I think that in just a few days,
Paul Daniel Sr. will be on Canaan's coast, beholding
the glory of the Lamb. So everybody remember that family. I couldn't get this scripture
off my mind. I started thinking about Monday. Couldn't get it off my mind,
and usually that indicates to me that I ought to preach on
it. And I'm going to attempt to preach from this passage of
scripture. I've entitled this message, God
Shall Reveal Even This to You. That's interesting, isn't it? God shall reveal. This is a promise
of grace. God shall reveal even this to
you. I want him to reveal this to
me. In verse 15, Paul said, let as therefore as
many as be perfect. Now there, the word is mature. As a matter of fact, it is translated
in another place of full age. Let as many, therefore, as be
mature, be perfect, be thus minded, be in agreement with this. And
if in anything you'd be otherwise minded, if you don't see eye
to eye on this, God shall reveal even this unto you. Now, without question, the New
Testament teaches that there is maturity in grace, and there's
being a child in grace. Remember how John spoke of the
little children, the young man, the young men, and the fathers. God's people saved by grace.
They can be grown-ups in grace, so encouraging. And they can
be children in grace. And I thought of what Paul said
to the church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians chapter 3. He said, for you're
yet carnal and walk as men. They were brethren. And he said,
you're walking like and conducting yourself like unbelievers. Now,
Paul says, At this time, what I've just said, everybody that's
perfect is going to see eye to eye and be at full agreement. And someone that's not, what
a promise of grace. God shall reveal even this to
you. And I want this to happen to
me. I want God to reveal this to me. Now let's begin in verse
one, Philippians chapter three. Finally, my brethren, rejoice
in the Lord. He said in chapter four, verse
four, rejoice in the Lord always. And again, I say rejoice. Now this is a commandment. I'm
thankful for that. This is a commandment to every
believer. Rejoice in the Lord. Now, as long as salvation is
in Christ, you've got a reason to rejoice, don't you? As long
as God is on the throne, I have a reason to rejoice. As long
as salvation is by grace, I have a reason to rejoice. As long as Romans 8.28 is true,
how long is that true? I have a reason to rejoice. Rejoice in the Lord. Now the
next thing he says is to write the same things to you. To me indeed is not grievous
or vexing or irksome or tiresome, but for you it's safe. Now when
we preach the gospel, you know what we're preaching? Same things. the constant repetition of the
gospel. And the gospel is like nothing
else. You think of how many number one songs there have been. I'd
be interested to know how many number one songs there have been
since music has been transmitted. But as popular as they get, they
become tiresome. And you don't want to hear them
anymore. They get old. They become not speaking to you. The gospel is always new. To write the same things to you,
the gospel of Jesus Christ, the gospel of his redeeming work,
the gospel of his electing, justifying, regenerating grace, to write
the same things to you, to me, it's not irksome, it's not grievous,
but for you, it is safe. I tell you what, if you hear
something from this pulpit and you think, I'm not sure about
that. I don't know if I've ever heard
that. Watch out. Watch out. I want to hear the same things,
don't you? I don't want to hear something new. I want to hear
the same things. He says in verse two, beware
of dogs. Beware of evil workers. Beware
of the concision. Now, he's talking about false
prophets. Beware of dogs, that's what he
calls them, dogs. Beware of evil workers. They
talk about good works, but they're evil workers. And then he coins
a new word. Instead of saying, beware of
the circumcision, he says, beware of the concision, the mutilators. That's what he calls them. They
tell you you need to be circumcised. I think of what Paul said to
the Galatians. He said, I would that they were
even cut off that trouble you. When the Lord said, enter ye
in at the straight gate, for wide is the gate and broad is
the way that leads to destruction, Broad is the gate, and wide is
the way that leads to destruction. Many there be that go in there
at it, but straight is the gate, and narrow is the way that leads
to life, and few there be that find it." What's the next thing
he said? Beware of false prophets. You listen to their message,
you'll have their end. Verse three. Four. are the circumcision. They talk
about you needing to be circumcised. We are the circumcision. Which
worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have
no confidence in the flesh. Now that's such an important
verse. We are the true believers is what he's saying. We are the
circumcision. We're people with circumcised
hearts that God has given a new heart. We worship God, the God
of the Bible. We worship God for who He is.
We worship Him in all of His glorious, excellent attributes. And we do so in the Spirit. And that doesn't mean the Holy
Spirit worships for us. He does worship the Father. The Father worships the Spirit. The Spirit worships the Son.
They delight in one another. They bow down to one another.
They glorify one another. I mean, the Son, the Son did
that. And I'm in things I don't know what I'm talking about.
