“7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:7-14 (Read 1-21)

Why did Christ Jesus come into the world and suffer and die on the cross for our sins? Why did He send men to preach the Gospel to us and then give us His Holy Spirit to bring us to know and trust in Him? Why has He “laid hold of” and saved you and me?

We are not saved by our own righteousness under the law, for even our best righteousness does not measure up. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23); and even our best righteousnesses “are like filthy rags” in His sight (Isa. 64:6).

That is why the Apostle Paul, even though he more than anybody could boast of his righteousness under the law, ceased trying to be counted righteous by his own works and placed his confidence in the perfect righteousness of Christ and in Christ’s atoning sacrifice upon the cross for the sins of the entire world of sinners.

Paul wrote: “If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith” (Phil. 3:4-9).

Yet, though Paul placed no confidence in his own works for salvation, he knew that Christ had taken hold of him and saved him that he might live for Christ. Christ “died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:15).

To the Ephesian believers, he wrote: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:8-10).

And so, Paul, knowing that Christ died for him and redeemed him that He might live for Christ in accord with God’s perfect will, sought to live for Christ — to attain the holy and sinless life for which Christ had redeemed him and which he will have in the resurrection (cf. v. 20f.).

Neither the Apostle Paul nor any believers today have attained perfection already in this world. We continue to come short. That is why we do not trust in our own works but continue to trust in Christ as our Savior, that we might be clothed in His perfect righteousness (cf. 1 John 1:5 – 2:2).

The apostle writes: “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (v. 12).

Paul had a goal in mind. Christ died for his sins that He might walk in fellowship with God and do that which is pleasing in God’s sight. Paul knew his failures and shortcomings and trusted in Christ Jesus, his perfect Savior. But Paul also sought to live for Christ and walk in righteousness and holiness already now in this world. Why? Because that is the reason for which Christ laid hold of him through the preaching of the Gospel and saved him from sin and the eternal torments of hell.

Rather than dwell on his sins and failures, Paul left them at the cross of Jesus and moved forward in living for his Savior. He pressed on toward his goal of being like Christ.

“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (v. 13-14).

And Paul urges us to think in the same way. “Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even this to you” (v. 15).

You and I are redeemed by Christ. Being sinners, we trust in Christ alone for our salvation. We seek to be found clothed, not in our own works and righteousness, but in the perfect righteousness of Christ.

But at the same time, we know that Christ redeemed us that we might live for Him. We long for the day when we are changed and become like our Savior, but even now we press toward that goal and seek to live for Him, leaving our sins and failures at the cross of Jesus and pressing on toward the goal — “for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

O Lord Jesus Christ, let us be found clothed in Your perfect righteousness, but also move us to live for You and seek to lay hold of that for which You have laid hold of us. Amen.

[Scripture is taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]