Christ lives in the believers also that they may boast in Him. In Philippians 3:3 Paul says, “We are the circumcision, who serve by the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.” Those who are the circumcision here are the New Testament believers, the ones genuinely circumcised by Christ’s crucifixion. They are absolutely different from the Judaizers. They serve as priests by the Spirit of God, not by the ordinances of law; they boast in Christ, not in the law; and they have no confidence in the flesh but have their confidence in the Spirit. The Judaizers did evil things and even boasted in them, whereas the true believers boast in Christ. They glory and rejoice in Him. The word “boast” implies not only boasting but also rejoicing and glorying. Our boasting, glorying, and rejoicing are not in our outward deeds, not in our behavior or conduct, but in Christ alone. The Judaizers had confidence in the flesh, whereas the true believers in Christ have no confidence in the flesh. As a result of our experience and enjoyment of Christ’s living in us, we boast in Him.
Christ lives in the believers for them to “be found in Him” (Phil. 3:9a). Paul’s earnest desire was to be found in Christ. In the past Paul was fully in the Jewish religion under the law and was found by others in the law. But at his regeneration he was transferred from the law and his former religion into Christ, and he became “a man in Christ” (2 Cor. 12:2). Now he desired to be found in Christ by all who observed him-the Jews, the angels, and the demons. This indicates that he aspired to have his whole being immersed in Christ and saturated with Christ so that all who observed him could discover him in Christ. We also should aspire to be found by others in Christ. To be found in Christ actually means to be observed, seen, or discovered in Christ by others.
Before Paul was transferred into Christ, He lived in the law and under the law. He was a person altogether encased by the law, enveloped by it and fully boxed in by it. But one day he was transferred out from under the law into Christ. Henceforth, whenever others observed him, they could tell that he had become a person in Christ. Paul was not in culture, philosophy, or religion. He was a person who lived in Christ, and his aspiration and expectation were that he would be found in Christ by others.
It is one thing to have a doctrinal understanding of being found in Christ; it is quite another thing to be found in Christ in our daily living. Where we are when others observe us indicates the realm in which we live. If we live in our culture or in our good behavior, we shall be found in culture or in our behavior by others. In whatever realm we live, that is where we shall be seen, observed, and discovered by others.
To be found in Christ means that He is our unique expression. Because Paul could be found in Christ, Christ was his expression. In every aspect and from every angle, only Christ could be seen upon him. Paul’s aspiration was that Christ would be his only expression. He did not want to be found in his natural virtues or in culture or religion. Likewise, we should aspire to be found not in our natural virtues but in Christ.
If we would be found in Christ, we need to be watchful moment by moment, continually on the alert to live in Christ. If we are not alert, we shall immediately be distracted from Christ and live in something other than Christ. Our living may be very good, but in our experience we are not in Christ. We should live in Christ and become those who are in Christ in a practical way in our experience. Then when others see us or observe us, they will find us in Christ. We shall not be found in our own virtues-we shall be found in Christ and in Him alone. The more we live Christ, the more we shall be found in Him.
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