I am burdened that we must not regard Paul’s word in 3:8 and 9 as mere doctrine. We need to consider seriously before the Lord just where we are right now. Are we in Christ? As the angels and demons observe us, do they find us in Christ? When others meet us, where do they find us—in Christ or in some good thing that is not Christ Himself? Paul’s word about being found in Christ is of great significance. 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.” However, I doubt that many of us have prayed in this way.
Paul could say that he counted all things as refuse in order to gain Christ and be found in Him. This is a very important statement. All that he says in verses 5 through 7 help him to reveal his aspiration expressed in verses 8 and 9. Let us pray that we may be found in Christ by our wife or husband, by our children and relatives, and by our neighbors, colleagues, and classmates.
If we are truly found in Christ, all other things will lose their hold on us. We shall no longer be under the influence of religion, philosophy, or culture. How marvelous to be found only in Christ! 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 refuse, trash, 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.
The standard of God’s salvation is very high. Paul refers to this salvation when he says, “I know that for me this shall turn out to salvation through your petition and the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ” (1:19). Salvation here is Christ Himself, the very Christ in whom we may be found by others and even by angels and demons.
If we see the high standard of God’s salvation, we shall realize how desperately we need God’s mercy. We are far below His standard, for people can find us in many good things other than Christ. All these things belong to the six thousand years of human tradition. Satan, God’s enemy, uses this tradition as a means to occupy us, to frustrate us, and to keep us from the higher and richer experience of Christ. For this reason, in Philippians, a book on the experience of Christ according to God’s high standard, Paul expresses the aspiration that we would experience Christ to such an extent that we may be found in Him.
Oh, 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 Yourself. 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!