Philippians 3:9, commentary and pictures

To be found in him means to give up all trust in one's own law-keeping and to receive instead the righteousness that comes from God through faith in Christ. One's own righteousness is only outward form and self-made merit that cannot meet the claims of God's holy law, atone for sin, or give any standing before Him. The righteousness which is of God by faith is Christ's own spotless righteousness and atoning merit, imputed to the believer so that His perfect life and character stand in place of theirs. It is received as a free gift by coming to Christ in humble, repentant faith, without first making oneself better or blotting out one's own sins, casting aside all self-sufficiency and hungering for His righteousness. This means counting all former gain as loss to win Christ, abiding in Him day by day in living fellowship and obedience, and being clothed in His perfection as complete in Him, for only those so found will stand in the day of God and at Christ's appearing.

Paul's Setting and Language

Philippians 3:9 belongs to Paul's account of his own complete reversal from confidence in the flesh to confidence in Christ. As a Pharisee he trusted in the flesh and labored to keep the letter of the law perfectly, blameless in legal righteousness, and he regarded that righteousness of his own as something of great worth. That confidence rested on inherited piety and ceremonial observance, on pride and self-assurance that good works and law-keeping justified him before God. Yet keeping religious forms and performing deeds of the law apart from faith in Christ could not make him righteous, for zeal for the law disconnected from Christ, who gives the law its value, is of no avail. Righteousness before God does not come from personal goodness or law-keeping but through faith resting on the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour.

The turning point came when Christ revealed Himself to Paul on the way to Damascus while Paul was on his way to persecute Christ's followers. Under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit Paul saw the far-reaching claims of God's law and saw himself as chief of sinners, bowed down with sorrow and shame. In heartfelt repentance and thorough confession he humbled himself as a little child, confessing his own unworthiness and longing for pardon and for full harmony and communion with the Father and the Son. In fervent prayer he pleaded the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour to save even one who had persecuted the church, trusting the Saviour's grace and power. Thus Christ and His righteousness became to him more than the whole world, and no treasure equaled the gift of the knowledge of Christ.

To be found in Him means counting what were gain, all former advantages, and indeed all things as loss and refuse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus as Lord. It means suffering the loss of all things and laying aside earthly gain, every weight, and worldly attraction in order to win Christ. Paul counted that former righteousness as loss, dung, and worthless, even unrighteousness, because knowing Christ and gaining Him are worth more than everything else. His own righteousness was of no real value because it went no further than external form, the self-reliant religion of Pharisees who depended on it for salvation. Receiving instead the righteousness which is of God by faith through faith in Christ belongs to walking the one strait and narrow path, loving God supremely and neighbor as self, following Christ in everything and pressing toward the light with the perfection of the Father and of Christ ever in view.

The verse belongs to one ruling purpose that allows nothing to divert: forgetting what is behind and pressing toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. That pressing calls for absolute surrender of self, soul, body, and spirit, with self hidden in Christ, in self-humiliation, self-denial, self-sacrifice, and constant conflict with human passions. It refuses to carry natural temperaments forward or to be half for Christ and half unrenewed, but makes the kingdom of God first with fixed stability of purpose. It means remembering that life and all its privileges and endowments come from God and consecrating them wholly and freely to Him, laying all that a person has and is at Christ's feet, giving up personal ideas, will, and all selfishness in order to be one with Christ in God and to abide in Christ. It keeps the eye ever looking unto Jesus amid many duties, labors, and burdens, and proves itself in being faithful to Christ and winning souls to Him in the face of hardship, opposition, and persecution, because the hope of seeing the face of God is worth all effort and sacrifice.

The same context warns with weeping against the enemies of the cross of Christ, who put on garments of light but mind earthly things and whose end is destruction. Believers are called in contrast to follow Paul's example, to walk by the same rule, and to stand fast in the Lord. Their citizenship is in heaven, from where they look for the Saviour to change the vile body to be fashioned like His glorious body.

Two Kinds of Righteousness

Philippians 3:9 sets two righteousnesses against each other, and to be found in Christ is to have not one's own righteousness which is of the law but the righteousness which is of God by faith. One's own righteousness is gained by personal keeping of the law and by human effort, while the other comes from God through the faith of Christ and is received through faith in Christ. The law-based righteousness Paul once valued became worthless to him beside gaining Christ, knowing Him, following Him wholeheartedly, and pressing toward the prize of the high calling. Pursuing holiness in this way does not mean claiming to have already attained perfection.

One's own righteousness is of no real value for standing before God, for it goes no further than external form. It is the religion of the Pharisees, a self-made, Pharisaical religion that relies on its own merit, on inherited piety and ceremonial observance, on good works and confidence in keeping the law, to earn heaven and secure salvation. Sin, weakness, human imperfection and a sinful nature leave sinners without merit, goodness, or righteousness of their own in which to stand before God. Fallen people cannot by religious effort or good works perfectly obey God's holy law and meet its claims, and keeping religious forms and performing deeds of the law cannot make a person righteous apart from faith in Christ. Such zeal for the law disconnected from faith in Christ is of no avail, for it rejects Christ who gives the law its value, misrepresents His perfect character when trusted in place of Him, cannot atone for sin or remove its stain, and is in fact unrighteousness and worthless. It gives no reason for pride or pretension, puts confidence in human nature and self, and stands opposed to humble confession of unworthiness, dependence on Christ for pardon and acceptance, and being wholly surrendered to God's will.

