The Secret of Joy in the Lord: "Because of Christ" (Philippians 3:7–11)
7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
When a husband and wife truly love each other, they find joy and satisfaction in simply being together. In the same way, when we genuinely love the Lord, we will long to be with Him and seek true joy and satisfaction in Him. Therefore, the command in Philippians 3:1, “Rejoice in the Lord,” speaks of the natural attitude of someone who loves the Lord. Paul immediately follows this command with a warning: “Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the evildoers, watch out for those who mutilate the flesh.” (Philippians 3:2) This is because those referred to as “dogs”—the circumcision party among the Jews—boasted in themselves rather than in Christ. Instead of trusting in Christ, they trusted in the flesh. Such people do not seek joy in the Lord, but in their own strength and achievements.
(In Korea, young people preparing for employment often talk about "specs." This term is short for “specifications.” Originally, it referred to the characteristics or performance of a product, but now it refers to the credentials that job seekers accumulate—things that prove their qualifications. The so-called “six essential specs” for getting hired include education, GPA, TOEIC score, internships, certifications, and volunteer work. To this, people often add physical appearance, which leads many to undergo cosmetic surgery. Some even go further by adding study abroad experiences or various awards. The more “specs” one has, the more they can feel either despair or pride—and potentially joy—depending on the outcome.)
Paul, however, was someone who truly had reason to boast in his own credentials. He had the most impressive “specs” of his day. As he says in verses 5–6: “circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.”
Before knowing Christ, Paul boasted in these things and placed his confidence in the flesh. But after encountering Christ, he came to see all the things he once held so dear as harmful. Being circumcised on the eighth day, being an Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee, and being blameless according to the law—none of these things are inherently harmful.
Even today, the things people take pride in—their specs—can be good and useful. But according to verse 7, Paul confesses: “Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”
Why did Paul come to regard his past achievements—what he once considered gain—as loss, even as rubbish? And why does he say not only that he considers them as such, but that he has actually lost all these things?
We find the answer in the latter part of verse 8 and in verse 9: “In order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God that depends on faith.”
First, he says it is “in order that I may gain Christ.” The word “gain” here is the same Greek word used in verse 7, where he spoke of things that were once a “gain” to him. The only difference is that one is used as a verb and the other as a noun. All the specs of this world are things people strive to gain, and they do have value. But gaining Christ is of infinitely greater value—it is incomparable. To accept and possess Christ, whom God did not spare but gave for us, is of such overwhelming worth that everything else becomes like rubbish by comparison.
Second, in the beginning of verse 9, he says, “that I may be found in him.” Before gaining Christ, no matter how outstanding one’s credentials were, that person was still lost. Jesus said He came to “seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). Before we came to know Christ, regardless of whether we had many or few specs, we were like lost sheep—wandering without knowing where we were or where to go, each going our own way in pursuit of self-defined success. True repentance and faith mean more than simply adding Jesus as another “spec” to our lives. It means considering everything else rubbish and losing it all for His sake.
Third, Paul says in the latter part of verse 9, “not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ.” Is keeping the law good or bad? Of course, it is good. But Paul says: “You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.” (Galatians 5:4) Keeping the law is not bad in itself—it is good. But when people try to become righteous through the law, they fall from grace. As Galatians 2:21 says: “If righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.” To rely on the law for righteousness is to reject the cross of Christ.
As Paul writes in Galatians 2:16, “By works of the law no one will be justified.” Those who seek a righteousness of their own—like the circumcision party Paul calls “dogs”—boast in themselves rather than in Christ. They trust in the flesh rather than the Savior. They seek joy not in the Lord but in their own accomplishments. This is arrogance—underestimating God’s standard of righteousness and overestimating oneself. And such self-made “specs” are harmful and as worthless as garbage.
But Christ changed Paul’s values and perspective. Paul came to see that gaining Christ, being found in Him, and possessing righteousness that comes through faith was everything. In short, Christ was everything to Paul. And that’s why Paul could rejoice in the Lord always. We may think, “Well, that was Paul. Of course he could say and live like that.” And certainly, Paul was a special man of God. But this message isn’t just for him. In Philippians 3:17, he writes: “Join together in following my example.”
