Philippians 3:4b-14
“Nothing Else Compares”
By: Rev. Kenneth E. Sauer, Pastor of Parkview United Methodist Church, Newport News, VA
www.parkview-umc.org
Philippians was written by Paul from prison as he awaited a trial. Paul had been arrested for preaching, basically, that all a person had to do in order to be saved was to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
It did not matter whether a person were a Jew by birth, had become a Jew in order to become a Christian, or had never been a Jew at all.
None of this mattered to Paul.
There were many people, for whom this kind of proclamation was the most scandalous thing imaginable.
Many of these folks were Paul’s own people, the Jews…Jewish Christians even, who held to the belief that in order to be saved—faith in Christ was not enough…
…a person had to continue to follow the many rules and regulations of the Jewish Law in order to be a ‘real Christian’.
These folks were called Judaizers or Legalists.
And their teachings, Paul believed, were not based on grace, but on works, and on things having to do with this world, the flesh shall we say.
In verses 19-21 of Philippians Chapter 3 Paul states: “Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.”
In other words, Paul is reminding the Christians in Philippi and the Christians in Newport News that Christ alone is the One in whom we are to put our hope.
We are not to put our hope in anything we try and do to gain a righteousness on our own—because whatever we do in regard to that—it will never be enough.
If we think we have to live up to the strict regulations of the Law…
…jot and tittle in order to be saved…
…if we think this is going to save us…
…we are terribly mistaken.
One reason is, we cannot, no matter how hard we try live up to all the rules and regulations of the Law.
These things stand against us and condemn us.
They show us how short we fall.
They show us that there is no hope in these things, only death.
They show us that, in order to be saved, we must rely on Christ and Christ alone for our salvation.
That is why Christ died. To save us…
…to save us human beings who cannot save ourselves.
Still, many do not understand this.
It sounds too simple.
There must be more to it.
There must be something we must add!
The Judaizers or Jewish Christians were telling the folks who were not Jewish by birth that they had to be circumcised and become Jews before they could become Christians!
“Rubbish,” says Paul!!!
In verse 2 he warns about these Judaizers: “Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh.”
He goes on to say that true circumcision is something which occurs on the inside of a person.
It is something that occurs when we rely on Jesus Christ alone for our salvation, our hope.
The Holy Spirit moves in and circumcises our hearts, thus we “become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”
Circumcision is the sign of the Covenant between God and humankind, and through Christ this circumcision is of a spiritual nature by grace through faith—it is a gift of God!!!
It is not by works. There is nothing we can do to earn it!
Paul, writing from prison… Paul a man who could have been GREAT in the eyes of the WORLD…
…makes the point that Jesus is enough…
…that salvation is by grace through faith by reading off his own resume!
Basically Paul is saying: “Don’t listen to those Judaizers who are telling you that you must ‘jump through another hoop’ in order to be truly saved. Don’t listen to them that say you must first become a Jew in order to become a Christian…
…just look at my own background as an example of how worthless and wrong their teaching is.
“If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel…” This meant Paul was a real Jew by birth, not a converted Jew. He was circumcised when he was only 8 days old.
He was “of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews…”
…And…
… “in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.”
But what ever that meant…
… No matter how great that made Paul look in the eyes of the world…and it made him look awfully good…it could not save him!!!
Paul could have gone far with his credentials.
He could have been the one sitting in the best seats at the synagogues, he could have had first pick in the marketplace, he could have lived the life of the rich and famous.
Instead, he’s writing from a Roman prison—he himself—who was a Roman citizen…and he’s saying…
… “None of that stuff matters. It means nothing compared to my faith.”
I may be in chains right now, but I have Christ living inside of me!
How many of us can say that type of thing when the going gets rough?
“I may be having a rough day at work. My boss may be riding me hard, but I have Christ living inside of me—therefore I can continue to rejoice!!!”
“I’m having trouble financially. I can’t buy all the things other folks can buy, but I can rejoice because I have something much, much better—Christ living inside of me.”
