Daily Thoughts from Philppians (16): Knowing Christ – Philippians 3:8-11

Rick Szczepanski offers a scholarship in honor of his wife, the Mary J Szczepanski, the “Never Give Up” MS Scholarship.  He offers it to seniors at Catholic Central, Kenowa Hills, Covenant Christian and Northview High Schools in Grand Rapids, Michigan, seniors who use their creativity and fund raising abilities for multiple sclerosis (MS).  Getting the scholarship means you have been united with Mary J Szczepanski in her mission to bring healing for MS.  But having received the scholarship poises you to get to “know” Mary J Szczepanski in her suffering and pursuing her “never give up” spirit.  You get in because you have been made to be like her, but the scholarship is only fulfilled by becoming more like her with every experience of suffering in your own life and by relieving the suffering of others.  So it is with Christ.

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 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—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:8-11, ESV)

Though Paul had a righteousness that was based in the Law he now considered it rubbish.  Human righteousness is worthless before God.  It is, in fact, a danger and a hindrance to real rescue or salvation.  What Paul wanted and found was the righteousness that comes by faith in Jesus Christ, God’s righteousness.  With this in his account there is true gain.

And so Paul’s whole orientation to life has changed.  He wants to be found in Christ, to know Him above all else.  This is not just an exchange of sin for righteousness, it is a relationship with the Messiah.  And knowing him means knowing the power of his resurrection, the power that transformed a persecutor of the church into an apostle of Jesus.  This is the power that enables Paul to live a righteous life.

But this power is also needed to face the sufferings Jesus has granted us.  He suffered and so must we.  As we share in his sufferings we become like him in his death.  We learn that nothing is more important than living for God and loving others as He loves them.

Paul’s hope and expectation is to attain the resurrection from the dead.  He says in v.12 that he has not already attained it but strives for it.  This could not, therefore, be the bodily resurrection because that was guaranteed to Paul and all who believe.  It must be a spiritual resurrection, a perfection of spirit, which Christ’s physical resurrection and our coming to life in him develops as we grow in him but which will not be complete until the Day of Christ.

The gospel is that we have been united to Christ, so that his death to sin was our death and his resurrection to life was our resurrection spiritually with a guarantee of physical resurrection.  To live the gospel is then to capitalize on this union with Christ, to come to know him more and more deeply, and so to share more and more his resurrection, sufferings and death.

Discussion Questions for Small Groups

1. What is the hardest thing you have ever done?
2. How hard do you think it was for Paul to abandon his Jewish upbringing and his own righteousness?
3. Do you cling to any of your own righteousness as a basis for earning God’s favor?
4. Paul said he wanted to know the power of Christ’s resurrection.  How have you experienced the power of Christ’s resurrection in your life?
5. How have you experienced Christ’s sufferings?
6. What would you tell someone about the worth of knowing Christ Jesus?