I'd like for you to open your
Bibles with me today to the book of Philippians. I'll be speaking
from the third chapter of the book of Philippians. Now, especially,
I would like for you to turn to the Scriptures because I'm
going to be starting at verse 1 and referring to all of the
verses, the Lord willing, down to verse 12. Now, here's our
subject. I'll be speaking on the subject,
a fourfold prayer, a fourfold prayer. I think this is a very
important message. I believe it will be helpful
to you if you listen to the entire message and follow along in your
Bible. Now, if you look at verse 1,
we see the Apostle Paul is a man of one message. He said in verse
1, to keep writing and preaching to you the same things is not
grievous to me. I don't mind at all preaching
to you the same message. It's for your good that I preach
the gospel to you again and again and again. Paul was a man of
one message. He said, I am determined to know
nothing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. We
preach Jesus Christ and him crucified. He said, God sent me not to baptize
but to preach the gospel. So that's the first thing we
note. In Philippians 3, verse 1, Paul said, I'm a man of one
message, and I don't mind repeating it over and over and over again.
It's not grievous to me at all. It's good for you, and it's glorifying
to our God. Now watch verse 2. I know today
we hear people say, well, don't criticize other denominations,
don't talk about other preachers, don't call people by name. Paul
did. Paul did. He said in verse 2,
listen to him, and it's strong language. It's language I probably
would not use on television or from my pulpit. He's talking
about the covetous, greedy, fame-seeking preachers of his day. False prophets,
he calls them, but he calls them a stronger word. He says in verse
2, beware of dogs. Beware of dogs. In other words,
he's talking about these false preachers who glory in the flesh. He said these people put emphasis
on ceremony, circumcision, law, human works, and baptism, and
not on Christ. Our Lord called them false prophets.
The Apostle called them in another place, hucksters, merchandisers
of souls. And here he calls them dogs.
Beware of these dogs. Now, verse 3, he says, we are
the true circumcision. Here's what he's saying. These
men are not men of faith. They're not men of the gospel.
They're not men of Christ. They're not even men of the true
circumcision or the true Israel or true faith. We are the true
circumcision or the true faith. And he gives three marks in verse
3 of Philippians 3. He says, we worship God in the
spirit, not in form, not in ceremony, not in processionals, not in
outward show. We worship God from the heart.
We worship God in the spirit. Our Lord said that. He said,
God is a spirit, and they who worship God, worship him in spirit
and truth. We worship God in the spirit,
not with trinkets, not with signs and ceremony, but we worship
God from the heart. And then he said, secondly, we
are the true circumcision who rejoice in Christ Jesus. We don't rejoice in our works.
We don't rejoice in our baptism. We rejoice in Christ, who he
is. He's the Son of God. What did
he do? He came to this earth to bear
our sins in his body on the tree. Why did he do it? In order that
God might be just and justified. Where is he now? At the right
hand of God. We rejoice in Jesus Christ. He
is our righteousness. He is our sanctification. He
is our redemption. He is our wisdom. He is our acceptance
with God. Jesus Christ the Lord. And then
thirdly, he says we have no confidence in the flesh. We don't put our
confidence in human prophets or human preachers. We don't
put our confidence in human organizations. We don't even put our confidence
in ourselves. Our confidence is in Christ alone.
And then in verse 4 he says, now if any of you, now listen
to this. He said, if any of you feel like that you can find acceptance
with God by your own righteousness, and that acceptance with God
is to be gained by heritage or tradition or human works. He
said, I'd be out ahead of you. I'm more than you. If you think
that God Almighty will look upon a man and accept him and receive
him because of who he is, what his background is, or the works
that he does, then I'm more than you. If anything can be gained
by human effort, he said, I'd have complete security. Why?
I've been circumcised the eighth day of the tribe of Benjamin."
In other words, this circumcision, when I was eight days of age,
put me in the covenant of Abraham, made me recognize me as one of
Abraham's seed, one of Abraham's people. Not only that, but of
the tribe of Benjamin. That tribe was called Beloved
of the Lord. And that was the tribe that gave
Israel their first king, Saul. I was of the tribe of Benjamin.