“I may not be one of the beautiful people. I may not be a Senator’s son. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I’m not the right height, or color, or I’m not as cool as some folks, but I can rejoice because Christ lives inside of me!!!”
My friends, that is where the rubber meets the road for the Christian!
Paul, a man born into greatness, but writing from prison is able to say: “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, 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 is through faith in Christ…”
Are we able to say, with Paul, that everything else in our lives is rubbish, compared to our relationship with Jesus Christ?…
…or, do we have to add something to our resume?
Is Christ enough or not?
In another of Paul’s letters, 2 Corinthians Chapter 12, Paul tells us that he had something he called a “thorn” in his flesh.
Many folks have tried to figure out what this “thorn” was.
Some contend that it was some physical problem, such as poor eyesight.
Others think it was a bent toward a certain sin.
A temptation, if you will.
It’s probably better that we don’t know exactly what it was, because many things cause trouble for us humans.
Some of us have physical limitations, which can be a thorn.
Some of us have mental limitations, which can be a thorn.
Others of us may be tempted in to sin in some way, which can certainly be a thorn.
Paul said this thorn in his flesh was a messenger of Satan meant to torment him.
Three times he pleaded with God: “take it away from me!”
But Jesus answered him: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Paul then concludes: “when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Paul did not let this “thorn”, this “messenger from Satan” which was intended to undo him get the best of him…
…for the grace, the power of Christ far surpasses the power of anything else!!!
Jesus’ grace is sufficient to more than make up for any inadequacies, any short comings, any imperfections
we may indeed possess!!!!
When Christ is our all in all, well, nothing else matters!
Don’t worry about trying to measure up to others.
Don’t worry about where you are on the food chain of this, often, cruel world.
If you have Christ, you have all things!!!
Everything else is rubbish in comparison!
Christ is, indeed, enough!!!
Paul had one single-minded goal, and he tells us what that goal is in our Epistle Lesson for this morning: “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection…”
Is this our single-minded goal as well?
Or do we feel that we need something else?
Now Paul, this man with this very impressive resume…
…this man who has thrown everything into the dumpster in order to follow Christ...
…and he had a lot of so-called good stuff he threw away…
…this man tells us that even he has not yet obtained all he wants to obtain as it pertains to the Christian life!!!
Christ has taken hold of him, but Paul has not yet completely taken hold of Christ!
How amazing is that?
Paul still had a ways to go in his Christian journey.
Paul still had much to learn about what it means to be a Christian, to truly follow Christ!
So for all of us who think we have arrived, well, we’ve not even scratched the surface of our potential in Christ!!!
We have been called heavenward.
We are no longer citizens of this world.
Are we heeding that call toward Christ-like perfection?
Have we completely taken possession of the gift of heaven which Christ has already given us?
Or are there still many, many more things we need to throw into the garbage dump?
Do we still put confidence in our flesh?
Are we still trying to impress others by trying to add more to our resume?
Or are we completely free of any and all the trappings of this dying world?
It seems that everyone living in our culture is running.
But why do we run?
Where is it that we are so intent on getting?
Some of us may run in order to give ourselves some sense of self-worth or accomplishment.
Others of us may run merely to keep ahead of others.
Why are you running, why am I running?
Why did Paul run?
He didn’t run in order to secure for himself salvation.
Christ had already done that for him.
Paul ran for the sheer joy of running with Jesus toward the heavenly prize.
Paul ran for the sheer joy of knowing Christ better…
…of knowing Christ ever more completely.
“But one thing I do:”, Paul writes, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Let this be our single minded goal as well…
…as we worship together, as we fellowship together, as we study the Bible together, as we carry one another’s burdens and lift one another up, as we, a community of faith seek to fulfill our calling here at Parkview, which is indeed heavenward!!!
Because nothing else compares to this faith we have together!!!
Praise God.
Amen.
