Philippians 3:1-11              Your Profit and Loss Account

Can you imagine earning £3 million a day? Can you imagine spending £3 million a day? For every day of every week of every year of your entire life? Then you are beginning to comprehend how much money Bernard Madoff confessed to defrauding his clients of Friday. He faces a possible 150 year jail sentence for defrauding people of a cool $65 billion dollars. But that amount pales by comparison with what the British government is planning to do legally over the next three months.

The Bank of England has just announced unprecedented steps to prevent the deepest slump since the 1930s. Described as “Quantitative Easing” policy makers cut the key interest rate to 0.5 percent last week, the lowest since the bank was founded in 1694. The Economist described this policy of “Quantitative Easing” with something of an understatement as advancing “to the frontier of orthodox monetary policy.” But more dramatically, this week, the Bank of England published plans to print £75 billion pounds. Something the Economist described as “having already crossed a frontier…”

Newsweek Magazine, noting that some banks made a profit the last two months and that their shares are rising, has confounded the pessimists by predicting we are actually entering a bull market.  Their headline shouts “Buy”. So should we sell or buy? Should we sit tight or take risks? What lessons do we learn from the week? Jesus once asked a question which may shed light on all this.  

“What good is it for you to gain the whole world, yet forfeit your soul?” (Mark 8:36).

 What good is it for you to defraud $65 billion dollars and forfeit your freedom? What good is it for a nation to print £75 billion pounds and continue in the life style that led to the crisis? Despite the front cover of Newsweek suggesting we are entering a bull market instead of  a bear market, I’d like to suggest a third option – a Biblical market – for God has spoken more about wealth than just about any other subject in the Bible. .  

My advice is sell, sell, sell and invest in the Church. We give a far better rate of return and for a far longer period. Jesus says:

 "I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields--and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.” (Mark 10:29-30)

That’s what I call a pretty good rate of return. In our passage from Philippians this morning Paul encourages us to think about our profit and loss account.

“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:7-8)

The key word here is "consider” = translated “to count". It comes in verses 7, 8 & 13. The basic idea is to evaluate or to assess. Paul is saying, "Sit down and weigh seriously the values that control your decisions and directions. If you do not make decisions about your life, other people most certainly will. If you do not make your decisions in the light of God's word, worldly values will corrupt and consume you.” So this morning Paul invites us to do our sums, indeed to consider the most important sum we will ever have to add up. On the day of judgment will our credits outweigh our debits? Some people are pretty confident that they will, others are not so sure. Maybe you are in between. Listen to how Madonna describes her internal struggle... (Nicky Gumbel, ‘Life Worth Living’ pp. 80-81).

1. False Confidence - Self Righteousness  (3:1-6)
In these verses Paul warns of this false confidence and then illustrates it from his own experience. For many in Paul’s day, as now, Christianity can be more a religion than a relationship. About maintaining rules and regulations rather than a living relationship with God through Jesus Christ. About doing things right or doing the right things?

1.1 A warning about false confidence 

“Further, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord! It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safeguard for you.  Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh.  For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:1-3)

Paul uses some rather strong language to describe these people who were self confident about their relationship with God. Dogs. Paul is not talking about your household pet but people who are like the wild dogs that roamed the streets fighting and scavenging. These people are troublemakers and carriers of something worse than even rabies.  Evil doers. Evil because they were insisting that believing in Jesus is not enough.  The mutilation. Here Paul uses a pun on the word “circumcision.” The word translated “circumcision” literally means “a mutilation.” The Judaizers taught that circumcision was essential to salvation, just as some insist baptism is necessary today, good works or membership of their church. 

A lady was arguing with her pastor about this matter of faith and works. “I think that getting to heaven is like rowing a boat,” she said. “One oar is faith, and the other is works.  If you use both, you get there. If you use only one, you go around in circles.”  “There is only one thing wrong with your illustration,” replied the pastor. “Nobody is going to heaven in a rowing boat!”

Circumcision, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, tithing, or any other religious practice cannot save us from our sins. Only Jesus Christ can.  The contrast could not be greater. You can tell those whose confidence is in Christ rather than themselves because of three things in verse 3.

Their worship is spiritual not mechanical.
They focus on Jesus Christ not themselves.
Their confidence is in Jesus not their good deeds.

Lets be as blunt as Paul is here: A rules based religion is evil because it is proud and self-centred.  Legalism is like a wild dog that will tear away at your soul and our church. So a warning about false confidence. Then Paul gives us an example - his own!

1.2 The example of false confidence

“though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If others think they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;  as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. “ (Philippians 3:4-6)

Paul knew the futility of trying to attain salvation by good works.

Paul’s Nationality - he was born a Jew
Paul’s Pedigree - the tribe of Benjamin - the line of David.
Paul’s Occupation - A Pharisee - a strict Bible teacher.
Paul’s Education - He had trained under Gamaliel.

