no change in his thinking because superior to everything is knowing Jesus Christ. To know Jesus Christ supersedes all else and for the knowledge of him I would discard everything. So you see the difference in Paul and the attitude of many people today. Oh yes, I believe in Christ but they hold on with tenacity to the religious traditions of their family, and you wonder what is more precious in their life, Jesus Christ or the religious traditions that they’ve inherited from parent and grandparent and so on. With Paul there’s no doubt, he has put it all on the rubbish heap.

Let’s have a word of prayer before we look at the details. Father we praise you this morning for the clarity of the testimony of your servant Paul. Father we thank you for your work in his life. Lord, the salvation that was accomplished on his behalf, may we learn as we read this record of the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ. Father, fix our minds on him. May the attitude of Paul be the attitude of each one of us that all things may be counted as worthless in comparison to the surpassing value of the knowledge of your son our savior in whose name we pray Amen.

It’s hard to pick up the force of verse 8 as it opens up, we have more than that. That gives you some idea but there are five little words, five particles they are called that Paul strings together as this verse opens up and you can’t translate it in English because it makes no sense. Yea, More, Indeed, Rather kind of idea so they don’t all join together in sequence and the emphasis here is the strength of feeling that is being expressed. There is a passion that he brings and what he wants to emphasize.

He is really going to reiterate what he just said in verse 7 but he wants to emphasize the passion with which he feel what he is saying. Easy to make statement like verse 7. We quote them in testimony but with Paul it was the passion of his life. So when I say that I’ve counted all things as loss for the sake of Christ I’ve counted those things, the things that were precious to me more than that emphasizing the passion of his feeling. I count all things to be lost in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ. I want you to know, it goes beyond just counting those things I had in Judaism as loss more than that I count; note the change here, last week in our study we noted in verse 7 I have counted is a perfect tense and a perfect tense in Greek emphasizes something that happened in the past and the result continue to the present.

Paul contrast that in verse 8 when he says more than that I count with a present tense. So the perfect tense that happened in the past it continues right down to the present and then he uses the present tense that I am continuing to count just as I have counted. That’s important because it brings our attention that there’s been no change in the Apostle Paul’s thinking. It’s not that he had counted this to be so, and it continued up but his present activity was to evaluate the things that could be counted as precious as worthless in light of knowing Christ.

I am continually counting, you could translate verse 8 and he goes on to say all things, and you see how he’ll expand in verse 8 on what he says in verse 7. In verse 7 he says I have counted those things, the particulars that he enumerated in verses 4 through 6. But he expands that in verse 8 to include everything, lest someone who study the list and say oh there’s something that Paul still holds on to his valuable. He says I am counting all things, everything as loss, as worthless, as detrimental or damaging. Remember the idea and that word loss, there are no things that I hoard out, there are no areas of reservation, but I am counting all things as loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ.

In verse 7 he said for the sake of Christ, but now he expands on that for the surpassing value of knowing Christ. That word surpassing means something you hold above, something that is superior. So surpassing, something that goes beyond and for the overwhelming superior value that knowing Christ is I count everything else as loss. Paul is emphasizing I look at everything and I look at the knowledge of Christ and knowing Christ is so much more superior, so much more significant that I count everything else as loss And knowing Christ that supersedes everything else.

And you are to note the word knowing here. We are going piece by piece through this section because everything that Paul says is loaded with emphasis. That word knowing, in Greek there are variety of words for knowledge. Paul uses the word here that emphasizes experiential knowledge as opposed to a theoretical knowledge. A personal knowledge as opposed to an intellectual knowledge, in other words he’s not saying for the surpassing value of knowing certain facts about Jesus Christ. No, but for the surpassing value of knowing him personally. It’s the personal knowledge of Christ that is overwhelmingly significant to Paul, not significant because many people have knowledge about Jesus Christ, many people have knowledge of the facts concerning Jesus Christ, but unless you have a personal knowledge of him you fail to grasp the true significance and why he is overwhelmingly superior to everything and everyone else.

I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. Personal emphasis in this, he’s my Lord the one I know personally. Now again, it is easier to say these things in testimony, it’s easy to write them. Now where Paul moves from here is to his own personal testimony. I not only say that Jesus Christ is worth more than anything to me, I not only say that I view everything as a loss in view of the worth of knowing him but I have experienced that because in fact I have forfeited everything that humanly speaking is a value that I might know Christ. So he gives his testimony much greater weight he has put into practice what he is telling him.

