Paul's ultimate goal is to know Christ in the glory of heaven, counting all earthly achievements and his own righteousness as worthless in comparison. He emphasizes that salvation comes solely through God's righteousness by faith in Christ, not through personal merit. Paul's desire extends beyond experiencing Christ's resurrection power to fully participating in His sufferings and conforming to His death, ultimately attaining the resurrection from the dead. This pursuit of Christ in glory should be the primary aim of every Christian, surpassing even the longing to see loved ones in heaven.
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Beloved friends, we greet you in the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we welcome you to the continued study of God's blessed word. We continue in the third chapter of the Philippine epistle, and today we would read verses eight through eleven of this chapter, where Paul, the beloved apostle, is written, yea, doubtless, and I count all things lost, For the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having my own righteousness which is of the Lord, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection from among the
dead. May God bless the reading of his precious word. Will you please note particularly the Apostles' reference to the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord. These very words tell us why he counted all things lost. This once self-righteous Pharisee had seen the Lord Jesus Christ, and the excellency of his blessed Lord was so great to the heart of Paul, that it was a joy for him to suffer the loss of all things, yes, to count them nothing but rubbish.
For what had been gained to him was cast aside. Now Christ was all in all. When he declares that I may win Christ and be found in him, does not imply that he did not know Christ and that he was not in him. Oh, never. He possessed the Lord Jesus. He was in Christ. But his great desire was to actually possess Christ in the glory of heaven above. Christ in the glory of heaven was the object and the goal before his heart.
And this should be for every Christian. Please remember that in chapter two, Christ as he was when upon the earth was the pattern for Paul's life. Now in chapter three he wants to see Christ as he is, a glorified, exalted Christ, the goal to which he was pressing. And when Christ in glory would be reached, then he would be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.
Please know very carefully, Paul emphasizes that nothing but the righteousness of God through Christ will ever bring him into that glory. Is not this the gospel in which he delighted, in which he preached? He did not, and he would not trust in his own merit for his salvation. That salvation that Paul enjoyed was by grace through faith, that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast, as he wrote in the Ephesian Epistle chapter two, verses eight and nine.
My beloved radio friend, are you completely resting upon Christ and his finished work of redemption? and that alone for your salvation? Well, did one of our hymn writers express this truth when he declared, Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. The words that follow in verses ten and eleven, they need to be clearly understood. This beloved servant of God who knew the Lord so well, wanted to know more of his Lord, as he expresses the desire that I may know him in the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death, if by any means I might attain under the resurrection from among the dead.
My beloved, may I say, Paul knew the power of his resurrection. But he desired to know more than the spiritual power of that truth. For he knew that power in spiritual experience practically. As you can read in chapter one of Ephesians' epistle, in chapter one, verse fifteen, going down through chapter two and verse ten. He knew that in experience. But the beloved apostle enjoyed spiritual power in his life and ministry. as perhaps no other Christian has, but he is reaching forward, pressing onward to the goal, the future prize of the Christian's life.
He desires to arrive at that particular point of the resurrection when he would be raised from among the dead, so that by any means he was willing to suffer, just as his Savior did, to be made conformable to his death. My beloved, please me, I say again, the Apostle knew by God's grace that he was shared in that first resurrection of the saints that he was absolutely certain on, as he clearly teaches it in that great resurrection chapter of the First Corinthians, chapter fifteen.
But we emphasize again in spiritual energy He presses toward that goal. And for a good reason. This blessed goal for which he is reaching out. He speaks of. If by any means I might attain it. For there was one thing he earnestly longed for in to find out. And if you look in verse thirteen. I follow after said the apostle that. If that I may apprehend. that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
May I quote the words of a dear servant of God written in the past century that places this truth better than perhaps I could ever do? And I quote, Paul desired to have part in the resurrection from among the dead. If in order to reach it, it was needful to pass through death as Christ has passed through it. He was willing to go through it, cost what it may, be it ever so painful a way. And death at that time, for the apostle, was before his eyes in all of its terror.
But he desired to take part in death as the Lord Jesus had done himself. Permit me to raise a pertinent question to my fellow believers and to my known heart. Who, above all, other person, may I ask, has done so much for you and so much for me? But Christ, Christ himself, then what greater desire could you and could I have, just as with Paul? to see the Lord Jesus face to face, and be forever with the Blessed Glorified Lord in glory.
Christ in his glory had met Paul on the Damascus Road, apprehending him, on his way to persecute the Christians and to slay the Lord's believing saints. From that moment Paul wondered when he saw and met Christ, He wondered, could he ever long to be with Christ and find out why the Savior had ever laid all of him? My beloved question, may I ask the question, have you and I ever thought of it? Why did Christ lay hold of us? Many of God's dear servants may have their hearts set upon the coming glory of heaven, the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior in all of his eternal majesty and splendor.
But may I point out and emphasize, for the dearly beloved Apostle Paul, that was secondary or unimportant. He wanted, please get this clearly, Paul wanted to see Christ. Yes, my beloved, I know we may have loved ones in heaven, whom we long to see and be with forever. But there is one person above them all, Christ in glory, who should be the prize and the goal to which the Christians are going.
My beloved, is this your purpose? Is this your desire, my fellow Christian, and for me? God grant that you and I will be like Paul. Longing to see that Christ the greatest person in the universe. And I repeat again, with all due respect to all others that have meant so much, whether to you or to me, this blessed Savior is above them all. But may I speak a word to any of my unsaved listeners? May I ask for you, what is your goal, your objective in eternity?
How you need, if unsaved, to find the Savior now. For to die without Christ will never give you the participation that Paul looks forward to, that resurrection from among the dead. But it will bring to you what is called a second resurrection of judgment to be lost and unsaved forever. But the Holy Spirit can convince you, you need Christ. My beloved, I cannot close without saying with all earnestness to my unsaved friends, I commend to you the person of Christ, the Son of the Living God.
You and I need him for time and more so for eternity. If never you have, I beg of you, in his name, receive him as your Saviour now, and know Christ, your Saviour and Lord. Blessed Father, in the precious name of the Lord Jesus, for the glory of his person, the blessing of thy people, sanctify thy word. But again more than ever we pray for our unsaved friends, Bring them to Christ. Amen.