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As we have pointed out, the book of Philippians is on the experience of Christ. It is the only Epistle in the New Testament concerned with the experience of Christ. Although we are familiar with the term the experience of Christ, it is difficult to explain how to experience Him. We have seen that the experience of Christ is mysterious because Christ is mysterious, invisible. Nevertheless, we can experience Him. He is real and can be experienced, yet He is invisible. For this reason, it is difficult to find a verse in the New Testament telling us how to experience Christ. Although the book of Philippians deals with the experience of Christ and although the way to experience Christ is found in this book, the way is a mystery. It is not found on the surface of the book of Philippians. In order to find the way to experience Christ, we need to get into the depths of this book.
In the last chapter we saw that the way to experience Christ is to repudiate all that we are naturally. All that we have, all that we can do, and all that we are must be rejected and given up. As long as a certain aspect of us is natural, it must be repudiated, no matter how good it may be. Whether our natural constitution is very good or very poor, it must be denied. It takes little effort to deny the worst kind of self, but it requires a great deal of energy to deny the best self. Perhaps you have been treasuring your best self for years. Your friends and relatives all admire it, and you also appreciate it and esteem it highly. Now you hear that you are called upon to repudiate this self in order to experience Christ.
After we repudiate ourselves, we find that something still remains. This remainder is Christ. As the remainder, Christ is very mysterious. When we cooperate with the mysterious Christ, we not only experience Him but also enjoy Him. This enjoyment causes us to be happy and excited.
In Philippians 3:8 Paul speaks of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord. This excellency surpasses the realm of physics, science, and mathematics. In fact, it surpasses everything. I doubt that very many Christians know what the excellency of the knowledge of Christ is.
In Philippians 3 we find the contrast between two kinds of righteousness: the righteousness of the law and the righteousness of God. The righteousness of the law comes from our keeping of the law. For example, the law commands us to honor our parents. If we honor our parents, then this becomes our righteousness according to the law. The law also charges us not to steal. If we refrain from stealing, then we are righteous according to the law in the matter of stealing. The second kind of righteousness seen in Philippians 3 is the righteousness which is out of God and based on faith. Thus, one kind of righteousness is the righteousness of the law, and the other kind of righteousness is the righteousness of God. The law is of dead letters, but God is living. Thus, there is one kind of righteousness which is of dead letters and another kind of righteousness which is of the living God.
In verse 10 Paul speaks of the power of Christ’s resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. In chapter 1 there is the fellowship unto the gospel and in chapter 2, the fellowship of spirit. Here we have the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings. In 3:10 Paul also speaks of being conformed to Christ’s death. Christ’s death is like a mold, and we are like clay pressed into the mold. Eventually, the clay is conformed to the mold. This is a picture of our being conformed to Christ’s death. In this chapter we need to consider these five crucial matters: the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, the righteousness out of God and based on faith, the power of Christ’s resurrection, the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings, and the conformity to Christ’s death.
In verse 11 we find another unusual expression: the out-resurrection from the dead. This is not an ordinary resurrection but an extraordinary resurrection. It refers to something outstanding. We will consider this in another chapter.
In order to know what the excellency of the knowledge of Christ is, we need to see that the main comparison in chapter 3 is between the law and Christ. Verse 5 says, “As to the law, a Pharisee.” Verse 6 says, “As to zeal, persecuting the church; as to the righteousness which is in the law, become blameless.” In these two verses as to is used three times: as to the law, as to zeal, and as to the righteousness which is in the law. In verses 7 and 8 Paul uses the words on account of three times: on account of Christ, on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, and on account of whom, referring to Christ. In verse 5 Paul says, “As to the law,” but in verse 7 he says, “On account of Christ.” Here we see the contrast between the law and Christ.
A second comparison is that between zeal for the law and the knowledge of Christ. The third comparison is that between the righteousness of the law and the righteousness which is out of God and based on faith. The focal point of these comparisons, however, is the comparison between the law and Christ. The knowledge in verse 8 is not the knowledge of the law but the knowledge of Christ. This knowledge has its excellency because Christ is excellent.
Do you still believe that the law is excellent? If you say no, I would ask you to compare the law of the Old Testament with the law of the Roman Empire. By this comparison the law of the Old Testament is excellent, for it excels Roman law. But if you compare the Old Testament law with Christ, it does not have any excellence.
Christ is the embodiment of God. All the fullness of the Godhead is embodied in Christ and dwells in Him. What could be more excellent than the fullness of the Godhead and Christ as the mystery of God? According to the New Testament, no one can know Christ adequately because He is so excellent. In Matthew 11:27 the Lord Jesus said, “No one fully knows the Son except the Father.” Thus, it is impossible for us to know Christ fully; He surpasses all things and far transcends our comprehension. One day, however, the Lord brought His disciples to Caesarea Philippi and asked them to tell Him who people were saying that He was. “They said, Some, John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets” (16:14). All these were nonsensical answers. Then the Lord asked His disciples, “But you, who do you say that I am?” (v. 15). Suddenly, Peter responded, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (v. 16). There is no comparison between the Son of the living God and Elijah or any of the other prophets. After Peter made his declaration regarding Christ, the Lord Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in the heavens” (v. 17). The Lord Jesus seemed to be saying, “Simon, you are a son of Jonah, the son of a man of flesh. Nevertheless, you have received a heavenly revelation. This did not come from flesh and blood but from My Father in the heavens who has revealed it to you. I am not simply a Nazarene, the son of Mary. I am the Son of the living God.” With Jesus the Nazarene there was seemingly no excellency, but with the Son of the living God there is excellency. None can compare with Him.