In the middle of verse 8 for whom according to Jesus Christ my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, remarkable statement for Jesus Christ I have suffered the loss of all things. And the word to suffer means to forfeit, be deprived of something in fact Paul has said at the beginning of verse 8 I am counting all things to be loss, and then in the middle of verse 8 I have suffered the loss of all things. I counted them loss, remember an accounting word I added them up, I considered them and I counted them loss all things. And I have forfeited all things.

So it’s not like some of us would had give a testimony and say oh yes, I would give everything for Christ but when I do my accounting I still have everything. So with Paul, I account all things as loss and I have forfeited all things. I have given them up wealth Paul would had it by virtue of his position in Judaism, as a Pharisee, as one who would been studied under Gamaliel he would have reputation and respect that brings with it the wealth and prestige, friends, his own physical health all these things that would be valuable and worthwhile.

Paul had been called upon to forfeit, he had given them up, they had been taken from him not though against his will, he was satisfied to dump them all for the sake of Jesus Christ. That’s a strong statement. We try to mesh our Christianity with the world in which we live and you have to be enough of a representative of Christ to make some impact but not enough to suffer loss. We see a person who loses their job over their testimony for Christ and we say well if you use a little more wisdom, maybe yes or maybe no.

We see in other countries where Christians are called upon to lose their reputation and their wealth and everything family and friends and health and whatever. There is an evidence of what Paul is talking about her; danger in our Christianity in the society in which we live is it becomes a costless Christianity. A Christianity that will not cost me any friends, that will not cost me any influence, that will not harm my reputation, that will not influence my rise in my job, that will not detrimentally affect the acquisition of things for the security of later years.

It’s not the kind of Christianity that Paul is writing about the kind of Christianity he is writing about is a costly Christianity. A Christianity that causes the person to suffer the loss of all things that the world would count valuable and precious, it’s kind of Christianity that Jesus Christ said should be expected of his followers.

Look over in John’s gospel chapter 15. By this I’m not saying we want to develop a moderate complex if I can only go out and agitate somebody, if I can only cause enough problems that my job that I get fired that will make a good Christian no, not at all because I am to be honoring the Jesus Christ, I am to do my job as under him but first and foremost that of supreme importance to me is to be the knowledge of Jesus Christ that relationship with him and whatever that costs is fine with me.

In John Chapter 15 verse 18 Jesus is speaking the night before his crucifixion. If the world hates you, you know that it has hated before it hated you. If you were out of the world the world would love its own but because you are not of the world but I chose you out of the world therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you; a slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me they will also persecute you. If they kept my word they will keep yours also.

Now see the emphasis, I can expect the response of the world to me to be as it was to Jesus Christ because I am presenting the person in work of Jesus Christ and that is no more acceptable to the unbeliever today than it was 2000 years ago. And the way that I can play down the points of tension is to play down the message of Jesus Christ but I cannot do that. And that where Paul’s difficulties came, if he had gone from town to town and not made an issue over Jesus Christ, he could have gone in and relaxed, stayed as long as he wanted to life. The problem was everywhere Paul went he proclaimed Christ and everywhere he proclaimed Christ he caused problems. The result was loss to him. He was beaten, he suffered the loss of his health, he was despised, the followed the pattern.

Look over in second Timothy, Paul’s last letter Chapter 3. It’s a chance for Paul to look back and reflect of whether it is been worthwhile or not. As he closes his letter to Timothy in second Timothy 3 verse 10 the last half of this letter but you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, sufferings such as happened to me at Antioch, Iconium, Lystra which persecutions I endured and out of them all the Lord delivered me. And indeed all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Living a godly life, the life that God wants me to live results in persecution because as an unacceptable life for the unbeliever and for the world.

So I come back to Philippians Chapter 3. I see Paul’s testimony; I have suffered the loss of all things. What a testimony, ask myself what does it cost me to be a follower of Jesus Christ. And again God has placed us in what I would say is in easier situation in many way, easier in that we’re here studying the scripture proclaiming Jesus Christ and no one comes and hauls us off to prison and tortures us or whatever. But that’s also the danger of our Christianity because a little bit of acceptance causes us desire a greater acceptance and I become fearful of being too aggressive with my Christianity because of what it might cost.

