Then Paul says:

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

The "things" that were gain were his attainments in Judaism, and Paul now was viewing these attainments as nothing more than a hindrance to His pursuit of Christ.

Next, Paul expands the discarding of his accomplishments to include "all things."

Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win [gain] Christ, (Philippians 3:8)

The "knowledge of Christ" is not knowledge about the historical Jesus, or even the knowledge of who or what Jesus is in Heaven. Rather, the knowledge for which Paul traded all else is the knowledge that comes through entering Christ and Christ entering us. It is the deepest kind of personal knowledge. It is the knowledge that is perfect, complete union. It is oneness with Him who is God.

Paul was seeking to "win Christ." Christ must be won. Christ must be gained by laying aside all else so we may adhere in every respect to what Christ presents to us each day. It is an abiding in Him who continually presents a different challenge to the one who would keep on abiding in Him. It is a moment by moment interaction with the living Jesus—an interaction that results in union, in oneness of life, oneness of will, oneness of purpose, oneness of joy, oneness of all personality and behavior.

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: (Philippians 3:9)

The doctrine for which Paul is known is the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith. Nowhere is this doctrine more clearly explained than in Philippians 3:3-15. If we would interpret Romans, Chapters Three through Five correctly we must do so in terms of Philippians 3:3-15. It is here that Paul explains "the righteousness which is of God by faith."

In Romans, Chapters Three through Five Paul explains to the Jews that the salvation God has given us through Christ is not based on works of righteousness we have performed nor on our obedience to the Law and ordinances of Moses.

The Jew is oriented toward pleasing God by doing the works of the Law. Paul points out that God has given us His righteousness apart from the keeping of the Law. We must let go of our attempts to please God by the Law and receive the righteousness God has given in Christ. The righteousness of Christ will be ascribed to us if we will look up from our dead efforts to please God and receive by faith the righteousness in Christ that God has provided for us.

We Gentiles do not have a background of the Law. We are interpreting Paul’s arguments to mean God does not care how we behave. We believe God is saving us from Hell on the basis of confessing with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believing that God has raised Him from the dead.

The converted Jew has a background of moral training and conscience that may serve to keep him from sinning until he learns to walk according to the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ.

Many Gentiles have no such background. They conceive of Christianity as a gift to them of life and glory apart from any marriage to righteousness on their part. They merely confess the name of Christ and state their belief in the particular doctrinal positions of the group that is evangelizing them. Now they are saved "by grace," meaning that God is not interested in their behavior but in their acceptance of the truths concerning Christ.

The Gentile interpretation and application of Paul’s doctrine is a perversion of God’s intention in Christ. Our conscience (if not our common sense) ought to tell us that God did not send His Son into the world so believing Gentiles can live as they please and then enter Paradise on the strength of a doctrinal position.

The concept of Christian grace as an alternative to godly living is working hand in hand with the contemporary emphasis on the centralization of man and the rights of people, with the result that both Christian and secular society are degenerating rapidly. The present level of moral behavior soon will bring on the peoples of the earth the most terrible expressions of the wrath of God mankind yet has experienced.

Paul taught the Jews the difference between attempting to save one’s self by performing the works of the Law, and receiving God’s gift of salvation through Christ.

In Romans, Chapters Six through Eight, Paul carefully explained that the Christian redemption, that which leads finally to the redemption of the physical body, works in us as we through the Spirit put to death the deeds of our body and follow the Spirit of God. These passages are being ignored. The believers have seized on Paul’s explanation to the Jews in Chapters Three through Five and are announcing that God has given eternal life to us regardless of how we behave.

It is immense doctrinal error and it is having a tragic effect on mankind. The light of the world is not shining. The churches are not exhibiting the good works of righteousness by which people glorify God.

The righteousness that is not of the Law but through faith in Christ is not a righteousness that comes as we choose to believe spiritual facts. The righteousness that is through faith in Christ is explained in Philippians 3:10. It is given as we interact with the living Jesus, as we enter the power of His resurrection, and as we are conformed to His death on the cross. Faith is not mere belief. To live by faith is to participate in experiences that bring us into an ever-deepening union with the Lord.

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed unto his death; (Philippians 3:10)

"That I may know him" means to enter union with Him.

"The power of his resurrection" indicates that we learn to exchange our flesh and blood wisdom and energies for the eternal Life that flows from God through Christ. This Life moves and guides us in the world, enabling us to live above the darkness and death with which Satan has blanketed mankind.

We do not learn in one moment to live by the power of Christ’s resurrection. The ability to flow in that Life comes little by little as our natural life is brought down and the Life of Jesus takes its place.

"Being conformed to his death" signifies that the Spirit of God leads us into all the areas of self-denial that our Lord knew. Jesus was crucified through weakness but lives by the power of God. God deliberately causes all the wisdom, knowledge, abilities, strengths, talents, of our natural man to be brought to nothing so that in their place He may introduce the eternal Life that is in Christ.

The "righteousness that is of God by faith," the faith by which the righteous of all ages have lived and served God, is union with God in all He Is and does. All the saints of history have lived this way. The difference of the Christian Era lies in the fact that union with God in all He is, is much more demanding than had been true prior to Christ’s resurrection Also, much more Divine grace has been given to make possible a far more complete union.

We see, therefore, that the definition ofsalvation by grace through faith as "the entrance of an unrighteous individual into fellowship with God on the basis of his doctrinal confession" is not in keeping with the writings of the New Testament. Rather, such a definition must be gleaned from a few selected verses removed from their contexts.

What goal was Paul attempting to reach by his single-minded pursuit of union with the Life of God through Christ?

If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection [Greek, out-resurrection] of the dead. (Philippians 3:11)

Paul was pressing forward toward the redemption of his mortal body, in particular the redemption that will come to those who are prepared spiritually to be revealed with Christ at His appearing.

The full attainment to eternal life will be established and manifested when our mortal body has been raised from the dead and clothed with a glorious house of life from Heaven (II Corinthians 4:17-5:4). Such glory must be attained (arrived at) by total, consistent, continual pressing into Christ. Everything else, every other goal, must be cast aside as unworthy of the supreme goal, which is the winning of Christ.

In the Book of Romans, Paul outlined the pursuit of eternal life.

Chapters Three through Five of Romans teach us that we are not forgiven and delivered from Divine wrath on the basis of the works of the Law but on the basis of the atonement made by the blood of God’s sin offering, Christ.

Chapter Six of Romans warns us against continuing in sin after we have believed and been baptized in water.

In Chapter Six, Paul points out that we who have received Christ have a choice. We can choose to serve righteousness or we can choose to serve sin. Those who have not received Christ have no choice. They are under the dominion of sin. We who have received Christ can, if we wish, choose to serve righteousness.

Notice we are to serverighteousness. Of course, this means to serve Jesus. But the concept of servingrighteousness needs to be emphasized because this expression brings into focus how unscriptural is the contemporary definition of Divine grace.

Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. (Romans 6:18)

"The servants of righteousness."

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