Philippians 3 | Why Paul Calls His Achievements "Rubbish"

What does Paul mean by counting everything as loss in Philippians 3?
Who were the Judaizers, and why did Paul oppose them?
How does Philippians 3 teach about spiritual maturity?
What is the meaning of "pressing on toward the goal" in Philippians 3?

In Philippians 3, Paul challenges believers to rethink their values and priorities by contrasting his past achievements with the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. He recounts his impressive religious credentials but declares them worthless, or even "rubbish," compared to the righteousness found in Christ. Paul emphasizes that this righteousness does not come from obeying the law but through faith in Jesus. He passionately urges believers to discard any self-reliance and to focus solely on pursuing a deeper relationship with Christ, understanding His resurrection power, and sharing in His sufferings.

Paul’s use of strong language and his aggressive tone against the Judaizers reveals his deep concern for the spiritual health of the Philippians. He exposes false teachers who insisted on circumcision and other Jewish customs for salvation, affirming that these outward signs have no value in God’s eyes. Instead, Paul places the highest value on faith and spiritual maturity, urging his readers to join him in a relentless pursuit of Christ-likeness.

He speaks of pressing on toward the goal of knowing Christ fully, likening it to a race where past achievements or failures should be forgotten, and all energy should be focused on the finish line. Paul encourages the Philippians to adopt this mindset of striving forward, grounded in humility and reliant on God’s grace. He clarifies that spiritual maturity means recognizing that the journey of faith is ongoing and that God will continue to reveal areas needing growth.

The chapter concludes with a reminder that believers' true citizenship is in heaven, not on earth. Paul inspires them to anticipate the future transformation of their bodies to be like Christ’s glorious body. He urges them to remain steadfast, holding onto the truth they have already attained and continuing to pursue the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3 calls Christians to evaluate their lives in light of eternity, focusing on what truly matters. It offers a powerful message of hope and encouragement for anyone striving to live a life dedicated to Jesus, free from the need to prove oneself through human efforts or achievements.

#Philippians3 #FaithOverWorks #KnowingChrist #ChristianGrowth #PressOn #Spirit

Transcript

 Philippians 3

Philippians 3

[00:00:00] Hey everyone. Welcome to God's plan. Your part year two, where this year we're reading through and studying the entire new Testament one chapter at a time. Thanks again for joining us in discovering God's plan and your part in it. Today, we are looking at Philippians chapter three, where Paul is going to turn a lot of things that you would expect on their heads.

I would say the meat of this passage is him kind of comparing the gain column of his life and the loss column of his life. And how they flip, uh, and and change places is important because it still remains important to us today to see what it means to be a follower of Jesus and how we conduct ourselves in our day to day lives.

He starts out pretty strong, too. He refers to, uh, Jewish, I guess, what do they call it in here? They were Jewish Judaizers, um, as dogs, which was actually a common term used for the Gentiles by the Judaizers. So, he's kind of coming out a little bit more as like, more [00:01:00] aggressive in this chapter than what we've seen in the past chapters.

Uh, but he is giving a really interesting resume of himself as well, um, and pretty much claiming that all of it is really for nothing because of what Christ has done for him. So, we see a little bit of aggression towards the Judaizers, which understandably so, but then also, um, Paul just being really humble.

About his own life and how none of the stuff that he has accomplished actually matters in comparison to what Christ has done. I think it is real humility. Does it feel, does it feel humble to you? Cause you've had, like you've had your issues with Paul as we've gone through. Reading. Like, am I, do I feel like he's being real with what he's saying?

Or like, is that a, I don't know. Um, I guess I would think that he, it is, because most people would flex those things and say, this is, This is why you should follow me. Yeah. Like, I am credible because of X, Y, Z, but he's [00:02:00] saying that all of those credibility pieces. Don't actually mean a thing. Like it doesn't actually matter at all.

It counts as a loss. Yeah, it counts as a loss. Compared to the sake of Christ and what he's done. So I do think it's important to point out that he starts out the chapter, I think, basically calling out, like, hey, look out for false teachers. In this one he does say evildoers, people who mutilate the flesh.

Um, and, and dogs, he says dogs at one point, I'm not right there in the beginning of verse two. Um, I, I do think he is calling out just false teachers in general, but obviously the thing that's on his mind is this group of teachers that were trying to convince Christians that they had to be circumcised and therefore follow, uh, the Jewish laws, the law of Moses, uh, to be justified before God and Paul's encouraging them.