Not only that, he said, but I'm a Hebrew of Hebrews. I'm not
a half-breed. My daddy was a Hebrew and my
mother was a Hebrew, he said. I am pure Hebrew. And not only
that, he said, but I was a Pharisee. I was a leader in religion. I
was an orthodox teacher in religion. I was doctrinally, morally, ceremonially,
ritualistically, legally sound. No man could find fault with
me concerning the law. I was blameless before human
court. And not only that, but I was
full of zeal and blameless before all men. He said, think you have
whereof to glory in the flesh. You want to brag about how many
professions you've made and how many sermons you've preached
and who your daddy was and who your granddaddy was, and you
want to brag about what denomination you're from. Paul said, I'll
top everything you present. I was circumcised the eighth
day of the tribe of Benjamin. I'm a Hebrew of Hebrews. He said,
concerning the law, I was a Pharisee. I was zealous. Before the law,
I was blameless. But now watch the next verse,
verse 7. But all of these religious duties and all of these religious
works, which were so important to me, and there was a day when
they were important to the Apostle Paul. Before he met Christ, before
he learned the gospel, this ritualism and legalism, this ceremonialism
was so important, it was his hope for heaven. It was his hope
for salvation. It was his hope for acceptance
with God. He said, this was so important to me. These things
were gain to me. But once I counted gain, I count
now nothing. I count but loss, that I may
win Christ and be found in him. In other words, he says, when
the Holy Spirit opened my eyes, and that's what must be done,
whether a man's in religion or in sin, whether a man's in the
church or in the world, the Holy Spirit has to open his eyes.
Salvation comes by revelation. It doesn't come by education.
It doesn't come by argument and debate. It comes by revelation.
He said, when the Holy Spirit opened my eyes and I learned
what sin really is. Sin is a nature. Sin is a principle. Sin is an evil heart. I not only
learned what sin is, but I learned that even my righteousness is
in God's sight. In God's sight. Now, not in men's
sight. That which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination to
God. But Saul of Tarsus said, I learned that my righteousnesses
were filthy rags in God's sight, and in my flesh dwelleth no good
thing, and in the flesh no man could please God. I learned that
all have sinned, even Pharisees. I learned that all have sinned
and come short of the glory of God, even Hebrews. I learned
that all have sinned, and the only righteousness that God would
accept is Christ's righteousness. And the only atonement that God
Almighty would receive or look upon with favor is Christ's Not
the animal blood of the Old Testament, or the tabernacle, or the temple.
And the only way of salvation and redemption is by his grace.
He said, when I saw that, I not only counted my works and my
zeal to be lost, not only lost, those things that were gained
to me, but I looked upon all of my fleshly religious enterprises
and works and efforts and obedience and morality to be so much garbage. and rubbish. I not only counted
them but lost, he said, I counted them doomed for Christ's sake.
God doesn't save preachers, he saves sinners. God doesn't save
Pharisees, he saves sinners. God doesn't save religious people,
he saves sinners. God doesn't save respectable
people, he saves sinners. He later wrote, this is a faithful
saying and it's worthy of acceptation by all people. that Jesus Christ
is coming to this world to save sinners of whom I'm chief. Now
you remember something and you listen very carefully to what
I'm about to say. I know a little bit about this
subject. The great problem of preaching
is not getting lost people saved. That's no problem. Find me a
lost man and I'll preach the gospel to him and he'll be saved.
Christ came to seek and to save that which is lost. He died for
the ungodly. He died for sinners. There's
no problem in getting lost people saved. The problem of preaching
is getting religious people lost. And a man will never be saved
till he's lost. He'll never be found till he's
lost. He'll never receive grace till he's guilty. He'll never
be found till he's lost, he'll never be saved till he's a sinner,
and he'll never be robed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ
until he's naked, until he's been stripped of every fig leaf
apron of his own works, merit, and righteousness. And Paul,
having turned loose of all this confidence in himself, having
given up all claims on God through the works of the law, having
looked upon the mercy and grace of God in Jesus Christ, The Apostle
lays down a fourfold prayer. Now, this is what I want to talk
about today. And I hope I've gotten your attention. I hope
I've interested you in what I'm about to say. Here was a man
who had been where some of you are, robed in self-righteousness,
building on a false foundation, hiding in a religious refuge,
trusting in your works and your merit to find acceptance with
God And you've never found any lasting peace. You've never found
any real joy. You've never found any real communion
with God. You just feel like a whitewashed
tombstone, or a whitewashed Pharisee, cleansed on the outside, but
full of extortion and excess on the inside. Well, here's an
example. He said, if you think you've
got whereof to trust in the flesh, I more. But he said, what was
gained to me, I counted but loss. I counted but rubbish and garbage. that I may come to a real saving
knowledge of God Almighty in Jesus Christ. Here, my friend,
is a self-righteous, moral, religious teacher who has been broken by
the power of God to realize his guilt, put in the dust of guilt
and repentance, who sees himself in need of mercy and offers to
God a fourfold prayer. Now, here's his prayer. Number
one. O that I may win Christ, and be found in him. Now the
word win there ought to be translated gain. O that I may gain Christ. The old Puritans used to say
that I may lay hold upon Christ, not just read about him or hear
about him, but that I may actually lay hold on Christ, that I may
gain an interest in his redemptive grace. I think the hymn writer
has put it so well, no more, my God, I boast no more of all
the duties that I've done. I quit the hopes I had before
in order to trust the merits of thy son. Can you say that?