Paul’s Faith – He obeyed God’s word to the letter.
Measured by the righteousness of Judaism, Paul was blameless. He kept the Law and the traditions perfectly.

Paul’s Zeal - Antagonistic to Israel’s enemies. Paul defended his orthodox faith by persecuting the followers of Jesus. So how could a sincere person like Saul of Tarsus be so wrong?” The answer is: he was using the wrong spreadsheet. He was using the wrong calculator. He’d invested in the wrong stock.

Compared to his people, his colleagues and based on their interpretation of the Bible, he was righteous - but it was a self-righteousness, a self confidence. One day he met Jesus Christ and realised that all he regarded as to his credit was actually to his loss. He traded his self confidence for a Christ centred confidence. A warning about false confidence. An example of false confidence. False Confidence – a Self Righteousness.

2. True Confidence - A Faith Righteousness
When Paul met Jesus on the Damascus road (Acts 9), his whole way of calculating things was turned upside down.

2.1 Paul’s losses (3:7)

“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.” (Philippians 3:7)

Coming to know Jesus turned his world and his values upside down. To begin with, he lost whatever was gain to him personally. Certainly Paul had a great reputation as a scholar (Acts 26:24) and a religious leader. He was proud of his Jewish heritage and his religious achievements. All of these things had been valuable to him; he had once profited from his reputation – his standing in the community.

He certainly had many friends who admired his zeal. But measured against what Jesus Christ had accomplished for him and everything else was just garbage. Paul’s losses.

2.2 Paul’s gains (3:8-11)

“What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, 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 is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.  I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,  and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:8-11)

It was probably passages like this that inspired Jim Elliot’s profound words: “He is no fool to give what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” This is what Paul experienced: he lost his religion and his reputation, but he gained a living relationship with the Lord Jesus.He gained the privilege and high calling to be his servant for the rest of his life. What did Paul gain most? What did he value most?  Three things.

1. Knowing Christ Jesus my Lord (3:8)
The greatest thing in all my life is knowing you.
To “know Christ” means to have a personal relationship with Him - a growing, deepening knowledge of him and his will. Knowing Jesus Christ my Lord.

2. Experiencing the Righteousness of Christ (3:9)
The technical word for this is imputation. It means “to put to one’s account.” Paul looked at his own account and discovered that he was spiritually bankrupt. He looked at Jesus Christ and saw that He was perfect. When Paul trusted in Jesus Christ, God transferred Christ’s righteousness into his own account! In fact, God took his sins and put them on Christ’s account on the cross (2 Cor. 5:21). Instead of being wrong when he thought he was right, Paul was declared right when he was wrong. Jesus took his sins away and made him right with God. What does Paul now value most? Knowing Jesus Christ my Lord and experiencing the Righteousness of Christ.

3. The Fellowship of Christ’s Sufferings (3:10-11)
Becoming a Christian is only just the beginning. God puts a new motive inside us - to do the right thing. When he was living under Law, all Paul had was a set of rules. But now he had a Friend, a Master, a constant Companion!

This was a personal experience (That I may know him). It was also a powerful experience (“and the power of His resurrection”). Paul had been born again. But it was also a painful experience (“and the fellowship of His sufferings”). Paul knew that it was a privilege to suffer for Christ (Phil. 1:29-30). But it was worth it! For walking with Christ was also a practical experience (“becoming like him in his death”).  Christianity is practical. The Bible is the workshop manual to help us become like Jesus.

The Holy Spirit is at work making us more like Jesus.  No wonder Paul had joy—his life did not depend on the cheap “things” of the world but on the eternal values found in Christ. He had exchanged something worthless for something priceless. So perhaps we should not be surprised that those who placed their faith in the stock exchange are depressed this weekend. Perhaps we should not be surprised that the Madonna’s of this world are depressed about their looks and their self-image as they grow older and are superseded by newer models. People who live for “things” are never really happy, because they must constantly protect their treasures be it wealth or beauty, and worry lest they lose their value, as they most surely will. But not, if like Paul, we do our sums properly and place our confidence in Jesus.

For our treasures in Christ can never be stolen and will never lose their value. Indeed as we share them, as we give them away, they are multiplied a hundred fold, in this life and in the life to come.

There are probably many more Bernard Madoff’s in this world scheming how they can gain the whole world. For me, I prefer the model of the Apostle Paul.

“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him…” (Philippians 3:10)

 Lets make it our priority this week. Lets make it our prayer. Then we can be secure what ever happens. Lets pray.

With grateful thanks to Nicky Gumbel for ideas and content drawn from his inspiring little commentary on Philippians, A Life Worth Living (Kingsway), and also Warren Wiersbe's Philippians: Be Joyful (Word) for the structure and content.