Although Peter received the revelation in Matthew 16, in Matthew 17 he acted foolishly on the Mount of Transfiguration. When Moses and Elijah appeared, Peter said, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You are willing, I will make three tents here, one for You and one for Moses and one for Elijah” (v. 4). Peter’s word offended the heavens. Therefore, a voice from heaven said, “This is My Son, the Beloved, in whom I have found My delight. Hear Him!” (v. 5). This voice seemed to be saying, “Peter, don’t suggest building three tents, one for Moses, one for Elijah, and one for the Lord Jesus. Listen only to the Son of God.” This voice was a shock to Peter. With the two other disciples Peter fell on his face. But when they lifted up their eyes, “they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone” (v. 8). Jesus Christ, the embodiment of the fullness of God, is excellent. His excellence far surpasses that of Moses and Elijah.
When Paul was Saul of Tarsus, he knew nothing of the excellency of Christ. Rather, he thought that the law was marvelous, and, as a Jew, he was proud of it and zealous for it. He appreciated the law to the uttermost. In his zeal for the law, he persecuted the church. One day, on the road to Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly shined upon him, and he was knocked to the ground. At that time he had a vision of Someone more excellent than the law — the Son of the living God. From that time onward, Paul knew that Christ was infinitely superior to the law. The law was given from God and by God, but it was only of dead letters. Now Paul had seen a living person who was the embodiment of God. Can the law compare to this living person? Impossible! This living person may be likened to gold and the law to clay. Before knowing about gold, we may appreciate clay, but by seeing the gold, we receive the excellency of the knowledge of the gold. This illustrates Paul’s experience in coming to the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. The excellency of the knowledge of Christ is the excellency of Christ realized by us.
One day a brother brought me a large round stone. This stone was so ugly that I did not care to even touch it. Then the brother said, “Brother Lee, you have said that Christ had no outward beauty or comeliness but that He was beautiful within. This stone is like Christ in this regard. Outside it is ugly, but inside it is beautiful.” Then the brother cut the stone, and within it was a beautiful, transparent crystal. Before he cut the stone, I had no knowledge of the crystal. In fact, I did not appreciate it and wanted to throw it away because it was so ugly. But after the stone was cut, the beauty within appeared before my eyes, and I gained the excellency of the knowledge of the crystal.
In like manner, before his experience on the road to Damascus, Paul did not have the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. Rather, he thought that Jesus was merely an illegitimate son of Mary who was born and raised in Nazareth. Paul treasured the law, but he despised Jesus. However, on the road to Damascus, the excellent Jesus appeared to him, and he was shocked when he met the Lord. The Jesus whom Paul thought was buried in a tomb now appeared to him from the heavens. On that day he learned that Jesus was not earthly but heavenly and divine. He came to see the excellency of this wonderful One. On account of the excellency of this knowledge of Christ, Paul came to realize that the law cannot compare with Him. Therefore, he could have said, “I have made a comparison between Jesus and the law, and I have decided to take Christ. I count all things loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ.”
Have you ever compared Christ with all other people and all other things? Have you ever compared Him with your degree or with your wife or husband and children? As Christians, we need to make such a comparison. If you compare the sum total of all people and all things with Christ, you will gain the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, and Christ will become all the more dear to you. You will be willing to let go of everything and everyone on account of Christ. Some may think it terrible to count all things loss for Christ, but I am serious in saying that everything must go and that only Christ must remain. When everything has gone, that is the time to experience Christ as the remainder. Christ as the remainder will be incomparably precious and sweet. This is Christ for our experience.
Although the Christ who remains when all other things have been counted loss may seem to be quite small, He is very precious. Whenever I experience Christ and let all other things go, I have the Christ who remains. This remainder may seem quite small, but it is adequate for our appetite.
When some Christians speak about experiencing Christ, they become greedy and desire to swallow all of Christ at one time. But it took Paul more than thirty years to enjoy Christ. However, some of the young people are impatient in the experience of Christ and complain about enjoying only a little of Him at a time. Do not try to experience too much of Him at once. Simply keep on experiencing Him and enjoying Him daily. Regarding the experience of Christ, we need to slow down and realize that it will take eternity to enjoy Him. Day by day we need to experience a little more of Him. We need to partake of Christ many times a day. In this way we will have a greater enjoyment of Him. The enjoyment of Christ is an eternal matter. He is inexhaustible, and we cannot exhaust the experience of Him even in a lifetime.