I realize that. But the glorious three persons of the Godhead
that we worship in the Spirit, by the Spirit of God giving us
a spiritual nature, that is the one who worships, not the flesh.
He went on to say we have no confidence in the flesh, none
at all. We worship God in the Spirit. That's what I want to
do, don't you? Worship God for who He is in
the Spirit of God. And you know what you do when
you worship God in the Spirit? You rejoice, and the word here
is glory. You glory in Christ Jesus and
have no confidence, no confidence in the flesh. Verse 4, Though
I might also have confidence in the flesh, if any other man
thinks that he has whereof, he might trust in the flesh. Paul
says, I'm more Now, somebody says, that sounds awful arrogant. Well, it wasn't. He did. He said, if you want to compare
apples to apples like that, if you think you have a reason to
glory in the flesh, I got more than you do. And then he gives
his spiritual pedigree. Verse 5, circumcised the eighth
day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew
of the Hebrews, as touching the law, a Pharisee, the strictest
sect, concerning zeal, persecuting the church. I was so zealous
for what I believed that I would persecute anybody that didn't
believe that way. Touching the righteousness which
is in the law, I was blameless. Now he really believed that he
had kept the Ten Commandments. He was like the rich young ruler.
All these have I kept from my youth up. As far as he knew,
he'd never told a lie. Now, he didn't understand the
law. He thought, I've never shoplifted
anything. I've never committed sexual sin. He didn't understand
the law. But how many people do you know
that could say, I've kept the law? The only two people I know
of in the scripture were the rich young ruler and the Apostle
Paul, and I'm not so sure that the rich young ruler and the
Apostle Paul are the same person. Could be, I don't know, that's
just speculation. And somebody says you ought not
speculate. Well, okay, but I did anyway. He says, but, verse seven, but
what things were gain to me. I considered these things as
advantageous. I considered these things positive. I considered these things in
the plus column. What things were gain to me? Those I counted loss, garbage,
refuse for Christ. Verse eight, yea,
doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of
the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Now, two columns he
puts up. Number one, the excellency of
the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. The other column, everything
else. And what does Paul say with regard
to everything else? He says in verse eight, yea,
doubtless, I count all things but loss for the excellency of
the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I've suffered
the loss of all things and do count them but what? Done. We have another word we use for
that, and that's what Paul meant. Done. That I may win Christ and be
found in him. Now in these next few verses,
Paul is going to express his desire. Now I can say this with
full conviction, what I desire is what I am. What you desire
is what you really are. And Paul is expressing his desire
in these next few verses. Now, the first thing that he
expresses is I have suffered the loss of all things, and do
count it done, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him." Not having my own righteousness,
which is of the law. If my fingerprints are on it,
I don't want to have anything to do with it. Not having my
own righteousness, which is of the law. but that which is through
the faith of Christ." Don't miss that phrase, the faith of Christ. The righteousness which is of
God by faith. Now, if I'm not deceived, if
I'm not deceived, if you'd cut into my heart and see what's
really there, you would see this. What I want more than anything
else is to be found in Christ. That is the greatest desire that
I have. When God looks at me, all he
sees is his son. That is my greatest desire, to
be found in Christ. When God comes looking for me,
and he will, I think of what Paul said in 2 Timothy 1.12,
I know whom I believed. I'm persuaded he's able to keep
that which I've committed to him against that day, that day
of judgment. That's what he's talking about
on the day of judgment. All I want God to see is Jesus Christ only. And here's what this looks like.
Not having my own righteousness. Like Isaiah said, our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags. I don't want to stand before
God in my filthy rags. Here's what I want to stand before
God in, in the faith of Christ. Now don't miss that term, the
faith of Christ. Paul said in Romans 3.20. He said in verse 19, uh, that
every mouth may be stopped and all the world stand guilty before
God. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifest
being witnessed by the law and prophets. This has always been
the message, even the righteousness of God, which is by the faith
of Christ. Galatians chapter two, verse
16. Knowing that a man is not justified
by the works of the law, but by the faith of Christ. Now that represents his perfect
faith. He believed God perfectly. That represents his perfect obedience,
the faith of Christ. And here's what the faith of
Christ is. The righteousness of God. the very righteousness of God. And here's what I want. If you
could cut into my heart and see, this is what I want more than
anything else. I want to be found in Christ,
justified by the faith of Christ, having the very righteousness
of God as my personal righteousness. Nothing else. And when he said next, here's
what Paul said I want. He said, I want to know him. I want to know him in such a
way as when I use his name, I'm not name dropping. He knows me. I want to know him. Now this
I know. I know this. If I know Christ, I'm gonna wanna
know him more. And if I know Christ, I'm gonna
know I don't know him near as well as I ought to know him.
