In Philippians 3:8 Paul speaks of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. In verse 10 he says, "To know Him" (Gk.). According to grammar, the phrase "to know Him" is an infinitive and needs to follow another word, but there is a question as to what word it follows. There are two possibilities: the first, that it follows "to be found in Him"; and the second, that it follows the word "faith." Scholars disagree with one another concerning this matter. According to our experience, I would say strongly that I do not agree with the first view, but that I am absolutely for the second, that "to know Him" follows the modifying phrase ending with the word "faith."
If this view is correct, then here the Apostle Paul seemed to be saying, "When I was Saul of Tarsus, everyone always found me in the law. Day and night, I was in the law, and I was found by others in the law. Even the angels knew how much I was in the law. I was simply a man in the law. My heart, mind, emotion, and motive, thought, intention, and activity were altogether in the law. Because I was so much for the law, my whole being was in the law. But that day on the road to Damascus I was turned from the law to Christ. It pleased God to reveal His Son, Christ, in me, and I was willing to pay the price by selling my status in Judaism. I was of the stock of Israel and of the tribe of Benjamin, that lovable and honorable tribe. I was a Hebrew of the Hebrews and a Pharisee. I was zealous and blameless. I certainly had a superior status. But the heavenly vision turned me from the law to Jesus, the very One I had been persecuting. The heavenly vision was so strong and subduing that it defeated and conquered me." Thus, Saul of Tarsus surrendered to the Lord and was willing to sell his status in Judaism. From that time onward, he began to count as loss all religious and natural gain, selling them for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, so that he might gain Christ and be found in Him. From the time of his vision on the way to Damascus, his whole life was changed. Neither the angels nor those around him could find him in the law any longer. No matter who found him, when he was found, he was found in Christ. No matter what he was doing, he was in Christ. While he was teaching, he was in Christ. While he was ministering, he was in Christ. While he was moving and acting, he was in Christ. Day and night, he was a man in Christ. He was always found in Christ in a condition of having no righteousness of his own out from the law. This means that he did not do good according to the law by his natural life. He was found in Christ in a condition of having a righteousness that was the expression of God. Hence, he did not have the righteousness that was out from the law, but the righteousness that was out from God. Therefore, he did not act, behave, perform, strive, or struggle; on the contrary, he simply believed, believing not by his own faith, but by Jesus Christ as his faith.