No, that's not true. And we, we know that. Because the case he's been making throughout all these other letters that we've covered in the last couple of months. Maybe that helps to answer your question then a little bit further, because he's saying like, all [00:03:00] those things don't matter. And he's saying, I actually did all of those things and it still isn't, that's not what actually matters at the end of all.

Um, so he's like super hyper criticizing it and then saying like, I actually did all that. Yeah. So it is, give her what it is. It is pretty powerful. Uh, to hear from someone that has done most of these things saying that they are not important before God. So like, like it's one thing to hear someone like, it's one thing to hear somebody who's not circumcised to be like, no, you don't need to do that.

It's like, well, obviously you're saying that because you don't want to have to do the thing. Well, verse four, he says, if anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more like he's saying, I literally check every single box that would make sense to these people. people. Um, he talks about his circumcision on the eighth day.

He talks about the tribe he comes from, from a Hebrew of Hebrews as to the law. He was a Pharisee, a persecutor of the church. So just like all these things [00:04:00] that would have really just like kept pushing him up the ladder and like I said, checking all the boxes, he's done all of it and he is saying this is like, it's not right.

It's not what matters. Um, actually, if you look in verse. Eight, I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having a righteousness from my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ. So he's saying, yeah, like I've, I've checked all these boxes, like these false teachers that want you to come under the law.

Um, I've actually checked all the boxes that they would tell you you need to check and I'm telling you clearly. That will not justify you before God. So I've done it. I've tried it all. I've been extremely zealous for all of it. That is nonsense. That is rubbish. This is interesting. I've heard several teachings on this before.

I believe the Greek word, I don't have this in front of me. Um, so somebody is free to fact check me and put it in the comments or something. I believe the [00:05:00] Greek word here for rubbish translated rubbish is scuba lawn. And, and scuba line is actually can be translated as like a much stronger word than rubbish.

Like basically like, um, like, uh, excrement, but, but in the not completely appropriate way that you might describe that. So, um, again, you can fact check me if I am incorrect, please correct me in the comments or send me a text or something. Uh, but I do believe it's scuba line and I do believe that. Paul is being as extreme as possible in his description of how worthless all these things are to him so that Christ is all the more elevated above and beyond what he can accomplish on his own.

I think three words you started at the like, like the middle of the sentence in verse eight, three words at the beginning of that sentence is for his sake. So it's all for the sake of Christ too. So it's like, obviously there's this better thing that he's giving it up for because it doesn't matter. Um, so I think that's really important as [00:06:00] well.

For his sake and then it does I think it's a nice little segue into the next section of the chapter 2 because it's talking about How this is not something that he's obtained He is not perfect, but he is realizing or has realized that in his life Everything is rubbish except for like the the sake of Christ or like the the mission of Christ a mission of God in his life So he is Also, being very real at the same time, like, I'm not perfect, I'm not Jesus himself, but I am considering my life as his, um, so that he can be glorified and not myself.

Right. And, and he's going to press on, uh, to bringing even more glory to Christ and understanding Christ even more. Um, I love, I was drawn to this verse, but one thing I do forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the [00:07:00] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Let those of us who are mature think this way. And if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. I think it's super powerful. Like, Hey, like. You've been through a lot. It might've been bad stuff. It might've been good stuff. You might have this incredible resume that, that Paul now counts as loss for the sake of Christ.

Um, just put that behind and strain on toward what's ahead. Well, what's ahead growing in the fullness and, and knowledge and experience of Christ our Lord. All of us can apply that to our lives. Like, man, you may have done some very awesome stuff in the past. You may have done some very terrible stuff in the past, but we encourage you to press on, move ahead, keep Christ at the center of your life and straining towards the prize, straining towards the goal, uh, that ultimately is your Knowing Jesus fully and completely, like what an incredible thing to press on toward.

Uh, I hope I live my life that way. Uh, and if I'm [00:08:00] not, you can call me out and, uh, I hope you live your life that way. I think it's an incredible thing to press on toward. I really like verse 15 as well. It is, it's going along with this idea of, um, not already. Obtaining perfection in your, your faith or your maturity.

Verse 15 says, let those who are mature think this way. I'm kind of pushing back towards the, um, straining towards what is ahead, not what's behind, um, essentially talking about spiritual maturity. Um, and if any of you think otherwise, God will reveal that to you. Also, so I think he's really, he's also encouraging them, like be around mature Christians, learn from others around you, like learn from Paul, the one who's writing this letter, um, because He's even saying, like, if you, if you think you're already mature, you've already obtained this, God's going to reveal that to you also that there's still learning to do, but I love the emphasis on, um, I [00:09:00] guess accountability and learning from more mature Christians so that you can continue, um, to grow towards life in Christ and not things that.