Now we come to the second kind of righteousness in Philippians 3, the righteousness which is out of God and based on faith. As we have seen, the righteousness of the law requires us to keep the law. The more we obey the law, the more of the righteousness of the law we will have. Thus, the righteousness of the law depends upon our effort and behavior. The righteousness of God is different, for it does not depend upon our behavior. Actually, the righteousness of God is simply God Himself living in us and out of us. When God lives in us and then out of us, He becomes our righteousness. For example, it is not we who honor our parents or refrain from stealing. It is the righteous God who lives in us and out of us. By living out of us, He becomes our living righteousness. When we try to keep the law, we endeavor to honor our parents. Even when we are angry, we know that we are obliged to honor our parents and suppress our anger. The righteousness out of God and based on faith is in a different category. God lives in us. This causes us to be full of joy and shining. The righteousness of the law is dead, but the righteousness which is out of God Himself is living. We experience this righteousness only when we repudiate ourselves and enjoy Christ as the remainder. At that time, God lives in us and out of us. Then our daily living will be full of God’s expression.
In verse 10 we see that Paul wanted to know the power of Christ’s resurrection. This power is the resurrected Christ living in us. Our Christ today is the resurrected One. As the resurrection, He lives within us. Like a dynamo, the resurrected Christ lives within us as our source of power. When we repudiate our flesh and our natural man, we often have a sense of this power working in us. Christ as the remainder is like a motor empowering us from within. This is the power of His resurrection.
Because we have the power of resurrection, it is easy to die with Christ. The second stanza of Hymns, #481, written by A. B. Simpson, goes like this:
A. B. Simpson certainly knew Christ as resurrection power. He knew that the resurrected Christ lived in him as resurrection power. By this resurrection power we can overcome all negative things, including Satan himself. The Christian life is a life lived by resurrection power. Experiencing the power of Christ’s resurrection requires that we repudiate the flesh, the self, and the natural man. When we do this, we will experience the resurrection power within. By this power we experience all the riches of Christ.
Now we come to the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings. The sufferings here are different from our common sufferings. Most of our sufferings are not Christ’s sufferings. To know the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings, we must know the difference between Christ’s sufferings and our common sufferings. Christ’s sufferings were for the fulfillment of God’s purpose. Christ did not suffer for any other reason. We, on the contrary, suffer not because we are fulfilling God’s will but because we have made so many mistakes. Suppose, for example, a certain brother is quite lazy. By oversleeping in the morning, he misses the bus for school. Because he is late for school, he suffers discipline at school upon his arrival. Such suffering is not the suffering of Christ. It is the suffering that comes upon us because of our mistakes.
We need to be clear what the sufferings of Christ are. Suppose a brother who is a student has a genuine, living testimony at school. This testimony causes him to be persecuted for the sake of Christ. This persecution is the suffering of Christ. To remain in this kind of suffering is to share in the fellowship of Christ’s suffering for the fulfillment of God’s purpose. The suffering that comes from being persecuted for bearing a living testimony to the Lord is in the same category as Christ’s suffering for the fulfillment of God’s purpose. We all must stay in this kind of suffering. This is the fellowship of His sufferings.
Whenever you repudiate your flesh and your self, you will experience Christ and enjoy Him. But due to your enjoyment of Christ, opposition will come to you, and you will suffer persecution. You will be persecuted because the world today is against God’s economy and the testimony of Jesus. When you suffer opposition and persecution, you share in the fellowship of Christ’s suffering.
In this verse Paul also speaks of being conformed to Christ’s death. Christ’s humanity was like a shell, and He as the embodiment of God was concealed and confined within this shell. Outwardly, He had no glory, but inwardly He was filled with the glory of God. How could the glory within shine out? The only way was by death. Christ’s death was the breaking of the outer shell of His humanity. Through His death His human shell was broken, and the divine glory was released. In other words, His death broke His humanity and released His divinity.
As human beings, we also have our humanity as a shell. Our shell, of course, is not pure, as Christ’s was. Because we have been born again, the divine life is in us. However, it is concealed within this shell of our humanity. Therefore, we need to experience the kind of death that breaks the shell of our humanity and releases the glory of the divine life within us. For this to take place, we need to be conformed to Christ’s death. Christ’s death is the death that breaks the human shell and releases the divine glory. We need such a death day by day.
Whenever we repudiate our flesh and all that we are by nature, Christ remains within as our enjoyment. As we enjoy Christ, we must be prepared to experience the death that breaks our natural man. From this kind of death there is no escape. The death of Adam is terrible, but the death of Christ is lovely. Hence, we all must love the death of Christ and be willing to be conformed to it.
Each day as I experience Christ, the experience of Christ brings me into a situation of death. This death situation, however, is lovable and not dreadful. Even God loves the death of Christ. This situation of death may involve our wife or husband or the elders in the church. By experiencing this death, the natural man that we have already repudiated and set aside is killed. At times Christ may seem to say, “Since you have repudiated your flesh, let Me kill it.” This killing is the conformity to the death of Christ. Eventually, we will be fully conformed to Christ’s death. At that time, others will be able to see in us and upon us the working of death that kills our flesh, self, and natural man. This death breaks the outer shell and releases the inward glory.
All the five points covered in this chapter are part of the detailed way to experience Christ. If we experience these five items, we will one day attain to the out-resurrection from the dead. We will cover this matter in a later chapter.
