Philippians 3:1-151Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe. 2Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. 3For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. 4Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8Yea 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, 9And 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: 10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12Not 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. 13Brethren, I count 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, 14I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. (Philippians 3:1‑15)
It takes faith for people to cast away things that are gain to them. There are some things we can easily cast away, and are better off for it. I have seen young men quit evil habits—smoking. That is a good thing to get rid of, but you couldn’t say that was casting away something that was gain to you. Paul said,
“Those things that were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.”
Are we able, by the grace of God, to take those very things, that minister to our temporal, advantage in this world, and count them as Paul did, but refuse, that we might win Christ? That is true faith. That is the energy of divine faith at work in the soul. That is what is going to make a successful man.
I believe if there ever was a case within the lids of the Bible that could be termed a success from God’s view point, it was the Apostle Paul. When he got to the end of his career, in place of having a great harvest of regrets and remorse, he is just satisfied to look back with humble satisfaction, conscious in his soul that he had fought a good fight, kept the faith and finished his course, and that there was laid up for him a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, would give him.
Dear young people, that crown is not for Paul alone, but He will give it to all who love His appearing; and surely, don’t you love His appearing? If you are a child of God at all, you cannot help rejoicing as you look forward to the time when the Lord Jesus is going to appear in glory, and come into possession of all that is His by right and title.
He is rejected now; He is not getting His rights; He is the maligned and outcast one. We feel that; we suffer with Christ; we feel He is not getting what belongs to Him, but we look forward to the time when He is going to have what belongs to Him. His joy in that day will be ours. Paul was able to finish his course with that satisfaction in his soul that he had kept the faith, and had fought the good fight.
We sometimes get young people who feel in some way or other that they have been endowed in a superior way. I met a young man not long ago who as much as told me that he was a little different from others because he had come into a superior mental endowment, and he couldn’t afford to take up a path of reproach in this world; that that might be all right for one of more mediocre attainment. For him, it seemed a loss—a shame—to step aside, and disown all this remarkable attainment, and live a humble life for Christ. I don’t say he put it in these words, but I couldn’t help feeling that was the burden that was going on in his own mind. I don’t dispute his claims for endowment. I think he was a clever young man. Supposing that should be the attitude of some here. I was thinking of what we have in 1 Corinthians 4:77For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? (1 Corinthians 4:7) in that connection,
“For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? Now, if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?”
Young Christian, here this afternoon, are you among these fortunate ones who have received something superior in the way of mental equipment or capacity? Where did you get it? How many times have you congratulated yourself on having it? But where did you get it? “If thou didst receive it, why dost thou boast? Who maketh thee to differ?” It was God who gave it to you, and it is to Him you must give account for having it.
In Matthew’s Gospel where the Lord gives the talents to His servants, He gives to every man according to his several ability. He didn’t give the same to each man. When He came to reckon with them, He reckoned with them on that ground too. So He is going to reckon with you on that ground. You are a steward of that which God has endowed you with. What are you going to do with it?
You can use all this splendid equipment you say you have, to advance self, with each success as a stepping stone to another one, pushing on and getting to the front and to the top. You can use all this endowment for that purpose; that is self.
But what about this: “It is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.” How will it be in that day when you will have to give account, and the question is asked how you have used it? One came to the Lord and told Him he had kept what was committed to him laid up in a napkin, He got the Lord’s rebuke. God has given you these things to use for Him, and in that coming day, is going to require it of you again.
“That is rather discouraging to ambition. I must have an object in life—something for which to live.”
Granted; that is true; one must have an object, but the Apostle Paul had one object torn out of his grasp on the way to Damascus, but he had another put into his hands. He laid down one to take up another. God never asks any of His own to go through life without an object. Our lives are formed largely by the character of the object we have before us, and that is never more true than in the lives of Christians. We must have an object; God knows that, and what an object He has given us! such as this poor world knows nothing of.
There are some in the world we believe who are living what is called an altravistic life. They have grand moral purposes to serve humanity. They are unconscious how much self is mixed up in it perhaps, but they feel they have dedicated themselves to a life of sacrifice and service. But for you, God has placed an object, the form of a person, and that Person the Son of God.
The apostle could say, “The Son of God who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”
In his race in life there mingled not only the, motive of desire and ambition, but of love and affection, all bound up for the object before him. It was not a sense of duty; not that he resolved it so, but his heart’s affections were drawn out to that object— “the Son of God who loved him.”
(To be continued)
(Continued from page 192)