Paul says I’ve suffered the loss of all things. You want things to lose all things. I know some people who have lost a lot it makes them bitter, it makes them discontent, it makes them unhappy with God but note what Paul’s attitude is. I’ve suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish. Another present tense, I am counting them. I think this is perhaps the most significant statement here. I am counting them but rubbish, you have to underline that because here Paul says I have accounted it as loss, then I suffered the loss. What to me is most significant is what is his attitude now, is one thing to figure it all up and counted as loss.

Second thing, even a greatest step is to suffer that loss, but the most telling thing about your relationship to Jesus Christ is your attitude after the loss, but Paul says, I am counting it all rubbish. He is not wallowing here in self pity, he’s not sitting here saying oh, think of the glory days, when I was a Pharisee people looked up to Paul, they respected him thinking my lovely villa on the Mediterranean where I would spend the months well that was the life. Think what I had set up for my retirement. God had Paul’s retirement taking care of. Paul didn’t have to provide anything for his retirement. He spent his closing days in a Roman prison. So his home was provided for, his food was provided for God takes care of the future doesn’t he and Paul didn’t have to save up for his retirement, God had taken care of him.

He could have looked down and say oh yes what I’ve given up, perhaps if I had done it differently for I could have had a more of a balance in my life, I could have just not been so obnoxious with the gospel, perhaps I could have maintained a position in Judaism and on and on and on he says that’s all rubbish. He’s the strong word here. I don’t want to be stronger than we ought to be, lest we offend our good mannered years. But Paul’s word for rubbish here is used two ways. Its use for excrements, manure, dung, and it’s used of refuse of the garbage that which is discarded to the dogs is the basic meaning of the word here.

So whether you translated I counted it all manure or I counted it all garbage, the idea is clear and strong. These things I see no value in and I continue to view them as valueless. I am counting them as rubbish. Think now Paul is getting carried away here but keep in mind he’s a man who has suffered the loss of all these things. He has the right to speak from his own experience. I’ve not just accounted them so on paper but I suffered the loss and let me tell you how I view it, not with any pity or not with any regrets to this very day I am counting it all as rubbish, as manure that which is only worth discarding and getting rid off.

Paul had have any desire to go back to Judaism? Paul has any interest in regaining his position in Judaism? He has any interest in making a compromise with a Judaizers to be more acceptable? Paul says all those things are worthless to me. You know there’s a liberty and a freedom that comes to a person has that kind of attitude because when you can lose everything and say it’s all worthless because I have that one thing that matters the knowledge of Christ that gives you a liberty and a freedom in your service to Jesus Christ because what can happen to me, what do I have to be fearful of. IS there any wonder Paul could blow into places and hammer away at the gospel, the only thing that matters to me is the knowledge of Jesus Christ and they can’t take that away so it doesn’t matter if they beat me and take away my health its fine I have Jesus Christ I know him.

There is an abandon that can come when a person comes to that place that nothing else matter but the knowledge of Jesus Christ. I have to ask myself that what matters to me most, the knowledge of Jesus Christ or being pastor of a large Church. The knowledge of Jesus Christ to being able to preach to a lot of people they are not synonymous. The knowledge of Jesus Christ of being respected and making a large income whatever, what’s most important, it affects the way you live your life because if these other things are important, you have to be careful and how you go about proclaiming Jesus Christ lest you lose something of value. But if Jesus Christ is the only thing of value and everything else is rubbish, I take no care for the rubbish it’s to be discarded.

So it helps us appreciate why Paul went after ministry the way he did. I have counted them but rubbish why, in order that expresses the purposes here, two fold purpose. The last statement in verse 8 and the first statement of verse 9 go together. In order that I may gain Christ and may be found in him, a purpose statement that’s two fold that I may gain Christ and be found in him.

Verse 9 becomes a crucial key statement. In fact verse 9 is as concise the summary of the gospel as you find anywhere. One writer said the whole Book of Romans is summarized in Philippians Chapter 3 in verse 9. Tremendous statement, it’s a development of the purpose that he expresses that I may gain Christ and be found in him. I think the reference here is the Paul’s salvation, that I suffered the loss in all things that I may gain in Christ. There was all these things that stood between him and Christ. The things that were listed in verses 4 to 6.

Well they were all loss, I suffer the loss, but why, why did Paul lose all these things of human value? That he might have Jesus Christ that I may gain him, be found in him, be found in Christ I take it, the statement that that if any man be in Christ he is a new creature, a new creation. The old things have passed away he wrote to the Corinthians in Second Corinthians 5 and that’s what we are talking about here. I’ve lost these things but I’ve gained Christ. I have the things that the world counts precious before but I didn’t have Christ, I’ve lost all the things that the world says its precious but now I have Christ. Before I was found in Judaism with all of its trappings, now I am found in Christ without any of these things what’s most valuable. As the world looks at it Paul was a fool because humanly speaking he lost everything but from the proper perspective he had gained that which is of eternal value Christ.

