Scripture
Vs 1 Finally, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you.
VS 3 … we … who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus … put no confidence in the flesh
Vs 6 … as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.
Vs 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
VS 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
VS 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
VS 17 … join in imitating me …
Vs 18 For many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Vs 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
Observation
Paul says, “rejoice in the Lord!” …
There is a repeating of main thoughts to get across … I “write the same things to you”!
Paul really wants his readers to get this … REJOICE! … CELEBRATE! … BE HAPPY!!
Yes, there is suffering… Paul has “lost everything!”
But compared to “knowing Christ”, everything else is worthless!
Paul was “zealous” for something … his old mission to persecute the church.
Paul was “righteous” in something … his old law to be obedient to.
Paul is now “joyous” in Someone … his Savior to know and pursue relationship with.
Paul feels more liberated now in prison than he ever felt roaming freely from town to town.
He now knows the easy yoke of grace!
Application
Paul, a man who is in prison, and a man who has lost everything the world around him holds up as valuable, tells us,
(Who is “us”? … Those in the faith! Me!)
Paul tells me to “rejoice!!”
How? Or more importantly “Why?” … Because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ!
How refreshing this must be to Paul …
To have gone from such zeal for something … the Law … To Someone … Jesus Christ!
A man in prison who clearly feels liberated by the power of righteousness through faith!
And suffering now even makes sense … He is in fellowship with Christ, becoming like Him.
So, how can I become like him? How can I have this knowledge of surpassing worth?
Through the Spirit of God & the Word of God.
And after telling the Philippians about radical humility of Christ in the last chapter,
Paul can now have the confidence to tell his listeners to live like him … “join in imitating me”!
That’s the strange combination of confident humility a Christian can have!
Or is it humble confidence?
Paul boldly says mature people think like him … & live according to the pattern he gave them.
Other’s destinies are determined by their stomachs … their cravings … their appetites …
So, what appetites do I have? … What cravings am I lead by?
What do I WANT? … What do I deem of WORTH?
God gives appetites to want more & more …
Everything in the Garden was “delightful to the eyes … “Taste and see the Lord is good!”
God gives me cravings to eat “daily bread”!
But do I imitate Paul? … Do I want more Jesus?
Are my cravings and wants for the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ”? … The Spirit of God!
Or do I just want the same old wants of yesterday?
Are my cravings and wants for His “daily bread”? … The Word of God!
Or do I just want the same old dreams for tomorrow?
The difference will be feeling “self-righteous” and “zealous” or being truly “joyous”!
Prayer
Thank you, again, Father for your Word
Allow me to feel filled by You
To be satiated by you
And then energized to strain forward to what You have ahead
Lead by the Spirit
In Jesus name,
Amen