The Excellency of the Knowledge of Jesus Christ
In Philippians 3:4-11, Paul unveils a simple, yet profound truth: nothing compares to knowing Jesus. He begins with a resume that would impress any Jew: circumcised the eighth day, a pure Israelite from Benjamin’s prestigious tribe, a zealous Pharisee, and blameless under the law (Php 3:5-6). His heritage, strict law-keeping, and passion for Judaism were unmatched (Gal 1:14). Yet, Paul deems these fleshly gains worthless compared to the excellency of knowing Jesus.
Why this drastic shift? The gospel humbled him— he found out he was a sinner needing grace, just as we all are, and that no amount of religious works could save him; only Christ could (Rom 3:23-28). So, he counted his past as loss: “What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” (Php 3:7). He realized status, safety, reputation, and worldly pursuits all became “dung” next to gaining Christ (Php 3:8, Act 9:15-16).
This knowledge, however, isn’t a mere collection of facts. It’s grasping who Christ is, God our Savior who died and rose to forgive our sins (1Co 15:3-4), what He does by granting us His righteousness through faith (2Co 5:21), and how He works in us by grace. It’s a treasure that should transform our priorities, because it outshines any worldly gains (2Co 4:3-7). Paul yearned to know it intimately and fully: Christ’s resurrection power, His sufferings, conformity to His death, and the resurrection when we’ll be glorified with Him (Php 3:10-11, Eph 1:19-20, Gal 2:20, 1Co 15:51-52).
Paul’s story should challenges us. Fleshly confidence, including our worldly achievements or piety, pales in comparison before Christ’s excellency. Seeking to gain the whole world and not trusting in Christ to save you results in you losing your soul. And if you are saved, seeking to gain the world will only bring discontent, pain, sorrow, and vain life without real purpose.
Do you believe this? First, do you see that your good works don’t make you righteous? We’re all sinners at our core, saved only by trusting Christ’s sacrifice and righteousness, not our own. Second, do you truly grasp how incredible it is to know Him? You might nod in agreement, but does that belief shape your life when it counts? How deep does it run?
As we press on in our walks, let us trade the temporary for the eternal and find our identity, worth, and life in Christ alone.
