In Philippians 3:1-16 Christ is presented as the goal of the believers’ pursuit. Christ must be our goal and our aim. For Christ to be the goal means that He is the highest enjoyment. Our goal is the all-inclusive Christ as the prize awarded to us; when we reach the goal, the goal will immediately become the prize. Paul’s pursuit was toward one goal, one aim—Christ. He took Christ as his goal, pursuing to obtain the prize to which God in Christ had called him upward. Since our goal is to gain Christ, we should forsake all other things and pursue nothing but Christ.
In 3:1 Paul says, “Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, for me it is not irksome, but for you it is safe.” The Greek word rendered “irksome” also means “wearisome, tedious, troublesome.” Paul did not find it irksome or wearisome to write the same things to the saints. Paul here charges the saints to rejoice in the Lord. To rejoice in the Lord is a safeguard, a security.
In verse 3 Paul continues, “For we are the circumcision, the ones 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 confidence in the Spirit. In verses 2 and 3 there is a striking contrast between evil workers and believers who boast in Christ. The Judaizers did evil things and even boasted in them, whereas the true believers boast in Christ. They glory and rejoice in Him. As used here, 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.
In 3:7 Paul says, “What things were gains to me, these I have counted as loss on account of Christ.” The expression what things were gains to me refers to Paul’s many outstanding qualifications, which would be considered a model of the Judaizers mentioned in verses 5 and 6: “Circumcised the eighth day; of the race of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to the righteousness which is in the law, become blameless.” The things that were gains to Paul he counted as loss on account of Christ. All the different gains were counted as one loss by Paul because they all issued in one thing, that is, the loss of Christ, as indicated by on account of Christ. All the things that were once gains to Paul hindered him and held him back from participating in Christ and enjoying Him. Hence, on account of Christ all the things that previously were considered gains became a loss to Paul. Like Paul, we should not boast in our religious status; rather, we should count it as loss on account of Christ.
In verse 8 Paul goes on to say, “I also count all things to be loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” Paul not only counted as loss on account of Christ the things of his former religion listed in verses 5 and 6, but he also counted all other things as loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. For the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, which he treasured, Paul counted everything as refuse, dregs, rubbish, filth, that which is thrown to the dogs.
The “all things” in verse 8 must certainly include the three categories of religious things, philosophical things, and cultural things. If we would drop our religion, philosophy, and culture, we would truly abandon everything. By dropping these categories of things, we would automatically drop the worldly, material things, which are actually dominated by religion, philosophy, and culture. Although it is easy to overcome the influence of material things, it is very difficult to overcome religion, philosophy, and culture. Those who love the Lord may easily abandon material things for His sake, but it is not easy for them to lay aside their particular thought and logic. You may love the Lord and seek Him for years without dropping one bit of your personal philosophy or logic.
Paul counted the matters of religion, philosophy, and culture as loss because they were all substitutes for Christ, hooks used by Satan to keep people from Christ and from the experience of Christ. How subtle the enemy is in keeping us from the experience of Christ! To some extent at least, we still have within us certain things that are substitutes for Christ in subtle, secret ways. These substitutes mainly involve religion, philosophy, and culture. As a result, we still are not fully and thoroughly occupied by Christ. We have not yet counted all things loss on account of Christ. May the enemy’s subtlety be exposed, and may we truly count all things loss, including our own philosophy and logic, on account of Christ and the experience and enjoyment of Him!