All loss without Jesus

Philippians 3:1-11
Big Idea: Human achievement apart from Christ is nothing, knowing Christ is the goal of everything!
Aim: Don’t trust in anything in yourself, but glory in Christ for salvation!

Intro: I am a good person, surely God will let me into heaven. (218)

If you died tonight how confident would you be that God would let you into Heaven?

In my experience, people usually answer something like this, “Well I am a good person so if God is
good, then He will let me into Heaven!”

People imagine if there is a god, then this is how it works; you try hard to do more good than bad.
You listen to your conscience and do good things, then you are a good person who god will be
pleased with. We imagine our moral efforts based on how we view they world, could be like climbing
a ladder to get to heaven.

Is that what you think? If we are honest, even if we have been Christians for a long time, this is our
default way of viewing things. Isn’t it? But according to Paul in todays passage, this is totally wrong.
He is arguing in chapter 3 that our efforts outside of Christ, are not in fact building us up into heaven.
They are, in fact digging our own graves.

So how does that work?

Well today we will look at our passage with the following two headings:

1) Put ZERO confidence in the flesh. 1-7

2) Put ALL confidence in Jesus. 8-11

So, let’s jump right into our first point…

1) Put ZERO confidence in the flesh. 1-7 (1068)

Paul starts this last section in Philippians by reminding His friends of the main goal this letter: that
they would rejoice! ‘Rejoice’ is one of the key words in the book. Paul knows that the key to living
for the gospel during tough times is learning and remembering to rejoice in the gospel at every
opportunity. The devil will find it hard to attack thankful hearts soaked in the gospel!

And he is reminding them to rejoice for their own safety, look at the end of verse 1:

“…och för er är det tryggare.”

Paul wants to protect them from dangers. And Paul has very specific dangers in mind.

“Se upp för hundarna, se upp för de onda arbetarna, se upp för de sönderskurna!”
Filipperbrevet 3:2
Now, back in the day when people thought about dogs they were not thinking of household pets,
like Sherlock. They were thinking scavengers and unclean creatures that were generally gross.
Maybe that IS what you think of Sherlock?

But Paul goes on, because he has a very specific bunch of dogs in mind. Dogs that are evil and who
mutilate the flesh. Which he connects in verse three with circumscison. So it’s clear Paul is talking
about a certain group of Jews. You see, where ever Paul went, a band of Jews who tried to capitalize
on Pauls ministry followed. They did this by trying to convert new Christians into becoming Jewish
converts.

There message was something like this:

“Wow, you have become a follower of Jesus, right? That’s great!

Oh, by the way, did you know Jesus was a Jew who followed the Jewish law fully? And if
Jesus did that means you guys need to do it too.

Oh you didn’t!! Well Paul must have forgotten to mention it… but don’t worry we can help
you. We can teach you how to be Jewish and keep the law.

Oh and you need to be circumcised. You can’t be a good follower of Jesus without having the
snip! But don’t worry, we can help you there too!”

Basically they were taking the gospel of being saved by grace alone, through faith alone and adding
to it the old Jewish ceremonial law. And Paul hated it. Which is strange if you think about it because
Paul was circumsized! He was a Jew. But Paul hated it because it was a devious twisting of the
gospel.

It was twisting the gospel by making all about “being confident in the flesh.” Paul repeats that
phrase three times in verses 3 and 4.

They were saying. Yes Jesus saves you but then you stay saved by remaining in God’s good books by
doing certain moral behaviours. Jesus washes you clean, but then you have to stay clean in your own
strength from then on. Paul is saying this is NOT the gospel!

Paul goes on to explain why, if anyone should be able to have confidence in the flesh, he should. In
verses 5 & 6 he gives 8 reasons why his moral actions humanly speaking were impeccable:

1. He was circumsized as a baby – he was ritually correct.

2. He was an Israelite – one of God’s chosen people.
3. He was a Benjemite – Not just a Jew, but out of the best tribe. So Pauls religious heritage
was impeccable.
4. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews – In that time Paul many Jews abandoned speaking Hebrew to
speak Greek instead. Paul however remained faithful to his roots.
5. He was a Pharisee – who were known for religious strictness.
6. He was zealous – he has a sincere and passionate faith. He really believed it.
7. He Persecuted Christians – he took His faith so seriously that he hunted, imprisoned and
even killed Christians who were trying to pervert the Jewish faith.
8. And He was faultless at keeping the law – he kept the 10 commandments perfectly.
If anyone was going to be right with God by the flesh, he was. But after he gives these 8 reasons he
finishes with this in verse 7:

“Men allt det som förr var en vinst för mig räknar jag nu som förlust för Kristi skull.”

Paul is saying none of these human accomplishments had any power to give and safety and security
in Christ. In fact, when Paul was seeing these things as reasons to be self confident before God, they
were actually keeping him away from Jesus. When he was confident n the flesh, he didn’t need a
saviour, so he didn’t need Jesus! So, when it comes to true faith in Christ, Paul now counted them all
as loss. Nothing we can do has any power to give us confidence in our salvation. Compared to the
gospel it’s all loss!

But these dogs, posing as Christians, were trying to make assurance of salvation all about living
morally righteous lives.

Application:

But is this a million miles away from what many people in church believe today? The reality is
churches are filled with such people like this.

What do we base our assurance of salvation on today?

Is it that you were you born in a Christian family?

