Philippians 3:8-14

 Philippians 3:8-14

Paul considers all the advantages he may have had as a “loss” or a “bad deal” in order to know Christ. In fact, he says that all these advantages are rubbish. This is the only place in the New Testament that we find this word. In secular Greek it was used to describe rotten food, manure, or refuse. The point is that the advantages we may depend on are not only a bad deal of damaged goods, but they are also repugnant and dangerous. Paul would no more rely on them for his hope than he would eat maggot-infested roadkill for a meal. We must not miss the point: anytime we begin to believe in, trust, or be confident in our goodness as the key to our spiritual well-being, we are feasting on a toxic meal.

We must pursue holiness and righteousness, but not one from ourselves but the righteousness of Christ. Paul uses interesting verbs and tenses in this passage. The value of knowing Christ is so great that the first kernel of knowing Christ is greater than all self-achieved righteousness. Paul was not content with the first kernel. He wanted more of Christ and His righteousness. Paul saw in the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ the ultimate goal of his personal existence. The resurrected Jesus was something absolutely unique in history. Paul doesn't take time to define and describe it in this passage, but it is obvious that he has thought about it a great deal. The resurrected life, that is, to be like Jesus, was his goal. He was very aware that he had not yet arrived, but he was setting that life as his ultimate goal, his finish line. There is “knowledge of,” and there is “knowing,” and there is a difference. I know of George Washington, Richard the Lionhearted, or Stalin, but I know my wife. Paul wants to know, with an intense and intimate kind of knowledge, the suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ. Not for the sake of anything other than knowing Christ.

Paul becomes hyper focused on loving and knowing Christ. All past advantages are forgotten; all past failures are also forgotten, not in the sense of being erased from memory, but in that they are not depended upon nor hold back knowing Christ. In times of hardship, nothing will enable us to hang on except that we love Christ. If anything, be it Bible study, knowledge, right behavior, or power in the church, replaces loving Jesus, we are doomed to fail to win the prize for which we were called.

“Lord, grant me the strength to seek nothing other than knowing Christ. AMEN”