He's so glorious, he's so transcendent, he's so... You know, the better we know
him, the lower opinion we'll have of ourself. Always. without exception. That comes with knowing him,
humility, lowliness, not full of ourselves, not able to correct,
lowliness. Oh, that I might know him. This is life eternal, that they
might know thee. the only true God and Jesus Christ
whom thou hast sent. Now I want to be found in him.
I want to know him. Don't you want to know him? I
mean, I want to know him, where I know him and he knows me. I
want to be like Moses. I want to be somebody who the
Lord speaks face to face with, as a man speaketh with his friend. That's the relationship I want
to have with him. I want to be his friend, like
Abraham was the friend of God. That's every believer's desire.
I want to know him. And look what he says next in
Philippians chapter 3, verse 10, that I might know him and
the power of his resurrection. Now this is what I want to be
found in him. I want to know him and I want
to know something of the power of his resurrection. Now I realize,
and you realize, that it took omnipotence to raise him from
the dead. We know that. You think of that
mighty act of God, Christ Jesus, the fact that he died in the
first place is so mind boggling. And God raised him from the dead.
He raised himself from the dead. What power is involved in that? But let me say this. The power
of the resurrection is seen in the complete satisfaction of
his death. When he died. God was satisfied, completely
satisfied with what he did. And he is satisfied with everyone
he did it for. And God is completely satisfied
with every believer. If you're a believer, you know
what? God's satisfied with you. He's pleased with you. That's
the power of the resurrection. He was delivered for our offenses. He was raised again for our justification
so that I stand before God having never sinned. Is that the power
of His resurrection? Oh, I want to know the power
of His resurrection. And next he says in verse 10,
yes, I want to be found in Him. I want to know Him. I want to
know the power of His resurrection. I want to know the fellowship
of his suffering. Now, there's no doubt his physical
sufferings are involved in that, but his soul sufferings. I want
to know the fellowship of his sufferings. Now, why did he suffer? Sin. Sin. You and I do not really understand
sin. If we did, we'd go crazy. I'm sure of that. Only he does. That is why he
sweat blood under the stress and the anxiety of knowing he
was going to be made sin. At that time, he sweat great
drops of blood, knowing, understanding what he was getting ready to
be made. When he was hanging on the cross, three hours of
darkness took place while he was still alive, nailed to a
cross, bearing our sins in his own body on the tree. Darkness covered this planet.
And he cried from the darkness, my God, my God, why has thou
forsaken me? He knew the reason. I want to know that he did that
for me. I want to know my fellowship
in his sufferings. I want to know that I had a part. I'm not going to presume on that. Paul said, the life that I now
live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God.
There's that phrase again. That's in the scripture so much.
I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave
himself. for me. That's what I want to
know. I want to know the fellowship
of His sufferings. That what He did, He did for
me. Now somebody says, how can I
know if Christ died for me? Do you trust Him only as all
that's needed to make you perfect before God? Do you? If you do, he died for you and
you can be assured of that. And then Paul said next in verse
10, he said, I want to be found in
him. I want to know him. I want to
know the power of his resurrection. I want to know the fellowship
of his sufferings being made conformable. under his death. Now, I've always tried to grasp
what all Paul is saying when he says being made conformable
under his death, but this was helpful to me in understanding
this. I mean, it's obvious in the language,
but when he says being made conformable, that is in the passive voice.
I'm not making myself conformable. to Him in His death. I'm made
conformable. This is God's work. This is God's
action. This is what He does to me and
for me. Now what is this thing of being
made conformable to His death? The scripture says in Philippians
chapter 2, He humbled Himself. and became obedient unto death. His death was the ultimate act
of obedience to his father. His father said, bear the sins of the people I've
given to you for your bride and be separated from me and suffer
the full equivalent of hell. And he said, yes, father, the
ultimate act of obedience. I want to be made conformable. That's what I was predestinated
to. Predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son. I want
to be made conformable. This is His work. I can't make
myself this way. I want to be made conformable
to Him in His death. And here's the sixth desire Paul
expresses, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection
of the dead. Death's not too far from any
of us. I want to attain unto the resurrection
of the dead. And I'm not talking about resurrection
unto damnation. There will be many when they're
raised from the dead. It will be the beginning of eternal
separation from God, eternal misery. I'm not interested in
that resurrection. I'm interested in the resurrection
of perfect likeness to Christ. Resurrected just like Oh, I want
it to attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Verse 12, I'm so thankful Paul
says these next things. He says, it's not as though I'd
already attained. I'm painfully aware of this.