Have you ever been there? Saul of Tarsus was brought there.
Only God can bring a man there. No more, my God, I boast no more
of all the duties that I have done. I quit the hopes I held
before to trust the merits of thy Son. Yes, I must, I will
esteem everything but loss for Christ's sake. Oh, may my soul
be found in him, and may I of his grace partake. I can't claim
my righteousness and his. He will not share his glory.
I cannot stand on my works in his too. I cannot be clothed
in my big leaf apron and in his royal robes. I've got to make
a choice. I've got to lay one aside. So
then, I turn loose of all religious claims. I turn loose of all boasting
and all pride and all resting in human merit, and I flee to
Christ. That's what Paul is saying. Oh,
that I may win Christ, that I may gain Christ, that I may gain
a saving interest that I may lay hold upon him, be found in
him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but the
righteousness of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord, that
I may be found in him. You better be found in him, to
be found in him as the eternal surety. That's my prayer, the
eternal surety. There is a surety of the everlasting
covenant, and that surety is Christ. That I may be found in
him as the incarnate representative. Christ walked on this earth for
somebody. He represented when he was on this earth in human
flesh, in the likeness of single flesh, obeying the law, pleasing
the Father, he represented somebody. That I may be found in him. When
he went to the cross and suffered there the shame and humiliation
of that awful death, he's dying for somebody. He was paying somebody's
debt. The Heavenly Father was receiving
from Christ satisfaction for somebody's sins. This is what
Paul knew, that I may be found in him as my perfect sin offering,
that I may be found in him as my risen priest and mediator. He is interceding for somebody.
The Scripture said he ever liveth to intercede, to make intercession
for somebody. That I may be found in him as
my reigning king, seated at God's right hand, expecting till his
enemies He made his footstool. That's the first of this fourfold
prayer. Old Paul said, I've got a background,
a heritage, a tradition, and all these things that exceeds
anything any of you have to offer, but I count these things but
lost. They were at one time gained to me, so important to me. I
count them but dumb, that I may gain Christ, that I may gain
a saving interest in Christ, that I may lay hold upon Christ
and be found in him. Found by God's law in Christ,
no condemnation. Found by God's justice in Christ,
no charge. Found by God Almighty's righteousness
in Christ, no judgment. No judgment. There is therefore
now no condemnation to them who are in Christ. That's the reason
Paul wanted to be found in him. That's where the mercy is. That's
where the grace is. That's where the love is. It's
in Christ. It's not in a building. It's not in an organization.
It's not in a denomination. It's not in a decision. It's
not in a profession. It's not in a system of morality.
than a person, and that person is the Son of God. Here's the
second prayer, verse 10. Do you see it there? Here's his
second plea. Oh, that I may know him, that
I may know him and the power that flows from his resurrected
life, that I may know Christ and the power that flows from
his resurrected life. What is he saying here? Well,
first of all, he's saying this, that I may know him myself. The Scripture says, If thou shalt
confess with thy mouth Jesus to be Lord, and believe in thine
heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
I can't know Christ through another man's mind. Now let me warn you
here. Let me warn you. As far as redemption
is concerned, you stand alone. Alone with Christ. That's what
I mean by that. This matter must be settled in
your own heart between you and God. It's not a family situation.
It's not a denominational situation. It's not a Christian nation situation.
It's you. You. Every man shall give an
account of himself to God. I want Christ to give an account
for me. I can't know him through another man's mind. I can't love
him with another man's heart. I can't hear him with another
man's ears. I can't see him with another
man's eyes. I can't believe on him with another
man's faith. I can't praise him with another
man's mouth. Don't try it. Don't try it. That I may know him, and I think
he's saying this, that I may know him. You know, the Master
used that word. He said, this is eternal life,
that they might know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ
whom thou hast sent. that they might know thee." Now,
it's not talking about just knowing something about his historical
life. A man called Jesus Christ lived
on this earth. Well, the devil knows that. That's
not knowing God. That's not knowing Christ. It's
not just to know his doctrines. People can know doctrine and
not know God. People can know theology. They
can teach it. The scribes and Pharisees did.
It's not enough just to know about his example. There have
been some clean-cut unsaved people in this world. And then it's
not enough just to know about his death and his resurrection.
Here's what Paul said, O that I may know him, that I may know
Christ, that he might reveal himself to me, that he might
come and dwell in me, that he might walk and talk with me,
that he might live. I in them, and thou in me." What
did he say in Galatians 2.20? I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless,
I live. Yet not I. Yet not I. But the life which I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me
and gave himself for me. We sing a hymn at our church
called Christ Liveth in Me. A few days ago I was reading
the words of this song, and for the first time I really saw them.
It fits right in with what I'm talking about here. Paul said,
Oh, that I may know Him. Know Him. Know Him. Not just
know about Him. Not just know of Him. Know Him.