Now what is to mean to gain Christ, to be found in him? This is the development of verse 9. This is unfolding of the gospel of Jesus Christ; it’s a statement of God’s salvation. Not having a righteousness of my own derived from the law. Paul’s starts up by saying what it is not to be in Christ. What it means to gain him and be found in him? Well it means that this is not true, not having a righteousness of my own, that my own you underline its emphatic, gets the emphasis here. A righteousness that belongs to me and it’s going to stand in contrast to God’s righteousness. So you’re going to have several contrast here one is between the righteousness of God and the righteousness of my own, and my own righteousness is not acceptable to God, only his righteousness.

Not having a righteousness of my own out of law, in other words the righteousness that you acquire by the good that you do. You note you cannot gain Christ and be found in him if you are trying to acquire your own righteousness by good deeds. Here Paul’s talking about keeping the law, obeying the commandments yet some people today if they are going to heaven yes I tried to keep the Ten Commandments, Paul says that you cannot be in Christ and have a righteousness out of the law by trying to do good, to obey commandments not in righteousness of my own derived from law. Out of the law as it source, obeying commandments, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith.

There’s a contrast here from, from God and from law is the contrast. Both use a proposition each which means out off, denote the source, from gives you the idea. Not a righteousness that has its source in the law but a righteousness which has its source in God. I say wait a minute, I thought that the law came from God therefore if I try to keep the law and the Ten Commandments then I would be righteous no, because the righteousness of the law requires that you do something to be acceptable. The righteousness that comes from God requires that you believe something to be acceptable because you know that righteousness that comes from God is through faith in Christ.

This is so simple. Philippians chapter 3 verse 9 tell you in a concise way how you can experience God’s salvation, how you can have God’s righteousness not by deeds that you do but by believing in Jesus Christ. And when you believe in Jesus Christ you have the righteousness which comes from God that is on the basis of faith, not on the basis of work. Now there was no other verse in all the Bible, Philippians 3:9 would be adequate to tell you that there is no one that could ever be righteous before God by joining a church, by being baptized, by being confirmed, by taking the sacraments, by doing as good as they could in this life, by keeping the Ten Commandments all that’s laid to rest by one single verse of the scripture; not having the righteousness of my own derived out of law but the righteousness out of God through faith in Christ.

Here its God’s righteousness credited to man through faith in Christ. We have to put that all together. It is God’s righteousness acquired through faith, in Christ. I put that there because some people say well I have my faith, that’s not the issue everybody has faith, there’s not a person on the face of the earth that doesn’t have faith in one thing or another and many people have faith in their Church and faith in their religion. We use the word faith, I am of the Protestant faith, I am of the Catholic faith I have nothing to do with salvation because it’s faith in Christ what is that mean, that Jesus Christ is the son of God who died to pay the penalty for sin which is God’s testimony that it is impossible for human being to attain righteousness before God by what he does for the penalty for sin is death.

So you must believe in the death and resurrection of the son of God and when you do that God credit you as righteous, is hardly seems fair somebody works all their life goes to Church all their life, tries to keep the Ten Commandments all their life and you’re saying a person who believes in Jesus Christ gets righteousness and the other one doesn’t, that’s right. So is God says and it’s simple. You know what the problem is, people don’t like that. And so that’s God’s plan but I have another one. But you note here the only issue is how you are going to have righteousness before God.

All right he goes on. It’s the righteousness of God through faith, in Christ on the basis of faith he reiterates it twice maybe I have to just take a moment and run through several verses. It’s basic but it’s foundational. Look in Romans chapter 2. You know if the Judaizers understood this basic simple principle they wouldn’t have been proclaiming salvation by faith plus circumcision. If the Philippians have this thoroughly engrained in their mind, they won’t be led astray by the Judaizers

Back to Book of Romans we’re just going to run through these verses quickly Romans 2:28. For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly but is the circumcision is that which is, not a Jew who is one outwardly neither a circumcision that which is outward in the flesh but a Jew is one who is inwardly, circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the spirit not by the letter; his praise is from God that was we talked about earlier in chapter 3 where Paul emphasis the circumcision wasn’t part of the salvation.

