Sunday 08:08:10

Philippians 3:7-11 v. 7 “what was to my profit” – the things Paul used to hold on to as valuable. Paul’s superior Jewish tradition had once made him confident in His standing with God. Now, he considers them “loss” for Christ. He renounced them. They were actually a hindrance in gaining righteousness in Christ. Pharisaic righteousness was a danger to his soul. v. 8 “everything a loss” – any religious effort, everything that I he thought gained God’s favor. To come to Christ, you have to give up everything else that you think gives you merit with God. Everything else is a hindrance from gaining Christ. The knowledge of Christ eclipsed everything else in Paul’s vision. Christ came into Paul’s life and transformed him. God made him conscious of a new way. The old things passed away gone and everything became new. “rubbish” refuse or excrement. “that I may gain Christ” to gain His righteousness and enjoy all the grace and glory that surrounds Him. v. 9 “found in him” passive voice – discovered or proved to be. To be in Christ is to be linked with Him in active relationship so His life pulsates through my being, His power and motivation spur us on. If Paul is in Christ, then he has Christ’s righteousness. It has been given to (imputed to) Paul. All of Paul’s efforts, successes and failures are null and void. “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags” www.vimeo.com/12348372.webloc(Isaiah 64:6) v. 10 Paul knows Christ, but compared to how he’d like to know Him. The power of his resurrection – Ephesians 1:18-20 18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms Fellowship of His sufferings – to suffer like Christ suffered, for the cause for which Christ suffered: the glory of the Father and the salvation of men. Conformed to His death – to die to self and sin as Christ did