Precious Values: Philippians 3:7-11
“7) But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8) More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9) and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10) that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11) in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:7-11 .
So what were some of the precious values that Paul found in Jesus Christ? Let’s let the text speak for itself.
First, he gained Christ. He was no longer walking alone. Jesus became his personal Savior, friend and advocate. He found peace with God. (Vs 8)
Second, he found righteousness based on faith in Christ and not from trying to keep the Law. At the moment of salvation, Jesus imparts His righteousness to us through faith, so we no longer stand in our own self righteousness as a basis of acceptance from God. (Vs 9)
Third, he was able to “know” Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection. He had the power of God working in his life. The Holy Spirit was strengthening His inner man. (See Ephesians 1:19; 3:16-17) This power was the same that God used to raise Jesus from the dead. He walked and lived in divine power and authority. (Vs 10a)
Fourth, he was able to enter into the fellowship of His sufferings and be conformed to His death. He was able to pour himself out for others and for the gospel. He found cause and purpose in life. His struggles and sufferings were no longer in vain. God was working through him to change the course of human history. (Vs 10b)
Finally, he was able to attain to the resurrection from the dead. He finally found absolute assurance of salvation before God. The wall between him and God was forever removed. (Vs 11)
To summarize, Paul lived and walked in the presence of God. The Holy Spirit empowered his life and delivered continual fellowship with God. For Paul, to live was Christ and to die was gain. (See Philippians 1:21-24)
None of these are the byproduct of mere religion. He was no longer driven by fear, tradition or empty religious rituals. He was enjoying uninterupted fellowship with God through Jesus Christ.
By Terry Baxter Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
“7) But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8) More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, 9) and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, 10) that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11) in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:7-11 .
So what were some of the precious values that Paul found in Jesus Christ? Let’s let the text speak for itself.
First, he gained Christ. He was no longer walking alone. Jesus became his personal Savior, friend and advocate. He found peace with God. (Vs 8)
Second, he found righteousness based on faith in Christ and not from trying to keep the Law. At the moment of salvation, Jesus imparts His righteousness to us through faith, so we no longer stand in our own self righteousness as a basis of acceptance from God. (Vs 9)
Third, he was able to “know” Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection. He had the power of God working in his life. The Holy Spirit was strengthening His inner man. (See Ephesians 1:19; 3:16-17) This power was the same that God used to raise Jesus from the dead. He walked and lived in divine power and authority. (Vs 10a)
Fourth, he was able to enter into the fellowship of His sufferings and be conformed to His death. He was able to pour himself out for others and for the gospel. He found cause and purpose in life. His struggles and sufferings were no longer in vain. God was working through him to change the course of human history. (Vs 10b)
Finally, he was able to attain to the resurrection from the dead. He finally found absolute assurance of salvation before God. The wall between him and God was forever removed. (Vs 11)
To summarize, Paul lived and walked in the presence of God. The Holy Spirit empowered his life and delivered continual fellowship with God. For Paul, to live was Christ and to die was gain. (See Philippians 1:21-24)
None of these are the byproduct of mere religion. He was no longer driven by fear, tradition or empty religious rituals. He was enjoying uninterupted fellowship with God through Jesus Christ.
By Terry Baxter Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