Come down into Chapter 3 where he’s doing the battle with the same kind of issue. In Chapter 3 verse 20, because by the works of the law no flesh will be justified in his sight, you know that; by works of the law, by trying to be obedient to a set of commandments with the law comes the knowledge of sin not salvation verse 28 of Chapter 3 for we maintained that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law down in Chapter 4 verse 25. He was delivered up because of our transgressions and was raised because of our justification therefore having been justified by faith that word justified is the same basic word righteous. So justification means to be declared righteous. We have been justified, we have been declared righteous by faith, what is the basis of it verse 25 in Chapter 4 the depth and resurrection of Jesus Christ. So we are declared righteous by God thus we have peace with God.

Second Corinthians Chapter 5 verse 21, he made him whom who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that e might become the righteousness of God in him. You see what God has done, he has taken his son Jesus Christ place our sin on Christ that by believing in Christ might receive his righteousness that’s what we need. God says my righteousness is all not enough, I need his righteousness and where in Isaiah 64 all our righteousness is are as filthy rags. And so God use it.

Galatians Chapter 2 verse 16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified, declared righteous by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we may declared righteous by faith in faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; since by works of the law shall no flesh be justified righteous. Could the scripture be any clear? You are in Galatians; look over in Chapter 3 verse 11. Now that no one is justified by the law before God is evident; for "the righteous man shall live by faith." After Galatians, Ephesians 2:8 and 9 for by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast.

So what Paul says back to Philippians Chapter 3 is what is reiterated again and again and again in scripture to acquire the righteousness which God demands for acceptance before you must believe in his son Jesus Christ. That message is so simple and so clear in scripture yet multitudes of people are going to church today because their trusting that by going to church and doing the best they can they’ll get the heaven. Now whose fault is it that they are confused, Gods? A kindergarten child can understand the verses we just read and yet adults with PhD are going to Church thinking they are going to be saved because they went to church and did the best they could. Whose fault is it, their own fault because in their stubborn sinfulness they are telling God I am going to do it my way.

And God says fine do it your way but you’ll get my righteousness. And the only thing that is acceptable to God is his righteousness. It’s amazing that in his grace he offers us his righteousness but he won’t offer it us as something to be earned; he only offers it as a gift that is received by faith in his son Jesus Christ. Paul Goes on in Philippians 3 verses 10 that I may know Him, again you know the goal here is to know him and receive righteousness from God through faith means you know Christ.

That word know is the same word that we had earlier we said it emphasize as an experiential knowledge, a personal experience with another person. There is factual knowledge involved. You must your own sinfulness, you must know that Jesus Christ the son of God died for your sin, was raised from the dead there is factual knowledge involved but when you believe those facts, you are brought into an experiential relationship with Jesus Christ, a personal knowledge with him. So we are not saying that the factual knowledge is not important but the knowledge he is talking about goes beyond a procession of the facts.

Many people read the facts in the Bible but they do not believe them and so do not enter a personal knowledge with Jesus Christ. We have the same the same thing on the human level. We know many things, have much knowledge about the leaders of this country but I know them personally. I know about them, read about them but I don’t know them personally that’s the difference with many people with Jesus Christ. They know much about him but they do not know him personally.

That I may know him, Paul says that this knowledge of him both the power of his resurrection an experiential knowledge of the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his suffering go together, dramatically they are joined, linked as one expression two sides of on one expression. The power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death explains what it means to have fellowship with his suffering.

And I think what Paul is talking about is the power, that was of working Christ in raising him from the dead is now at work in our lives. We are joined with Christ being c conformed in his death and experiencing the power of his resurrection. Backup just before Philippians to Ephesians Chapter 1 verse 18 Paul said he is praying. Then he goes on in the prayer that we might know verse 19 what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe. He wants us to experience the greatness of his power and note this power.

These are in accordance with the working of the strength than his might which he brought about in Christ when he raised him from the dead, Paul tells the Ephesians I want you to know the same power at work on your life that was at work in Jesus Christ in raising him from the dead that’s what he writes to the Philippians. That you might know experientially, the dynamic power of God, the resurrection power of God at work in your life, fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death. We are joined with Christ in his death; we are joined with him in his suffering.

May be we want to backup the Romans Chapter 6 which I think is a statement of the overall emphasis, a detailed development of the overall emphasis of verses 10 and the 11 of Philippians 3, In Philippians 3 and may be I would read you verse 11 before we read Romans 6. In order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead, so Paul has said that I may know him the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death that I might attain to the resurrection of the dead.