The righteousness which is of God by faith is Christ's own righteousness, received as God's gift. It is His spotless righteousness, His atoning blood and justifying righteousness, the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour, pure truth, unfailing and inexhaustible. Christ lived without sin on humanity's behalf and died for sinners, offering to take their sins and give them His righteousness, so that His character stands in place of theirs and His blood is the hope and assurance of heaven. It is imputed to the believer, who is clothed in it rather than relying on his own, accounted righteous for Christ's sake as if he had not sinned, putting no confidence in his own goodness but trusting wholly in what comes from Christ.

Receiving Righteousness by Faith

No one can stand before God on the strength of personal goodness, for sin, weakness and human imperfection leave every person without merit or righteousness of their own. The righteousness needed is not gained by personal law-keeping or human effort but is God's gift, Christ's own spotless righteousness imputed to the believer, received by coming to Christ in humble, repentant faith and trusting Him for forgiveness and help. No one must first blot out sins, make himself better, achieve a suitable repentance, or do good works, for salvation is simple and Christ Himself brings people to repentance. Human beings cannot change their own hearts, atone for sin, or remove its stain, and cannot rely on themselves or on personal moral character for anything good or righteous; all strength and every good gift come by divine grace, so self must die, there is no reason for pride or pretension, glory belongs to God, and only Christ and His righteousness can secure entrance into heaven. Those who look to Christ receive His merits and are complete in Him, with His grace working in and with them as they grow from greater light to greater light and from greater strength to greater strength.

Receiving that gift requires casting aside the cloak of cherished self-righteousness and giving up self-exaltation, self-sufficiency and reliance on one's own strength. It requires feeling poverty of spirit and hungering and thirsting for righteousness, recognizing spiritual need, accepting the Holy Spirit's reproof and heeding His earnest appeal and testimony. Self-made righteousness is in fact unrighteousness, while Christ's righteousness is pure truth, and gaining Christ and knowing Him are worth more than everything else. The way heavenward is climbed in Christ's strength through humble surrender and the putting away of evil. Feeling rich and increased with goods and in need of nothing, clinging to sin, and resisting reform and the Spirit's appeal leave coldness of heart and barrenness of soul, with carnal security and a discouraging work that scatters instead of gathering with Christ.

To be found in Him is daily fellowship with Christ, with Christ dwelling in the heart by faith and the believer abiding in Him day by day under trials, difficulties and temptation. It is drawing nigh to Him, studying Him, talking of Him, living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God as a learner in the school of Christ, which gives satisfaction and is drinking the water of life. That simple faith is talking faith and acting faith, taught in a sound, intelligent manner to counter false theories and false interpretation of Scripture, bringing thankfulness, and when oppressed renewing strength by talking of the light and love of God, as God draws near and lifts up a standard against the enemy. To have Christ in this way is to have everything, with mind and heart and soul triumphing over the lower nature by His grace, living in dependence on power beyond oneself, and finding spiritual life and growth through communion with God and His grace. It is walking the one strait and narrow path, loving God supremely and neighbor as self, in a daily, living connection with God and not a merely professed religion, keeping conduct, influence, words, practices and passions under the Spirit's control in willing obedience to God's law and in lifelong warfare against evil, self-gratification, natural inclinations and earthly desires.

Knowing Christ and Completeness

To have Christ is to have everything, for he is the all-sufficient Saviour whose atoning blood and justifying righteousness are precious and whose unfailing, inexhaustible righteousness becomes the believer's by faith. He himself is strength and happiness, the great storehouse from which strength is drawn on every occasion, and counting all things as loss for the excellency of knowing him in order to win him and be found in him living his life is what gives up personal righteousness from the law to receive the righteousness from God through faith. Trust in him brings assurance, peace, and hope even amid severe pain and uncertainty about living or dying, with peace and joy in Jesus and the treasures of his love and rest in assurance of being his child whether living or dying. Receiving his righteousness as its students study him, talk of him, become more able to behold him, use his grace, and receive the blessings he offers gives a sense of security, growth in grace, a rich current of praise and gratitude and thanksgiving, an uplifted soul, and something with which to help others as received blessings are freely shared. Being found in him is daily fellowship with him, drawing nigh to him, receiving his grace so that mind and heart and soul triumph over the lower nature, in simple faith, talking faith, acting faith, and living by every word from God's mouth learned daily in his school and taught soundly and intelligently to counter false theories and false interpretation of Scripture.

