Same Power: Counting Gain as Loss
Philippians 3:4-11
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy
Faith Fellowship - April 10-11, 2021
“I want to know
• NLT - “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.”
• There is no question that the power that raised Jesus from the dead must be the greatest in the universe.
• Scripture indicates that this same power is available in some way to us.
• How do we engage this power of His Resurrection?
• Can we access this same power?
• What is the nature of this power in the life of a believer?
The Apostle Paul wrote about this power.
• From a prison cell to the believers in Philippi.
• Located in Greece, Paul established a church here on his second missionary journey (Acts 16:14-34).
• Ten years later, he is writing to that church.
Philippians 3:4b-11 (ESV)
[4b] If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: [5] 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; [6] as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. [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.
Most likely, Paul was writing this from prison in
• 61 or 62AD - Almost 30 years after his conversion.
• Paul had been through a few years of trials and difficulties.
• He had many adventures and many miraculous moments.
• At this point in his life, we hear this cry: “I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection.”
That I may
• ginosko - to know absolutely. To know by experience. To be aware of, feel, or understand with certainty and resolve.
• Not the same as simple “head knowledge” or factual assertion. Not “know about” Christ.
To know Christ and to know the power of His resurrection go together.
• You will not know His power without knowing Him.
• You will not know Him without knowing His power.
• Knowing Him involves knowing His Kingdom and walking in His ways.
Apparently, this does not come
• That is what we tend to want.
• Many books and teachings offer some secret method to get the power of Jesus or the power of the Holy Spirit.
Paul was still seeking this knowledge
• Knowing Christ by experience is a lifelong journey.
• Knowing the power of His resurrection comes with time.
• It is not a three-hour seminar offered at the Holiday Inn Express.
Where do we begin?
• Paul expressed a commitment to seek to know Christ.
• Paul understood that knowing Christ and His power involved suffering.
• This is much more than simply receiving His merciful salvation.
Let’s
• Context is exceedingly valuable.
• A text without a context is in danger of becoming a proof-text.
• One of the problems with Greek is that it has no punctuation.
• Translators end and start sentences based on the grammar and what they think a reader can hold in their brain.
NIV and NLT make a break after verse 9 and before verse 10.
• NIV - “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection…”
• NLT - “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.”
• Verse 10 cannot be properly understood apart from verses 4-9.
Experiencing Christ and His power starts with a
• Setting aside our pride of accomplishment.
• Paul was blunt in saying that if anyone had reason to boast, he did.
• If anyone thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more. [4b]
• Paul had the sterling resume of a rising force in Judaism.
• Every obligation perfectly fulfilled– circumcision, of the tribe of Benjamin, Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee, zealous persecutor of the church, blameless under the Law.
But he had gone through a
• [7] But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
• Revaluation - the action of assessing the value of something again. The adjustment of the value of a currency in relation to other currencies.
• This was not a simple rebalancing of books.
I
• hegeomai - hayg-eh-om-ahee - to count, or take account of; esteem or rule over.
• Those things on the profit side of the ledger I now move to the debit side– for the sake of Christ.
• Sometimes an asset is written off as a loss. It is no longer of any value or brings any profit whatsoever.
I count everything as
• [8] Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.
• Everything in the “credit column” has been shifted over to the debit side– not just in comparison to knowing Christ, but because of knowing Christ.
• All those things are now declared to be a loss.
Galatians 6:14 -
• But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
In 1707, Isaac Watts wrote, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross.”
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
This is the
• Until we do this work of accounting and revaluation, we will never know Christ or His power.
We live in a world largely built on
• We encourage achievement and ambition.
• We count our success in terms of goals and accomplishments.
• We applaud degrees, promotions, affluence, and generosity. None of this is bad.
• But it is not the currency of the Kingdom.
Paul had great religious achievements.
• Paul thought he was accomplishing great goals in study and religious observance.
• We might set a goal to give enormous gifts of compassion– even anonymously.
• When exposed to the bright light of Christ and His grace, they fade.
• And in comparison to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord… all these are loss.
All our accomplishments are
• dzay-mee- o-o - Injury. Forfeit of loss. A detriment. A damage.
• In the face of Jesus, our accomplishments tend to injure our relationship with Him.
• Our achievements, no matter how benevolent, are a detriment.
I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish. [8]
• He had done a reassessment of these things and counted them to be rubbish– in order that he might gain Christ and be found in Him.
skoo-bal-on is translated rubbish.
• Refuse. Dung, or that which is thrown to the dogs. Garbage.
The goal in life is to be found in Him alone… [9]
• Not having a righteousness of my own.
• Not having a righteousness that comes from the Law.
• But having a righteousness that comes through faith in Christ.
The righteousness from God that
• This is not even a righteousness that comes because of our faith.
• It is His righteousness that we engage through faith alone.
—that I may know Him and the power… [10]
• Verses 10 and 11 flow out of these previous thoughts.
• [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.
We really cannot afford to miss that
• tou - an article joining the two thoughts.
• This is where we start. A time of revaluation.
• Writing off some things we have valued greatly, but are a loss in comparison to knowing Christ.
Where are you in your Resurrection Journey?
• Do you want to know Christ? Do you want to know His power? They go together.
• We start with a time of accounting.
• Reexamining all the things we have counted to our credit in light of what Christ has done for us is a critical point in our journey.
DISCUSSION
1. Was there something new in this study that you had never thought about before?
2. Why is context important in the study of the Scripture?
How is it helpful to use several good translations?
3. How would you explain to a friend that good works are important in response to grace, but they are not significant before Christ?
4. Why do you suppose that Paul was still longing to know Christ and the power of His resurrection so many years after his conversion?
5. In what ways have you learned to revaluate the achievements and accomplishments of your life?
6. What are you hoping to discover as you know Christ more and more by experience?
7. In what ways are you seeking to know Him more and more?
8. How can your group pray for you?