Romans Chapter 6, then we’ll come back to Philippians 3. Verse 4 of Romans 6 Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism and he’s talking about spirit baptism here, not water baptism. And we don’t have time to go into the details but he’s talking about the baptism of the spirit. That work of the spirit of God that identifies you with Jesus Christ when you believe in him. In his death we have been buried with him by the work of the spirit in his death, into death in order that as Christ was raised from the dead to the glory of the father so we too might walk in newness of light.

Note we’ve been conformed to his death that we might walk in newness of life, that we might experience resurrection power, that we may be raised up as new creatures in Christ for if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death certainly we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection. Now we want to say when we died with we are freed from sin, so when a person believes in Christ he identified with Christ, in the death of Christ, in the burial of Christ, in the resurrection of Christ. He is raised up as a new creation in Christ, the spirit of God that brought about the resurrection of Christ is now at work in the believer, and that power is there producing the newness of life in Christ.

Come back to Philippians 3. Tie this together, in verse 11 when he says in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead, important. He is not saying that he hopes to come to the resurrection no, he’s guaranteed to be part of resurrection, that’s not what he’s talking about, the word here resurrection has the word ought in front of it so I’ll make this the ought resurrection from the dead. And so we’re talking about the rapture of the Church, I don’t believe that’s the emphasis here.

What Paul is talking about is the power of the resurrection that work in his life which we’ve read about in Romans 6 in other words what he is saying that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead verse 12, we have to touch on that not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, that’s what he’s talking about when he says attained the resurrection of the dead. And God raised me to the newness of life in Christ his intention is that the glorious character of Christ would be manifested perfectly in every area of my life; I have not yet attained that. Paul is saying he has not yet attained that but he is still pressing for that goal. That will be accomplished by the power of the resurrection at work in my life that same power producing the character of Christ in and through me.

Second Corinthians 3:18 talks about the fact that we are to be holding in a mirror, the mirror of the word of God, the glory of Christ, we are being transformed into the same glory by the spirit of God himself. So it’s the same power, the power of the spirit that is transforming us into conformity that the character of Jesus Christ.

Galatians Chapter 2 verse 20, I’ve been crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, the Christ lives in me. And the life which now I live in the flesh I live by virtue of, it’s the power of God at work in me. That’s what’s accomplishing it, that’s what it’s bringing him about. Tie it to the fact I have a relationship with him through faith then I have been to conformed to his death so that the power of his resurrection might be experienced in my life, so that the glorious character of God might be realized in me in every way. Paul says this is his goal; I want to attain that for which I was resurrected in Christ to a life which is a reflection of his life in me.

Now that’s righteousness in life. But you see what happens, the Judaizers and others get the order reversed, they want to talk about acquiring righteousness by what you do and becoming acceptable to God that is the exact reverse of God’s plan. God’s plan is become acceptable before him by faith and have righteousness of life as a consequence. Isn’t it amazing how sinful man take what God does and exactly flip-flop it and think he’s doing what God wants.

Oh, if I can only keep the Ten Commandments, if I can only do the best I can I’ll be righteous before God and thus he’ll accept me, and God says no, no, no it’s backwards. You believe in my son Jesus Christ, I’ll give you my righteousness, my power of work in your life to produce that righteousness in your conduct. You can’t reverse it; you cannot have an acceptable righteousness before God on any other basis than by faith in his son Jesus Christ. So that’s the beginning point. When did you come to recognize that all your religious activity, all of your best good deeds were rubbish, they were of no value in bringing you into right relationship with God. Have you ever recognized that? When did you recognize that Jesus Christ the son of God was the one who died to pay the penalty for your sin and come to place your faith in him is that ever happened to you, if not that’s the beginning point and all the grace of God you can believe in Jesus Christ right now right where you are sitting.

Secondly the goal of your life being realized as a believer to attain to the resurrection out of the dead, to have that power of God working in your life to produce the new character of Christ that is ours as a result of being raised of newness of life, there could be no more exalted calling that we be a people who live manifesting God’s character in all we do.

Let’s pray together. Father, we praise you for the simplicity of your word, yet Lord its complexity. Father all that is to be accomplished in eternity revealed to us in such simple concise statements. Thank you Father for the righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ. Thank you Father for the power of the resurrection at work in the life of each believer to bring about conformity to the character of the glory of Jesus Christ himself, may that be true of us in the fullest possible way. We pray in Jesus’ name, amen.