Christ in me, a living, vital, intimate, personal union with
Jesus Christ. Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Listen, once far from God and dead in sin, no light my heart
could see. But in God's Son, the light I
found. Christ liveth in me, as lives
the flower within the seed, as in the cone the tree. So praise
the God of truth and grace, his Spirit lives in me." Is that
so? Is that so that I may know him,
that I may know him? and the power of his resurrection.
I wonder what he meant by the power of his resurrected life,
or the power that flows from his resurrected life. Well, what
does his resurrection say? What does it say? Well, it says
God's almighty. It says more than that. Well,
it says God's able to raise the dead. Well, it says more than
that. Well, it says God will raise everybody someday. Well,
it says more than that. What does his resurrection say?
Well, you know what it says to me? It says the full penalty
is paid, or God would have never raised him from the dead. It
says there is therefore now no condemnation to them who are
in Christ. Christ was raised without sin. When he died on
that cross, he died under condemnation of my sin and guilt. When he
came out of that tomb, he came out without my sin. His resurrection
says something else. It says the righteousness of
God is mine. He was made sin for us who knew
no sin that I might be made the righteousness of God in him.
His resurrection says more than that. It says I have full acceptance
with God. We are accepted in the beloved.
When God raised him, he raised us up together with Christ and
seated us with him in the heavenlies. That's right. And then his resurrection
says he dies no more, I die no more. I am the resurrection and
the life, he that liveth and believeth on me, though he were
dead, yet shall he live. His resurrection says, My peace
I give unto you." My peace. The more I know him, the more
I enjoy him, the more I'm blessed by the blessings of his resurrected
life. Here's the fourth request, that
I may win Christ, gain Christ, and be found in him, that I may
know him, know him. And thirdly, that if possible,
If possible, I may obtain to the resurrection of the dead."
Now, there's a twofold resurrection. There's a spiritual resurrection
of the dead, and there's a physical resurrection. Yes, sir, that's
true. There's a spiritual resurrection. Ephesians 2.1 says this, "...you
hath he quickened made alive who were dead, who were dead
in trespasses and sins. All men spiritually in Adam died."
It says in the Scripture, by one man, sin entered this world,
and death by sin. So death passed upon all men
for all sin. We are born into this world,
this is so, born in sin, conceived in iniquity, shaped in iniquity,
brought forth speaking lies, estranged from the womb, that's
right, without God, without hope, without Christ, without help,
that's right, that's what the Scripture says. So the same power
that raised Christ, the same spirit that raised Christ from
the dead, must give me life, raise me from a spiritual grave.
It's the spirit that maketh alive, the flesh profiteth nothing.
That's right, there's a spiritual resurrection. And when Paul says,
Oh, that I may obtain a part in this resurrection, he's talking
first about a spiritual resurrection. But there's also a physical resurrection.
Now here are both resurrections in the same chapter in John 5,
25. Our Lord said, The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall
hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall
live. He that heareth my word, and believeth on me, hath everlasting
life. We hear him speak through his
word. We are quickened by the word. We are regenerated by the
word. We are born of the word. Of his
own will beget he us with the word of truth. But now here in
the same chapter, verse 28, John 5, 28, you have a physical resurrection. Christ said, don't marvel at
this. The hour cometh in which all that are in the graves, all
that are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of
God and come forth, some to the resurrection of life, some to
the resurrection of damnation. Paul said, my desire is to be
among those in the first resurrection. to be raised in his likeness.
And then here's the last request, verse 12. He said, I'm not already
perfect. He says what a lot of religionists
won't admit. Even the great apostle, even the illustrious apostle,
even the preacher called of God, sent to preach the gospel to
the Gentiles, who founded churches, wrote 13 books in the New Testament,
died for the glory of Christ. Even he said, I'm not perfect.
I haven't arrived. My desire, though, is to lay
hold in truth and faith on that for which Christ laid hold of
me." He says, I know I'm redeemed. I'm redeemed. I know I'm a son
of God. We know that we're sons of God.
We've passed from death into life. We know we're new creatures
in Christ. But we're not yet conformed to his image. We're
not yet made just like our Lord. And this is our desire, to be
made like Christ. That's what David said. This
is my desire. I'll be satisfied when I awake
with his likeness. Are we afraid to sing songs like
this? Here I raise mine Ebenezer, hither
by thine help I've come, and I hope by thy good pleasure safely
to arrive at home. Oh, to grace how great a debtor,
daily I'm constrained to be. Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee. Let's not fall into the pit of
religious presumption. Let's don't lay claim to acceptance
with God by our deeds or work. Let's count all of this heritage
and tradition and custom and paraphernalia of religious organizations
to be dung, to be rubbish, that we may win Christ and be found
in him. Seek ye the Lord while he may
be found.