Were you baptized as a baby?
Or maybe as a good baptist you were baptized after confirmation camp?
Have you attended Church every Sunday, or at least when you could?
Do you read your Bible daily, or at least when you get the chance?

Is it that you live a morally good life?

You try not to hurt anyone?
You are tolerant to all and do good?
Do you pay you taxes? Recycle?
Are you the first on your street to clear the snow?

Paul says all of these things, as good as they may be, are all loss... In fact look at what he says in
verse 8:

För Hans skull har jag förlorat allt och räknar det son skräp.

He calls it all rubbish… And actually the translation we have today actually softens the word here.
The actual word used here is actually more like… cow dung! And not even that polite!

Are you confused? If Christianity is not about doing good things. Then what is it all about?

Paul says the gospel is not all about what we can do, instead it’s all about why we do what we do!

So our first point was ‘put zero confidence in the flesh’, then our second point is…

2) Put ALL confidence in Jesus. 8-11 (737)

Paul doesn’t want anyone to base their confidence in what they do. “In their flesh”. Instead, he
wants them, like him, to look to Jesus!

Let me simply read through verses 8-11 slowly. And listen out for the key words that reveal just how
Jesus focussed and Jesus central Paul’s gospel is. Because I don’t think I can make it any clearer than
Paul himself does!

“Ja, jag räknar allt som förlust, för jag har funnit det som är långt mer värt: kunskapen om
Kristus Jesus, min Herre.

För hans skull har jag förlorat allt och räknar det som skräp,

för att vinna Kristus och bli funnen i honom

– inte med min egen rättfärdighet, den som kommer av lagen, utan med den som kommer
genom tron på Kristus, rättfärdigheten från Gud genom tron.

Då får jag lära känna Kristus och kraften i hans uppståndelse och dela hans lidanden
genom att bli lik honom i hans död, i hoppet om att nå fram till uppståndelsen från de
döda.”

Can you see? Everything Paul has done. All of his effort for the gospel. All of his suffering. All of his
goodness. All of his striving. Is so that he would know, gain, and become like Jesus. Nothing Paul did
in His flesh had any other goal, than having more and experiencing more of Jesus.

Paul is saying I gladly give up everything to know Jesus better. He would gladly lose wealth if it
means knowing Jesus more. He would gladly lose reputation if it means gaining Jesus. He would
gladly face painful persecution at the hands of his enemies if it means he shares in Christs suffering.
And Paul isn’t just saying this. Remember, he is writing these words while in prison and poverty
awaiting his trial and possible death, for the sake of knowing Jesus!

How precious is Jesus to you? He is the jewell of Heaven. He is the author of life. He is the love of
God revealed to sinners like us. He is the glory of the eternal Father. He is the smiling face of eternal
grace and love and forgiveness.

To know Him is the greatest goal in life. He is worth giving up everything for, in order to know.
He is worth doing everything for, in order to gain.

How does this give us confidence? Well, it does in this way: If our eyes are fixed on Jesus as the
greatest treasure of our lives we know that Heaven is ours. Because Jesus is the joy and crown of
Heaven.

Let’s go back to the question I asked at the begininng: If you died tonight how confident would you
be that God would let you into Heaven?

If your answer to this question has anything to do with your moral goodness then the gates will be
shut in your face. Why? Because heaven is all about Jesus. If you want Heaven but you don’t want
Jesus, you don’t want Heaven, because it’s all about Him!
No. The answer according to Paul is, because Jesus means more to me than anything and I counted
everything as loss compared to knowing Him. But it’s not like a password, you just recite it and you
get in. It has to be the resounding joy of your heart.

This is the secret of the kingdom of Heaven.

Let me read to you the parable of Jesus from Matthew 13:44-46:

“Himmelriket är som en skatt som ligger gömd i en åker. En man finner den och gömmer den
igen, och i sin glädje går han och säljer allt han äger och köper den åkern.”
Matteusevangeliet 13:44 SFB15

Have you found this treasure yet?

The treasure is Jesus. And if you don’t yet see Him as a treasure you haven’t understood who He is
ans what He has done yet. Because if you had, then you would see why giving us everything, and
doing everything to gain Him in not really loss but gain.

Or do you see Him as He is in all His holiness, glory, beauty and grace, and are ready to follow Him
no matter the cost?

If you haven’t already, will you give up the crown in your heart and lay it on His head? Will you call
Jesus your saviour and Lord? Will you let Him lead you to true joy, that surpasses anything this world
has to offer. Come to Jesus today.

Conclusion: So why do we come to church? (103)

So, don’t put ANY confidence in the flesh, instead put in ALL in Jesus!

Christian friend, why are you striving to do the Christian life? Is it to be able look in the mirror and
think you are OK? Is it so that others may see you and think you are worthy? Or is it to gain Christ?
To know Him more? To experience Him more? To become more like Him?

Don’t put confidence in the flesh, in our morality, in our theology.

We need to put our joy, our hope and our confidence in Him alone.

In Jesus our treasure.

Let’s pray!

Prayer: (96)

Dear Lord Jesus,

We find it so easy to put all our confidence in all the wrong places. We make our morality and our
theology and our efforts a means in themselves. We seek to use them as a way to justify ourselves
before you and before others. Lord, help us to see all these things as loss compared to knowing
Christ.

Help us to see Christ as the treasure He is. May you Son, the jewel of Heaven be the joy of our
hearts.
Help us to know the surpassing joy of knowing Christ!

Amen