The Greatness of Knowing Christ

January 20, 2013

Lesson: Philippians 3:7–11

Key Verse: Philippians 3:8

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Introduction

Paul’s testimony was: “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” It is the knowledge or the science of Christ Jesus that is most excellent in our history. In other words, it is the science or discipline of growing in the truth of Christ Jesus that rises above all things that man has imported from his own mind and claimed it to be truth. Matthew Henry wrote: “There is an abundant and transcendent excellency in the doctrine of Christ, or the Christian religion above all the knowledge of nature, and improvements of human wisdom; for it is suited to the case of fallen sinners, and furnishes them with all they need and all they can desire and hope for, with all saving wisdom and saving grace.”

One cannot know the truth of creation or of redemption, and all that these pertain to, without the knowledge of Christ. For in Christ alone is revealed the fullness of the Godhead, as taught to us in God’s Scripture: “In the beginning was the Word (the second Person of the Godhead), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men” (John 1:1–4).

Paul, knowing that he was led away from the truth by his own zeal, persecuting the church: “touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” (Phil. 3:6). Paul recognized that his zeal came from his trust in himself, that he could, as a Pharisee, obey fully the written Law of God: “Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more” (Phil. 3:4). But all that he thought he had, Paul came to count them as dung. Paul now understood that he needed a spiritual circumcision: “For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3).

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Loss for Christ—Philippians 3:7

Paul wrote of himself: “But what things were gain for me, those I counted loss for Christ.” Our happiness is not found in the things of this world, but in the eternal covenant that our Creator has made with his people, yes, to Israel, and therefore to every congregation that belongs to him in every generation: “Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency!” (Deut. 33:29). This is: “The covenant which God always made with his servants was this, ‘I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be my people,’ (Leviticus 26:12.) These words, even as the prophets are wont to expound them, comprehend life and salvation, and the whole sum of blessedness. For David repeatedly declares, and with good reason, ‘Happy is that people whose God is the Lord.’ ‘Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom he has chosen for his own inheritance,’ (Psalm 144:15; 33:12). This is not merely in respect of earthly happiness, but because he rescues from death, constantly preserves, and, with eternal mercy, visits those whom he has adopted for his people” (Calvin’s Institutes). Is there anything on this earth that gives what God the Father has given us in his Son? Christ Jesus testifies of this love: “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14–15).

Discussion: What is it in this world that we have gained that we cannot give up to know Christ as our only Lord and Savior?

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I May Gain Christ—Philippians 3:8

Paul continues: “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” The knowledge of Christ is most superior to all other knowledge, that the truth of God’s saving grace may permeate all areas of our lives. M. Henry wrote that Paul “tells us what it was that he was ambitious of and reached after: it was the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord, a believing experimental acquaintance with Christ as Lord; not a merely notional and speculative, but a practical and efficacious knowledge of him.” The doctrine or teaching of our Lord is not merely sitting and listening to lectures, but the writing of the truths upon our hearts and lives that we become more and more like Christ himself.

Remembering that our justification and adoption are acts of God’s free grace, whereby our sins are forgiven and we, by the Spirit have become children of our Father in heaven; we rejoice in the truth that it does not end there, but that we, by the Spirit, begin our journey in growing in Christ, which is our sanctification: Sanctification being “the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of god, and enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness” (S.C. # 35). We are to teach sound doctrine, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:11–13).

Discussion: How do we gain Christ in our study of the Word of God?

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Righteousness of God—Philippians 3:9

Paul knows that his life must be found in Christ: “And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.” Christ, the Son of God, took upon himself our sins and was crucified on our behalf, satisfying the justice of the Father: “All we like sheep have gone astray (all have sinned and have come short of the glory of God), we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6). However, not only has Christ taken upon himself our transgressions; but we, having no righteousness of our own, are seen by the Father as being righteous, in the righteousness of Christ alone: “Those whom God effectually calleth, He also freely justifieth; not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous, not for anything wrought in them, or done by them, for Christ’s sake alone; … by imputing the obedience and satisfaction of Christ unto them, they receiving and resting on Him and His righteousness by faith; which faith they have not of themselves, it is a gift of God” (W.C.F. 11.1).

This picture of Christ’s righteousness in and through us is manifested in these words of Paul: “That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit, in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:16–19). We live not in the practice of our own obedience to an outward rule, but we live in that righteousness which is of Christ, made real within us and in practice by the work of His Spirit. “There is a righteousness provided for us in Jesus Christ, and it is a complete and perfect righteousness. None can have interest or benefit by it but those who come off from confidence in themselves, and are brought heartily to believe in him” (M. Henry).

Discussion: What is meant by not having a righteousness of our own?

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I May Know Christ—Philippians 3:10–11

There is this knowledge for the Christian that we can experientially, personally know Christ: “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” We know by experience the power or authority of the resurrection of Christ Jesus, both in our sufferings and in our faith that we will know the meaning of being resurrected from the dead. M. Henry wrote:“The happiness of heaven is here called the resurrection of the dead, because, though the souls of the faithful, when they depart, are immediately with Christ, yet their happiness will not be complete till the general resurrection of the dead at the last day, when soul and body shall be glorified together.” The Confession teaches us: “The bodies of men, after death, return to dust and see corruption: but their souls (which neither die nor sleep) having an immortal subsistence, immediately return to God, who gave them: the souls of the righteous, being then made perfect in holiness, are received unto the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God, in light and glory, waiting for the full redemption of their bodies” (W.C.F. 32. 1). If we have such a faith in Christ and his resurrection, we ought then to so live our lives as those who are victorious in all things.

We are a people who in Christ are made to live a life worthy of such a Savior; dying to our sins and living in his righteousness: “And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal. 5:24–25). This resurrected life of the child of God is revealed in these words of Scripture: “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living” (Rom. 14:8–9). Our being alive in Christ should be manifested in our homes and our daily tasks, and especially in our worship and obedience within the fellowship of God’s congregation.

Discussion: What does it mean to know Christ and his resurrection?

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Lessons are based on the International Sunday School Lessons for Christian Teaching, copyright © 2013 by the Committee on the Uniform Series.