We too are called to count as rubbish all the worldly specs people take pride in—for the sake of gaining Christ, being found in Him, and possessing righteousness through faith in Him. We too can and must think like Paul—so that we, like him, can live with joy in the Lord, always.
So then, what can we do to follow Paul’s example? I would like to share two things.
I believe that the reason Paul was able to live a life full of joy in the Lord was because he was enjoying the abundant life that the Lord had promised. About three or four months before He was crucified, the Lord said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” This means that Jesus gave us life and died for us so that we might enjoy abundant life. In other words, through His death for us, Jesus gave us a great blessing—He gave us life, and He made it possible for us to live an abundant life.
Paul describes this abundant life that comes through Jesus’ death for us in this way: “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” (Ephesians 1:7) “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son…” (Romans 5:10) Forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God—this is life, and enjoying this is what it means to live an abundant life.
“Christ died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep, we might live with Him.” (1 Thessalonians 5:10) “And He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised.” (2 Corinthians 5:15) To walk with the Lord and live with Him—this is new life, and this is the abundant life.
“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” (Hebrews 2:14–15) “Therefore He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.” (Hebrews 9:15) To live without the fear of death, as one who has received the eternal inheritance—this is the new life and the abundant life.
Such amazing privileges cannot be bought or enjoyed with wealth, power, status, or even righteous deeds. Therefore, because the Lord died for us, this is a privilege and an abundant life that only Christians like you and me can truly enjoy.
One more thing: what is the reason Paul was able to live a joyful life in the Lord? Again, in verse 8 of the main text, it is the confession, “Because the knowledge of my Lord Jesus Christ is the most precious (value), I consider all other things to be loss.” And in verse 10 as well, even though Paul is in a situation where he may die because he has received a death sentence, he says that his desire is to know Jesus Christ. (It was to know Him even a little more.) That was Paul’s most important desire. When a life that considers the knowledge of Jesus Christ as the most valuable thing is presupposed, that is the secret to enjoying joy in Christ in any circumstance.
Most Christians, when they first accept Jesus, begin their life of faith with joy and deep emotion. But as their experience of faith grows, they rather begin to lose that joy and emotion. That’s why the Lord said to the church in Ephesus to restore their first love. The reason Paul could live constantly in the joy and emotion of Christ was because he was continuously getting to know the Lord. However, the moment we stop getting to know the Lord, we will begin to lose the joy that the Lord gives. If we do not experience joy in the Lord, that may be evidence that we are not prioritizing getting to know Christ.
The Lord said, “I came that the sheep may have life and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10) The reason the Lord came to this world is because He is the good Lord who came so that His sheep would gain an abundant life. So, He gave His life for them. Then, what kind of sheep are these? Jesus said, “My sheep listen to My voice. I know My sheep, and My sheep follow Me.” (John 10:27) He promised abundant life to those who take Jesus as their shepherd, hear His voice, and follow Him. But as we live our lives, how many things are there that interfere with hearing Jesus’ voice? There are many fun things, many worrying things, many things that give us joy, many important things, many necessary things—if we keep losing time in this and that way, we can’t make time. Even though we believe in Jesus and have become a new creation, there still remains in us a tendency like sheep to go each our own way.
So, if we do not spend time to hear the Lord’s voice and get to know Him, we will drift away from the Lord, and the grass in the world will start to look tastier, more valuable, more fun, and more attractive, and our spiritual life can become more and more desolate. Even so, because the Holy Spirit is in us, we feel that we must continue to be transformed. Yet at the same time, we might still be in a state of not fully repenting, not deciding fully, and continuously postponing.
The abundant life and the joyful life that the Lord gives can only be enjoyed within the relationship between the Lord as the Shepherd and us as sheep. If we have not prioritized hearing the Lord’s voice and getting to know Him, then let us repent and enjoy the abundant life, the life of joy in the Lord.
Being saved by the grace of the Lord, having a reconciled relationship with God, having a fellowship with the Lord, having a clear life purpose of living for the Lord, living this life without fear with assurance of salvation, being enabled to enjoy peaceful relationships with other believers, being made to know God's love, and being enabled to practice that love—this kind of life is the abundant life.
May you and I enjoy this amazing privilege, prioritize fellowship with the Lord, and live the abundant life and joyful life in the Lord. I bless you in Jesus’ name.
