"The Holiness Lifestyle: Gain Christ Jesus"
Author: Dr. Neal Gray
Passage: Philippians 3:1-11, KJV
Purpose: Entire sanctification means knowing where righteousness comes from. Any righteousness we have comes to us on the basis of faith in Christ Jesus. Thus, it is easy to give up any puny notion that our earthly qualifications gave us merit.
INTRODUCTION
Opening
In this series of sermons I have tried to show that our DOCTRINE OF HOLINESS, SPECIFICALLY ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION, IS EVIDENCED BY THE CHRISTIAN’S ATTITUDE. The letter to the Philippians demonstrates a wide variety of attitudes that clearly show entire sanctification in the believer’s life.
In today’s passage we hear about the attitude in the three stages of Paul’s life, namely...
* His past without Christ
* His present in Christ, and,
* His future with Christ.
If you are a child of God, saved by the blood of Jesus Christ by trusting in Him, then you have each of these phases, too.
Scripture
The Bible passage for today’s sermon is Philippians 3:1-11.
THE PAST WITHOUT CHRIST
Man’s Philosophies
There has always been, in every society, THE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHO WE ARE, and why we exist. The Bible states that God has "set the world in their heart," (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Therefore, every man and woman knows that there is more to life than just this temporary existence, even if they cannot understand just what that "something" is.
They Worship the Unknown god
The result is that MEN HAVE SET UP ALL SORTS OF SYSTEMS, idols, and icons to facilitate their worship.
In Paul’s second missionary journey, just a short time after founding the Philippian church, Paul witnessed to Greeks in the city of Athens. There he found that they worshipped many "gods." They even worshipped "the unknown god," (Acts 17:23), just in case they were offending that god.
==> How unfortunate.
Even Bona Fide Religion Was Tainted
Of course, the True and Living God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (later named to "Israel").
* He is the One who created all things
* He is the One to whom the OT sacrifices were meant, and,
* He is the Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
==> Jesus came to proclaim that He was indeed the prophesied Messiah. But, unfortunately, even after so many convincing proofs, SOME OF THE JEWS WOULD NOT LISTEN.
These are the people that Paul warns the Philippians about when he says, "Beware of the...
* Dogs
* Evil workers, and,
* Beware of the concision," (3:2).
(Note: "concision" refers to those who set themselves apart, especially under false assumptions of superiority.)
Put No Confidence in Your Past
These men had pride in their heritage of the circumcision following Abraham, and in their sacrifices. But THEY HAD NO SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE MESSIAH when they saw Him.
They were, for spiritual purposes, totally blind to the truth; even though they thought themselves superior to others in spiritual matters.
Paul Could Have Had Confidence In His Past
If any Jew had reason to be proud of his past, it would have been the Apostle Paul (cf. 3:5-6), for he was...
* Circumcised the eighth day, according to the instruction given to Abraham by God (Genesis 17:12) and according to the law given to Moses (Leviticus 12:3).
* Born of the nation Israel: Paul was no proselyte, the blood of Jacob flowed in him.
* A descendant of the tribe of Benjamin: this tribe alone had been faithful to the Davidic throne at the time of the division of the kingdom; it had given the nation its first king, after whom Paul (Saul) had been named by his parents.
* A prominent Hebrew: no mixed parentage, but of pure Jewish ancestry from both parents.
* A Pharisee: Paul by his own choice belonged to the most orthodox of the Jewish parties, which contained the most zealous supporters and interpreters of OT law, and,
* Zealous to maintain the Law of the Old Testament: Paul had studied under Gamaliel, the most celebrated teacher of the OT.
THE PRESENT IN CHRIST
Introduction
Certainly Paul had much to boast about. YET, WHEN THIS HIGHLY QUALIFIED MAN SAW CHRIST, ALL OF HIS EARTHLY QUALIFICATIONS DIMMED IN COMPARISON.
Proud of Rubbish?
I don’t know how it might have happened to you. For me, when I confronted the Savior who died for me and is now alive, all my qualifications seemed to be worthless, too.
