“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord t for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 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: that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."—Phil. 3:7-117But 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. (Philippians 3:7‑11).
IN considering any book of Scripture, it is most helpful to have some knowledge of the particular subject of which it treats. Ephesians, for instance, sets forth most blessedly the church of God—the body of Christ. Colossians, the glories of the Head of the body, and the mischievous results of not holding the Head. In Galatians, the apostle contends most uncompromisingly for the finished work of Christ, glorying in the cross, and refuses everything added to that work as subversive of it. In Philippians we have devotedness. There is much more, doubtless, in all these epistles, but in these remarks I call attention to the prominent points.
But what are we to understand by devotedness? Did not our Lord refer to it when He said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me"? Devotedness, then, is simply yielding: to the claims of Christ, and therefore it refuses the claims of self In a word, devotedness Christ—walking as He walked:
You will observe that Philippians begins with, supporting that we are in Christ. It addresses itself to such—"to all the saints in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi," as we find by the first verse of the epistle. This is surely where God begins with us—"when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." This, then, is the starting-point of true devotedness; and a soul cannot be said to be intelligently on the ground of devotedness, till he enters upon this new position God has given him as a new creation in Christ Jesus. This is again alluded to in the third chapter, where four characteristics of true Christians are grouped together. 1St. With such there is no question of mending, or improving man in the flesh. The death of Christ forbids the thought. But we have so judged the flesh, with its affections and lusts, to be so irremediably bad, that we have accepted its crucifixion with Christ, and set it aside, as God has, as unfit for anything but judgment and death—"we are the circumcision." 2nd. We so know God in Christ, as the giver of His Son and the source of all our blessing, that our hearts adoringly praise and worship—"we worship God in the Spirit." 3rd. We so know Him who has glorified God in our redemption, and loved us, that we delight in His highest exaltation, and thus "rejoice in Christ Jesus." 4th. Seeing God's estimate of our old man in the cross, we refuse the claims of the flesh and all its resources and pretensions, as unworthy of our trust—we "have no confidence in the flesh." It is plain then that the starting-point of all true devotedness is our new position in Christ Jesus.
The energy of devotedness is associated with rejoicing in the Lord. Again and again this rejoicing is alluded to in this precious epistle, like another witness, reminding us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. The heart being set free from self and sin, finds in the Lord an unchanging source of joy and strength, Here there is no question of conscience as to sin, no failure to be judged, but the soul is taken up with the Lord and stayed upon Him. Peace, communion, and devotedness is the divine order. And it is when the heart is taken up with the sweetness and perfectness of divine love, and, disentangled from self and circumstances, enjoying full liberty in Christ, that we are free to follow Him with girded loins, holding forth the word of life. It is because He is above all circumstances, and the same yesterday, and to-day, and forever, that we can "rejoice in the Lord alway.”
The secret spring of true devotedness is the knowledge of the infinite worth and perfections of Christ Himself. "What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ 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," &c. Paul had seen the Man In the glory. The brightness of that light had disclosed to him the imperfection of all that he had gloried in. The ineffable glories of that blessed Person had shown him, that what he had hitherto boasted of in the flesh was altogether a corrupt and foul mass, which could only be counted dung. That which man glories in must all vanish before the glory of the risen and ascended Lord Jesus. Weighed in the balance with Christ, all is lighter than vanity. Measured by the eternal standard of His excellencies, all comes short, and is found only dung and dross—corrupt and worthless before God. Having had to do with that blessed Man who is at God's right hand, Paul's heart was so captivated, that he never could be satisfied till he was with Christ, and could not bear to be outside the light and joy of His blessed presence, or fail to respond to the desires of His heart. Nothing can supply the lack of this personal acquaintance with Christ. Intimacy with Himself is certainly the secret of true devotedness. Occupied with Him, the heart readily refuses the voice of the stranger, and cannot but own His paramount claims. Nothing so thoroughly tests the state of our hearts, as whether we are taken up or not with personal intimacy with the Lord Himself.
“Far from Him we faint and languish,
Oh, our Savior, keep us nigh.”