This righteousness is joined to knowing him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings by being made conformable to his death, if by any means attaining the resurrection from the dead. Winning him and being found in him means counting former gain and all things as loss and refuse for the excellency of the knowledge of him, suffering the loss of all things to gain him, laying aside every weight and worldly attraction, with absolute surrender of self, soul, body and spirit, self hidden in him, self-humiliation, self-denial, self-sacrifice and constant conflict with human passions, refusing to carry natural temperaments or to be half for him and half unrenewed, making the kingdom of God first with fixed stability of purpose. It is true, free and undefiled religion, to know God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent, pursued with the one ruling purpose that allows nothing to divert, forgetting what is behind and pressing toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in him, keeping the eye ever looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of faith amid duties, labors and burdens, consecrating wholly to God's service, being faithful and winning souls in the face of hardship, opposition and persecution, because the hope of seeing the face of God is worth all effort and sacrifice. This knowing longs to copy his exact uprightness of principle and conduct that gave no place to Satan when tempted, walking and working as he worked with strict honesty toward believers and unbelievers and with a tender, charitable, meek and lowly heart, abiding in him day by day under all trials and difficulties and temptation. Pressing toward that heavenly calling does not claim already to be perfect.

By this faith the believer is complete in him and found in him clothed with his perfection, not having own righteousness but having the righteousness that is in him. Fallen people cannot make themselves righteous or perfectly obey God's holy law, so they have no righteousness of their own to meet its claims, but he lived without sin and died for sinners, offering to take their sins and give them his righteousness. Those who give themselves to him and accept him as Saviour are accounted righteous for his sake, his character standing in place of theirs, accepted as if they had not sinned, with imperfections no longer seen, cleansed by his blood, approved as vessels for honorable service, and enabled with increasing strength, light, grace and knowledge to influence others toward the way opened by his blood. This completeness comes through constant moral renovation as they keep looking to Jesus and grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour, becoming conformed to his image, morally renewed to become like him and to hate sin and all selfishness. It requires being spiritually minded, keeping in the channel of light, and letting light shine to the world, especially for those engaged in sacred ministry.

Transformed Life and Readiness

Those who keep looking to Jesus are morally renewed and changed into his image to become like him, growing in grace and in knowledge of him as complete in him not through their own righteousness or law-keeping but through the righteousness found in Christ. This continuing renovation leads them to hate sin and all selfishness, to put no confidence in their own goodness, to acknowledge their sinful nature, and to remain spiritually minded in the channel of light so that they can shine light to the world, a charge laid especially on those engaged in sacred ministry. The righteousness from God by faith is not merely professed but lived in daily, living connection with God, with faith purifying the soul and Christ's righteousness revealed in a purified and transformed life. It brings Christ's righteousness into daily practice and enables obedience to God's law, since the perfect obedience and flawless righteousness God requires cannot be rendered by human effort alone and no one can atone for personal sins or be accepted through personal righteousness of the law. Pursuing it means keeping conduct, influence, words, practices, and passions under the Spirit's control in willing obedience, in lifelong warfare against evil, self-gratification, natural inclinations, and earthly desires throughout life.

Being found in him day by day under trials, difficulties, and temptation means practicing the truth as it is in Jesus and not merely knowing the faith and having much light, walking even as he walked in purity of heart and life with holy conversation and words seasoned with grace. It requires submitting to his will rather than shaping character by one's own standards and desires, since a self-devised righteousness misrepresents his perfect character and deceives and leads others astray, and it calls for counting former gain and all things as loss to win Christ with absolute surrender of self, soul, body, and spirit, self hid in Christ, and consecration of life and all its privileges wholly and freely to God. It is shown in copying his exact uprightness of principle and conduct that gave no place to Satan when tempted, in walking and working as he worked with strict honesty toward believers and unbelievers and with a tender, charitable, meek and lowly heart, and in depending on God rather than independent plans or self-sufficiency. Only those found having on the righteousness of Christ will stand the test when the Master comes to reckon with his servants, in the day of God, at Christ's appearing in glory, and before the Son of man. Many will then be found unready because of meager ideas of what constitutes a Christian, for self-righteousness will be of no avail and trusting in personal righteousness or any other course cannot make one ready, secure lasting happiness, or make one fit for heaven. The righteousness that makes a person fit for heaven is Christ's righteousness received through faith, with his blood as hope and assurance, longed for as acceptance with God and belonging to Christ at last clothed in his righteousness rather than one's own, sought as his consecrated messenger found worthy to stand before the Son of man and held fast even when suffering at the hands of the wicked.

Pressing toward this goal does not mean claiming already to have attained perfection, for holiness is pressed toward without self-righteous claims, with self hid in Christ in humility, together with knowing Christ, sharing in his sufferings, being conformed to his death, and seeking the resurrection and the heavenly calling. This faith-grounded righteousness stands at the center of devotion to Christ and the work of winning souls, with one ruling purpose that allows nothing to divert, forgetting what is behind and pressing toward the prize, being faithful and consecrating wholly to God's service in the face of hardship, opposition, and persecution because the hope of seeing the face of God is worth all effort and sacrifice. Seeking acceptance through one's own righteousness brings no spiritual progress, but following Christ in faith and obedience leads to increasing strength, light, grace, and knowledge of him and enables influence toward the way opened by his blood, as received blessings are freely shared to help others and draw them to Christ with security, growth in grace, praise, gratitude, thanksgiving, and an uplifted soul.