The Secret Of Joy In The Lord: "because Of Christ"

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.

If a husband and wife love each other, they enjoy being together and seek true joy and satisfaction in each other. Likewise, if we truly love the Lord, we will desire to be with Him and seek true joy and satisfaction in Him.

But verse 2, on the contrary, warns us to "beware of dogs." “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of those who insist on circumcision” (Philippians 3:2). The circumcised Jews, who are called 'dogs' here, are those who boast in themselves instead of Christ and trust in the flesh rather than in Christ. They seek joy in their own abilities and achievements rather than in the Lord.

However, Paul was a man with the best qualifications that people envied at the time, and he was someone who could trust in his own abilities and achievements. "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 the righteousness which is in the law, blameless" (Philippians 3:5–6). Before knowing Christ, Paul boasted about himself, trusted in his flesh, and was proud.

But after meeting Christ, Paul began to see as harmful the things he had previously held so dear. Circumcision on the eighth day was not harmful in itself. Being an Israelite, being from the tribe of Benjamin, being a Hebrew among Hebrews, being a Pharisee in the law, and being blameless in the righteousness of the law were not harmful in themselves. Clearly, even in Paul's time and today, these worldly qualifications that people boast about and take pleasure in are not harmful but beneficial in a worldly sense.

But in verse 7-8, Paul confesses: "Whatever was gain to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. Moreover, I count all things as loss because of the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish for Christ’s sake."

Then why did the apostle Paul confess that he considered the things he had previously regarded as beneficial to be harmful and refuse? And why did he say that he had actually lost them all? The answer is found in the latter part of verse 8 and verse 9: "That I may gain Christ and be found in Him. And not to have my own righteousness that is from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith."

Paul says, "so that I may be found in Christ." Before finding Christ, no matter how excellent my qualifications are, I am still a lost person who needs to be ‘found.’ The Lord said He came to this earth "to seek and to save what was lost" (Luke 19:10). Before knowing Christ, we were abandoned in the universe. Whether we had outstanding qualifications or not, we were like lost sheep, each going our own way, not knowing where to go. True repentance and faith to be found by the Lord does not mean ‘adding’ Jesus to my qualifications, but rather, considering all that I have as harmful and rubbish, and laying down everything for Jesus’ sake.

Also, in the latter part of verse 9, Paul says: "Not my own righteousness which is from the law, but the righteousness which comes through faith in Christ," meaning to obtain righteousness from God based on faith. Is keeping the law good or bad? Of course, it is good. But Paul warns: "You who are trying to be justified by the works of the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace" (Galatians 5:4). Keeping the law is not bad; it is good. Yet Paul goes to great lengths to say that trying to be justified by keeping the law would make Christ's death in vain and show contempt for His grace. "If righteousness comes through the law, Christ died for nothing" (Galatians 2:21).