Philippians 3:7-9 says: “But what things were gains to me, these I have counted loss on account of Christ. But surely I count also all things to be loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, on account of whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them refuse that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God based on faith.” To be found in Christ is a great matter. We are in Christ, but it is possible that people do not find us in Him. There are many millions of Christians in America, but we may not often be able to recognize them since not many are living Christ. Paul first wanted to gain Christ and then to be found in Christ by others. At the time Paul wrote the Epistle to the Philippians, he was in prison in Rome. He aspired to be found by his fellow prisoners and even by the household of Caesar (4:22) as a person in Christ.
Verse 10 continues, “To know Him....” The excellency of the knowledge of Christ (v. 8) which Paul had was according to and by the revelation he received. Before he was saved, Paul was spiritually blind. He was zealous and desperate for the God whom his forefathers worshipped. However, on the way to Damascus, the Lord met him (Acts 9:1-9). At that time he received a direct revelation from the Lord (Gal. 1:15-16) concerning the wonderful Christ, the very embodiment of the God whom his forefathers worshipped. Paul’s knowledge of Christ by revelation issued in the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. However, after receiving this excellent knowledge by revelation, he still sought a further knowledge, a knowledge not by revelation but by experience.
“To know” is an infinitive, indicating that the matters mentioned in the preceding verses are the qualifications for Paul to know Christ further experientially. These qualifications are: 1) counting the religious things which were gains loss on account of Christ; 2) counting also all things loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ; and 3) to be found in Christ, having the righteousness of God based upon faith. We may have the excellency of the knowledge of certain foods by looking at a menu, but we may never have tasted them. To taste the food requires certain qualifications. Paul was qualified to know Christ by being in the proper position and condition. He repudiated the things of traditional religion, including his former status in Judaism (Phil. 3:5-7). Moreover, he counted all things to be loss on account of Christ that he might gain Christ and be found in Him, not having his own righteousness which is of the law but the righteousness that is out of God. The Jews were found having the righteousness of the Mosaic law, but Paul lived in a condition of having the righteousness of God, which is God Himself in Christ as His embodiment. By being in such a condition, Paul was qualified to know Christ in experience.
Home | First | Prev | Next