The excellency of the knowledge of Christ is derived from the excellency of His person. The Jews consider the law of God given through Moses the most excellent thing in human history; hence, they are zealous for the law. Paul participated in that zeal. But when Christ was revealed to him by God (Gal. 1:15-16), he saw that the excellency, the supereminence, the supreme preciousness, the surpassing worth, of Christ far exceeded the excellency of the law. His knowledge of Christ issued in the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. Since Christ is excellent, the knowledge of Christ is also excellent. On account of this, he counted as loss not only the law and the religion founded according to the law but all things. Like Paul, we should have the knowledge of Christ in His excellency. We should count all things to be loss on account of the excellent knowledge of Christ.
In Philippians 3:7 Paul says, “On account of Christ,” but in verse 8 he goes further and says, “On account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” The addition of the words my Lord indicates that as Paul was writing, he was filled with intimate, tender feelings concerning Christ. Tender feelings concerning the preciousness of the Lord Jesus rose up within him, causing him to speak of “Christ Jesus my Lord.” Paul placed great value on the excellency of the knowledge of his dear Lord Jesus Christ.
The phrase as to, which may be rendered “according to,” is used three times in verses 5 and 6, with the law, zeal, and righteousness. The phrase on account of, which may be rendered because of, is used three times in verses 7 and 8, with Christ (twice) and with the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. Christ stands in contrast to the law, the zeal for it, and the righteousness in it. The excellency of the knowledge of Christ and Christ Himself are in contrast to all things and to the law. On account of Christ and the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, Paul gave up the law, his zeal for it, the righteousness in it, and all other things. This indicates that Christ and the excellency of the knowledge of Christ are far superior to the law and all things.
The excellency of the knowledge of Christ is mentioned in verse 8, whereas the actual experience of Christ is implied in verse 10. The knowledge of Christ, however, is basic. By knowledge we actually mean a revelation, a vision, concerning Christ and His excellence. The excellency of the knowledge of Christ is the excellency of Christ realized by us. If we lack the knowledge of Christ’s excellency, His excellency will not mean anything to us. Christ is unlimited; hence, we need to have the excellency of the knowledge of the unlimited Christ, that is, to have a vision of the preciousness of Christ.
When Paul was blind and in religion, he could not see Christ; he could see only the law. Thus, he had the excellency of the knowledge of the law. But after Christ was revealed to him, he began to have the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. He was captured by the excellency of knowing Christ, and for the sake of this knowledge, he was willing to drop all things and count them to be loss. If we have more of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, we will drop everything religious and everything natural on account of Him and on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Him.
In verse 9 we see that Paul’s earnest desire was to be found in Christ. Paul had been altogether in the Jewish religion under the law and had always been found by others in the law. But at his conversion he was transferred from the law and his former religion into Christ and became “a man in Christ” (2 Cor. 12:2). Now he expected 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 and saturated with Christ so that all who observed him might find him fully in Christ. Deep within Paul was the aspiration to be found in Christ. May we all aspire to be found in Christ. We need to pray, “Lord, my desire is to be found in You. In everything I do day by day, I want to be found in You.” Only when we are found in Christ will Christ be expressed and magnified (Phil. 1:20).
In 3:9 Paul says that he did not want to have his own righteousness, but he wanted the righteousness which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is out of God and based on faith. “Not having my own righteousness...but...the righteousness which is out of God” is the condition in which Paul desired to be found in Christ. He wanted to live not in his own righteousness but in the righteousness of God and to be found in such a transcendent condition, expressing God by living Christ, not by keeping the law.
Before Paul was saved, he had no idea that Christ could be his righteousness. The righteousness of the law is the righteousness which comes from man’s own effort to keep the law, as mentioned in verse 6. Formerly, Paul lived in that righteousness, which was according to the law. Others could invariably find him enveloped by the righteousness of the law, but now Paul’s desire was to be observed as a person living in Christ and having Christ as his righteousness.
The righteousness in which Paul wanted to be found was the righteousness “which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is out of God and based on faith.” The expression faith in Christ literally means “faith of Christ”; it implies our believing in Christ. The faith with which we believe in Christ issues from our knowing and appreciating Christ. It is Christ Himself, infused into us through our appreciation of Him, who becomes our faith—the faith in Him. Hence, it is the faith of Christ that brings us into an organic union with Him.
The righteousness which is out of God and based on faith is the righteousness that is God Himself lived out of us to be our righteousness through our faith in Christ. Such righteousness is the expression of God, who lives in us. It is based on faith because it is on the basis, or condition, of faith. Faith is the basis, the condition, for us to receive and possess the righteousness that is out of God, the highest righteousness, which is Christ (1 Cor. 1:30).
From the word of life and through the supply of the Spirit, Paul obtained faith. This faith brought him God’s infusion. Spontaneously, Paul lived God out as his daily living and could be found in Christ, having the righteousness of God. When we experientially have the supply of the Spirit (Phil. 1:19) through the word of life (2:16) issuing in the faith of Christ (3:9), we are infused with God Himself (Rom. 10:17). Then the God who has been infused into us becomes our daily living, the living which Paul describes as the righteousness of God. This is to be found in Christ under the condition of enjoying God’s infusion so that we may live Him out through the supply of the Spirit, the word of life, and the righteousness of God through faith.
If we are truly found in Christ, all other things will lose their hold on us. We will no longer be under the influence of religion, philosophy, or culture. When we are found in Him, religion, philosophy, and culture are annulled. 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 such natural virtues as humility, patience, and love. These were among the things that he counted as refuse in order to gain Christ and be found in Him. Culture, human patience, natural love, and submission—all are refuse when compared to Christ. We should not aspire to be found in our own love for others or in our natural submission. Our earnest desire should be to be found only in Christ.
We all need to bow down before the Lord and pray: “Lord, have mercy on me. Cause Paul’s aspiration to become my aspiration also. O Lord, create in me the hunger and thirst to pursue after You that I may be found in You. I don’t want others to find me in anything other than You. I want to be a person wholly in You, and I want others to find me in You.” May the Lord grant us mercy that we may be found in Him.