Take Your Pick: A Rag or a Robe?
Philippians 3:4-11 (ESV)
4though 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 law, a Pharisee;6as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law,[a] blameless.7But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.8Indeed, 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 Christ9and 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— 10that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,11that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Introduction: Take your pick:
1. A $100 bill or a slice of pizza?
2. A diamond ring or a plastic toy from a vending machine?
3. A brand‑new iPhone duo or a flip phone from 1989 (Motorola MicroTac)? 4. A rag or a robe?
We all know what to pick because we understand their value. In real life, nobody would choose a slice of pizza in place of a $100 bill. But sometimes life’s choices are not as easy as that. Sometimes, some choices do not feel that clear. In light of what is truly important or what has eternal value, we sometimes make terrible trade-offs. We trade what is “priceless” for what is “pointless.” And this is exactly Paul’s point in Philippians 3:1-11. When he encountered Christ, he realized that everything he once treasured (things that kept him from Christ) amounted to nothing but rubbish. They are worth nothing compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. If that resonates with you, you would say that Paul did not make
poor swaps. Paul didn’t make a bad trade. He made the only trade that makes sense. Why? He saw Christ clearly, valued Christ rightly, and chose Christ joyfully.
I. The joyless confidence of the flesh
A. Rejoice in the Lord
Joy is the grace he wants to see lived out by the Philippians (David Strain). And there is only one thing that produces joy (union with Christ). Paul talks about here our righteousness that comes through faith in Christ. This is not based on what we do, but what Christ has done.
- Note that the word “rejoice” here is a command.
- The passage, understood correctly, pushes back on the worldly concept of “joy.” Paul exposed this kind of secular joy as an illusion built on material success, sexual liberation, self‑centeredness, and a hedonistic lifestyle (eat, drink, be merry, for tomorrow we die). It’s not biblical joy.
- Paul advances a kind of joy that stems from the assurance of salvation found in one’s union with Christ.
- Augustine of Hippo, in Confessions (Book 1, Chapter 1), expresses, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
- True joy is Christ-centered and Spirit-wrought. Do not confuse “joy in the Lord” with temporal pleasures.
B. Reject counterfeit worth – False teachers promote false teachings that generate false confidence.
- There should be no room for compromise when truth or the purity of the gospel is at stake.
- Keith and Kristyn Getty (My worth is not in what I own): My worth is not in what I won, not in the strength of flesh and bone, but in the costly wounds of love at the cross. My worth is not in skill or name, In win or lose, in pride or shame, but in the blood of Christ that flowed at the cross.
Beware. Beware. Beware. (David Strain is helpful here: pedigree, purity and performance)
1. Pedigree – Paul called them “dogs” (a term for Gentiles or
outsiders to god’s covenant people; Matthew 15)
2. Purity – Paul called them evildoers. These are the Judaizers who boast in legal observance (ceremonial, ritual and ethical) 3. Performance – Paul called them mutilators of the flesh.
II. The surpassing worth of knowing Christ
Let’s get this straight. Paul did not say that “pedigree, performance, power, and position” are rubbish because they are inherently bad. No! These are common grace gifts. Paul is rejecting good things that are wrongly trusted. They are worthless because they interfere with our commitment to Christ. A. When he was Saul – “Hey, top this if you can!”
“If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more!” (Philippians 3:4)
1. Pedigree: Paul’s inherited privileges
- “Circumcised on the eighth day” – Compliant with the
Abrahamic covenant; “He who is eight days old among you
shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your
generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring”
(Genesis 17:12).
- “Of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin” – A
pure-blooded Israelite and not a proselyte. Who was the first
king of Israel? Saul (like Paul’s first name). What tribe?
Benjamin. Jacob’s only son who was born in the promised land (Gen. 35:16-18) and remained faithful to Judah.
- “A Hebrew of Hebrews” – He spoke Hebrew and Aramaic (Acts 21:40; 22:2; 26:14) and was a student of the famous Rabii
Gamaliel (Acts 22:3).
2. Purity – Purity that comes from obeying the law. Pharisees boast not only because they knew the letters of the law, but also because they
kept and heeded them, which earned them the right
standing before God (As to the law, a Pharisee!
Strictest sect of Judaism).
3. Performance
- “As to zeal, a persecutor of the church” – Paul
orchestrated and led a terror campaign against the church
(Acts 7, stoning of Stephen).
- “As to righteousness under the law, blameless” – Strict
observance of the 613 regulations of the rabbinic law.
Illustration: Elevator pitch
Paul’s “sevenfold superiority put him in a class of his own” (Kent Hughes). It’s as if Paul is saying, “If you think you can boast, trust me, I’ve got more.” But Paul’s “more” became a liability for him after He met Christ.
B. When he became Paul (meaning “little”) – “I want to know Christ” 1. Paul’s new accounting – “Whatever was gain, I now consider loss (σκύβαλα).”
(Picture life as a ledger) Paul uses some accounting terms here. He takes his whole “resumé” (pedigree or privileges, purity, and
performance) and moves it from the “profit” column to the “loss” column. It’s easy for us to cling to career, pleasure, and achievement as ultimate gain, but they keep us from Christ.
- “That I may gain Christ” – Paul already said “To die is gain” (Philippians 1:21)
- “Be found in Him (Christ)” – Union with Christ
Illustration: Credit card
2. Paul’s new asset: Christ is of surpassing worth (not success, freedom or self-expression, or pleasure).
“That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10-11)
- Paul confesses Christ as his Lord – “Christ Jesus
my Lord.” Paul rejected “rags of righteousness”
and received the “robe of righteousness” from
Christ (David Strain)
David Strain, “Put your best boasts on one side
of the scales, and put only Jesus Christ on the other side. Those scales will always tip in His favor. He is more valuable, more precious. He outweighs your best boast.” Where do you place your confidence? In the flesh or in Christ?
- Jason Meyer, “One can view the relationship between Christ and his creation from two different angles.” (Complementary
angle versus Comparative angle)
- Paul confesses Christ as his single, all-consuming passion. “I want to know Christ” is Paul’s one pursuit that eclipses every
other confidence, achievement, or desire.
- A balance between knowing Christ as the “Christus Victor” and the “Suffering Servant.”
- That “I may know Him” and the “power of His resurrection” now in my suffering (Colossians 1:24, what is lacking in the
afflictions of Christ).
- John Piper, “I want to know his power, the kind of power that raises the dead, and I want to live and minister in that power.
And I want to embrace a life of sacrifice and suffering as God
wills in the service of his mission: the salvation of sinners, the
building up of the church.”
Conclusion: What is the single, all-consuming passion of your life? 1. Know Christ, not just about Him.
2. The greatest joy in life is to know Christ.
- “This is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3).
- “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in
his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that
he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD
who practices steadfast love, justice, and
righteousness in the earth. For in these things I
delight, declares the LORD.’” (Jeremiah 9:23-24)
Discussion Questions:
1. What is one concrete way you can pursue knowing Christ more deeply? 2. Where is God inviting you to trust Him in a hard place right now? 3. What “gain” in your life tends to compete with Christ for your confidence?
Sources:
Hughes, R. Kent: Preaching the Word, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Johnson, Dennis: Reformed Expository Commentary, Philippians.
Strain, David: The Lectio Continua, Philippians.
Rev. Jerome David/October 4, 2026
Leading People To A Life Of Commitment And Productivity In Christ