I think this is just a powerful encouragement, and I hope we're coming across that way, uh, that, that Paul is saying like, Hey, like there is more to life and we can continue to press on and, and continue to glorify Christ and know Christ more. This is not an earning thing, so it's not like, Hey, if, if you don't press on, you're not going to make it.

Paul actually makes it clear that God has already chosen him. Christ has already chosen him. So for, for. For those of us who are believers, those of us who have already been called, who have already been chosen, and I believe that possibility is open to everyone. Um, this is not an earning thing. Like, you don't have to press on to make Jesus love you more.

You press on to understand and love Jesus more. [00:10:00] So it's like a, it's like a subtle flip, but I, I don't, I guess it's, maybe it's not. So it's like, it's a pretty big deal. Like you're not doing this to earn credit from Jesus. You're doing this to understand Jesus and follow Jesus and love Jesus more and more and more and more.

And I think it is a big shift when you go from trying to earn his love to trying to further understand his love and experience his love and embrace his love. I think it's very, very powerful thing. And I love that. Paul's pointing it out here in Philippians three. Uh, I guess you can kind of just end the chapter then.

Uh, we've kind of, uh, Go into chapter, excuse me, verse 21, where it's talking about, well, 20 and 21. Our citizenship is in heaven and from it we await the Savior, Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him to subject all things to himself, which I think is an extension of, um, not only maturity, but like our, our frailty as human and you're like human beings and how it will all.

[00:11:00] Um, ultimately come to like even more glory in Christ, um, outside of our, our mortal selves. So I don't know. I think it's that extension of that is like, there's, there's always room for growth. There's always room to continue to press on because, um, better things await us. So we hope that all the things. Uh, that you have done that you think earn you the right to be loved by Jesus.

We hope that you can count them as a loss. We hope that you can count them as rubbish, as scubalon, uh, and that you can put those things behind you so that you can continue to press on and strain toward the goal that is knowing Christ, experiencing his love, glorifying him more. Um, it is no small task. Uh, but I encourage you to do that.

Whatever your, whatever your job is, maybe you're at home raising your kids. Maybe you're, um, relaxing for the day. I don't, I don't know. Tempting to feel like you have arrived at some points in your life. Yes. And we just encourage you today, like literally in your day to day, think through [00:12:00] what would it look like to use this day to honor Christ even more than I have.

Previously, so that you are continuing to press on and move ahead again, not because you're trying to earn his love. You already have his love, but because you're trying to experience it and walk in it and appreciate it even more every day. I hope that I am on a journey like that. I think I am. I think I've been experiencing some of that in my own life lately on.

We hope that you You are on that journey as well. If you're not, um, send us an email, send us a text. You can do that with the link in our description. You can reach out to us whenever you want to. I will be happy to pray for you. We'll be happy to process things with you, whatever it is. We'd love to help you out and encourage you to be closer and closer to Jesus.

Every. Um, we believe it is possible and we encourage you to do it. So we'll be back again tomorrow with Philippians chapter four, probably the most famous, the most famous chapter of Philippians, but also the final chapter of Philippians. So, uh, we are breezing through this book pretty quickly. Uh, we'll get to it tomorrow.

We'll see you then. [00:13:00] Thanks for joining us for another episode of God's Plan, Your Part. We wanted to remind you that reading God's word is so important and it will transform your life. If you want a copy of the Bible that we use here on the podcast, just go ahead and send us an email at godsplanyourpartatgmail.

com. With that being said, here is the reading for today. Philippians chapter three. Finally, my brothers rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is no trouble to me and is safe for you. Look out for the dogs. Look out for the evildoers. Look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh, though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also.

If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh I have more. circumcised on the eighth day of the people of Israel. of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, as to the [00:14:00] law, a Pharisee, as to zeal, a persecutor of the church, as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith, that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead, Not that I have already obtained this, or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me His own.

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I [00:15:00] do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.

Only let us hold true to what we have attained. Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. For many, of whom I have often told you, I now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction. Their God is their belly, and they glory in their shame with mindset on earthly things, but our citizenship is in heaven.

And from it, we await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Thank you so much for [00:16:00] listening to today's episode of God's Plan, your Part. Don't forget, you can find us on just about every social media platform.

And YouTube, let us know what you thought of today's episode. And if you have any questions, go ahead and post them there. You can also reach out to us directly at God's plan. Your part at gmail. com as always, if you don't have a Bible, or if you'd like to use the one that we use a reach out to us via email, and we'll be happy to send one to you, thanks again for listening.

We'll see you again tomorrow.