Paul puts it stronger: He calls all of his qualifications "dung," (3:8). Now, that is strong language! He flushes his religion down the drain. He flushes away all the things he used to trust.
==> And now he trusts the Lord Jesus and Him only for his salvation.
That I May Gain Christ
The Apostle tells us that, even in imprisonment, he can "count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord," (3:8a).
Can I tell you my goal in life? It’s to know Christ Jesus my Lord. It’s to gain Christ. "Wait a minute, Pastor," you say, "don’t you know Him?"
Of course I do. But, try to understand; I want to KNOW Him.
FOR EXAMPLE: I know you, but I don’t know very much about any of you, except perhaps my lovely wife, Vicki. And, I’m not very confident that I know her that well. We are still growing closer together.
==> That’s what I want with my Savior Jesus, to grow closer together at every moment. There is nothing this world has that could compare.
Count It All Loss
PAUL COULD COUNT EVERYTHING HE HAD OR EVER MAY HAVE AS LOSS IN VIEW OF KNOWING AND GAINING CHRIST. That’s the natural consequence of serving God. Jesus put it this way:
And when He had called the people unto Him With His disciples also, he said unto them, "Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:34-37)
Righteousness by Faith
Until you have this attitude, then you will be inclined to think that any righteousness you exhibit comes from your own goodness. But, that is RUBBISH, that is DUNG.
The Christian’s righteousness comes "through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith," (3:9).
And when we recognize that significant truth--that our righteousness come from God on the basis of faith--we can easily say, "It is the grace of God that enabled me to do this good thing."
THE FUTURE WITH CHRIST
I May Know Him
I am convinced that soon, and very soon, as the song says, "I am going to see the King!"
When I first became a Christian, the very first verse that struck me as so very significant was the "Galatians Power & Light" verse, Galatians 2:20. Here it is:
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)
==> I AM CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST, NEVERTHELESS I LIVE. Those words took my whole consciousness, and still do.
Some time ago I was studying through the book of Romans. When I got to chapter six, I read something there that also stayed with me. Here it is:
"For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection." (Romans 6:5)
==> It sent chills up my spine to think of this: I shall be united with Jesus in the likeness of His resurrection! Wow! Now, that is KNOWING HIM!
My Future With Christ Is Now
Well, I don’t have to wait until my earthly departure to know the "power of His resurrection," (3:10).
No, MY FUTURE IS NOW. His death and His resurrection are now for me. That’s what the last part of the Galatians 2:20 verse tells me.
==> THAT IS KNOWING HIM. That is gaining Christ.
CONCLUSION
Symptoms of the Holiness Lifestyle
What has this passage revealed to us about the Christian life? I see that...
* My past without Christ is not worth going back to, (dung)
* My present in Christ is greatest gift imaginable, (righteousness which is of God), and,
* My future is secure with Christ in the resurrection, (that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection).
I HAVE BEEN SET APART FOR ETERNITY FOR CHRIST JESUS. This is part of what we call, "ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION."
AMEN.
-----------------------------------------
Copyright 2001
Practical Holiness Ministry (r)
"BRINGING PRACTICAL IDEAS TO
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE." (tm)
You may reprint or publish or hopefully
preach this material as long as it is
not-for-profit, except that it may
profit one’s soul, (see Mark 8:36).
Dr. Neal Gray is Pastor of the Baltimore
Parkville Church of the Nazarene.
You can reach Dr. Gray by e-mail at:
mailto:drngray@earthlink.net
Also, please visit the church’s website:
http://www.ForMinistry.com/21234BPCOTN
LEARNING. MENTORING. SERVING. (tm)
2 Pet. 3:18 - 2 Tim. 2:2 - Matt. 20:26-28
All Scripture is the King James Version.
Used with God’s blessed permission.
------------------------------------------
----------- FREE SUBSCRIPTION ------------
Receive our Sermon Messages each week at
your e-mail address! Send a brief e-mail
message to...
mailto:practicalholiness@earthlink.net
Simply indicate that you wish to receive
the sermon messages.
------------------------------------------
