Philippians 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

13 Brethren, I couint not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this to you.

16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.

17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.

18 (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

19 Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

MEMORY VERSE: I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. —Philippians 3:14

CENTRAL THOUGHT: To be accounted worthy of being with Christ in the resurrection of the dead, we must follow Paul’s example of truly possessing Christ, having the true righteousness of faith, experiencing Christ and the power of His resurrection, and being willing to suffer death as He suffered.

WORD DEFINITIONS:

Philippians 3:7, “counted loss”: Gave up entirely.

Verse 8, “dung”: Worthless. “win Christ”: Truly and fully possess Christ.

Verse 9, “be found in Him”: Be recognized by God to be truly in Christ.

Verse 10, “know Him”: Understand and experience Christ’s fellowship. “(know) the power of His resurrection”: Experience the risen life of Christ in heart and soul. “the fellowship of His sufferings”: Suffer just as Christ suffered. “being made conformable unto His death”: To die willingly and submissively as Christ did.

Verse 11, “attain unto the resurrection of the dead”: Be qualified to be resurrected from death to live with Christ.

Verse 12, “Not as though I had already attained”: Not feeling that I have already reached it. “follow after”: Pursue and ardently strive for. “apprehend”: lay tight hold of; seize; grasp.

Verse 14, “press toward the mark”: Earnestly strive to fulfill all that God is requiring. “high calling of God in Christ Jesus”: The heavenly invitation that God has given to us in His Son Jesus Christ.

Verse 15, “as be perfect”: As are fully developed in Christ.

Verse 19, “whose God is their belly”: The fulfillment of fleshly appetites is the God that they serve.

Verse 20, “our conversation is in heaven”: Our citizenship is in the eternal world above.

Verse 21, “vile body”: Corruptible physical body of this mortal flesh.

LESSON BACKGROUND

Paul was warning the Philippians to be safe and wary of carnal minded people (dogs), of evil workers, and the concision (those who seek to cut other people off). He stated that he and others standing for the truth in Christ were the true spiritual circumcision, rejoicing in Christ Jesus and having no confidence in the flesh or the earthly, carnal beliefs that others had. He stated he also could have had confidence in the flesh, and then spoke of the various parts of his former stand and beliefs in the Jewish Law system. He then declared—and I am sure with joy—that those former things that had seemed to be gain to him, he had given up as loss. He had found in Christ Jesus the true worship of God Almighty! He counted all of those former things as no value, but he had found excellency and true eternal value in what he had won in Jesus.

It is the same today. All who give up the world and fleshly lusts and seek for and sweetly find the salvation and victory in Jesus, bear witness of the things Paul found in Christ. He had found the true righteousness which Abraham and others had borne witness of. The righteousness of faith became his joy and happiness. He sought to know and experience Christ and His resurrection of life. He also entered the fellowship of Christ’s suffering and death, and the spiritual life obtained thereby. To live as the Lord Jesus had lived and to die as He had willingly died became the mark to attain to in seeking the Heavenly prize.

Let us bring it down to us today! To find true happiness and victory over sin and the present evil world, and be a partaker of that blessed hope and bright future in the realms of eternal glory, is what every person needs to experience. It can be obtained if we today will give up our ways and the love of this vain world, and surrender completely to Christ Jesus and the will of God Almighty. The New Testament writers have done well in presenting it to the ages of humanity. What better hope can there be than what is portrayed and declared in these wonderful writings! May the Lord help each one to be persuaded of the truth of this glorious gospel and say, as Paul did, “forgetting those things which are behind, reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Let us make His eternal cause our noble citizenship and look forward to His soon coming and the change from the mortality of these vile bodies to that like the glorious body of our Lord Jesus!

–Bro. Leslie Busbee

QUESTIONS:

1. What does Christ Jesus offer to our souls that is of eternal value?

2. What must we give up and turn away from to obtain it?

3. What all is included in the blessings of Jesus for us to have?

4. What are the vain earthly things so many are going after?

5. What does our heavenly citizenship offer for us to possess and enjoy?

COMMENTS AND APPLICATION

We live in a world and among a society that is wrapped up in the pleasures and treasures of this earthly realm. Fleshly relationships and desires for forbidden things, the love of money, fine homes and expensive automobiles, the entertainment of sports events, television, and gambling; many other activities and pursuits make up the list. All of these things that are so captivating will pass away. They are temporal; just for the present time. How much better to be persuaded of eternal values!

So many, sad to say, do not think about eternity and what it will be. Their time is taken up with the physical and earthly involvements. Thank the Lord, in His mercy and goodness He has opened up to our inward being the reality of Heavenly blessings and wealth. What a blessed hope we have that reaches far beyond this fleeting earthly realm! The Holy Bible portrays it so wonderfully. Oh, how we as human beings need to seek the Lord, feel after Him, and find Him! He will satisfy and bring happiness, contentment, and true joy for our inner most being, and He will also take care of our earthly and temporal needs.

May the Lord bless and help each one of us to diligently pursue and press toward the mark of holiness and faithfulness to God, for that bright and eternal prize of eternal life and happiness with God our Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, and the blessed meeting of the faithful of all ages in that blessed eternal world to come!

—Bro. Leslie Busbee

REFLECTIONS

“Attain unto the resurrection of the dead. . . .” Just think. We have a heavenly invitation given by God through His Son, Jesus Christ, to be a partaker of His resurrecting power!

The two great earthquakes within three days of each other had to be very disturbing to those who crucified Jesus. The first earthquake shook the ground so violently that many of the saints’ graves were opened. In Matthew 27:51-53, it says that they came forth after Jesus’ resurrection. That first earthquake tore the veil in the temple in two parts. The separation between the Jews and Gentiles was abolished. The privileges of the Jews were now extended to all mankind through the high priest Jesus Christ. All people then had access to the throne of God.

The second earthquake is described in Matthew 28:2. “And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.” This shows the great defeat of death and victory over Satan. Acts 1:2-3 says, “Until the day in which He was taken up . . . He shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” The power of the endless life that filled Jesus’ body shook the ground and brought Him forth. That victory over death, hell, and the grave gives us hope today.

–Bro. James Bell