I'm profoundly aware of the body of this sin that I still have,
that I still possess, that I'm acutely aware of. Paul said,
O wretched man, that I am. Not that I was, but that I am
present tense. It's not as though I've already
attained. Either we're already perfect,
complete, you know, that's not going to take place until the
resurrection. But I pursue after, I follow after,
if that I may apprehend, lay hold of, That for which also
I am laid hold of in Christ Jesus. I want to lay hold of him the
way he's laid hold of me. I want him to rest me. We just
heard that song sung in rapt and thick Egyptian night and
fond of darkness more than light. Madly I ran this sinful race,
secure, without a hiding place, but thus the eternal counsel
ran, almighty love, arrest that man. I want to apprehend him as he
has apprehended me. I want to lay hold upon him as
he has laid hold upon me. Look in verse 13. Brethren, he
repeats himself, I count not myself to have apprehended. I
don't count myself as having arrived. My sin is ever before
me. I'm aware of my sin when I'm
saying this. But one thing, notice this and I
do is in italics, one thing, one thing, forgetting what's behind and
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. One thing I forget. Would to God that he will enable
me to do just this. Forget the past. Forget the seemingly
good things. You don't really even know if
they're good or not. You know, when I talk about my experiences,
I think, well, I hope they were good, but I'm not sure. Forget
them. Forget the bad things. The Lord
sent them. He's in control of them. Don't
spend your time thinking about that. Forget the past injustices. Forget. Forget. It's in the past. God put it there. It's not coming
back. Forget it. Forget it. Forgetting
those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those
things which are before. Stretching forth to those things
which are before. I press toward the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Now, what
is this high calling of God in Christ Jesus? It's to be found
in Him. It's to know Him. It's to know
the power of His resurrection. It's to know the fellowship of
His sufferings. It's to be made conformable to
Him in His death. It's to attain unto the resurrection
of the dead. Now that is the high calling
of God in Christ Jesus. It's so high, it's so glorious,
it's heavenly, it's holy, it's the high calling of God in Christ. Verse 15, let us therefore as many as be
perfect mature. Yes, we're perfect in Christ
but here he's speaking of mature because he's giving a distinction
between somebody else. So he says, let as many of us
as be mature be thus minded. Let this be your mind. I want
to be found in him. I want to know him. I want to know the
power of his resurrection. I want to know the fellowship
of his sufferings. I want to be made conformable
to him and his death. I want to attain unto the resurrection
of the dead. Be thus minded. Aren't we in
agreement there? That's my desire. That's your
desire. And he says, and if in anything you be otherwise minded,
if you're not in complete agreement with this, God shall reveal this
to you. If you're a believer, God's going
to reveal this to you and you're going to rejoice in it and you're
going to love it. If you're a believer, God's going
to correct you and he's going to make you to rejoice in this. Now look what he says in verse
16. Nevertheless, where to we've already attained
these desires to win Christ and be found in him. to know him,
to know the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings,
being made conformable to his death, to attain to the resurrection
of the dead, nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let
us walk by the same rule. Let us mind the same thing. Now
this is how significant this is. This is our walk. This is what we're to be at agreement
in, to be found in Christ. That's my only desire, to be
found in Christ, to know Him. It's such an amazing thing to
know the living God, to think that I know Him, and even more
than He knows me. I want to know the power of his
resurrection, how God is completely satisfied with what he did. Therefore,
God's completely satisfied with me. I want to know the power,
the justifying power of his resurrection, the satisfying power of his resurrection. I want to know that what he did,
he did for me. I want to be made conformable
unto his death. And I want to attain to that
final resurrection of the dead. Now that is the rule by which
we walk. That is us minding the same thing. May God enable me and you to
have this as our mind and this as the rule of our walk. Let's pray. Lord, if we're otherwise minded,
we ask that you would do as you said in your word and cause us,
reveal to us this. Enable each person in this room
by your grace to say, oh, that I may win Christ and be found
in him. Lord, we don't want to stand
in our own righteousness. We know it's filthy rags, but
we want the faith of Christ, the righteousness, which is of
you by faith. And Lord, we, we want to know
thy son. We want to know you. We want
to know your spirit. We want to be enabled to enter
into the saving power of your resurrection. Lord, we would
know that we have fellowship in your sufferings. We ask that
you would make us conformable to your son in his death, if
we might attain to the resurrection of the dead. Bless this message
for your glory and our good. In Christ's name we pray, amen.