The One Thing Worth Everything (Philippians 3:4-9)

This is the Word of the Lord:

"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; 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."

Here ends the reading of God's Word.

Prayer

Father, help us this morning to see what is truly worth everything. Help us to weigh rightly what matters most. And help us to lay down what we think we must hold onto in order to gain the one thing that truly lasts. Amen.

The Question We All Ask: “Am I Good Enough?”

I’ve always been a bit of a rule-follower.

I learned early that following the rules could pay off, literally. I still remember the day in third grade when my teacher handed out candy at the end of class. She gave one to each student as we filed out the door. Most of the kids just grabbed it and ran like a bunch of uncivilized barbarians.

But I… I said thank you.

And right there, in front of everyone, she stopped, smiled, and reached into her drawer. “Because you remembered your manners,” she said, “you can have a second one.”

That was all it took. The game was on. I wasn’t just playing; I was keeping score. I learned that meeting expectations, even exceeding them, had benefits. I liked being the kid with the extra candy. And deep down, I liked being seen as the one who got it right.

So when I began to take my faith seriously, even at that young age, I brought that same mindset with me: follow the rules, check the boxes, stay out of trouble, read your Bible, be nice, serve faithfully, and (if we’re honest) feel just a little better than average while doing it.

That became my spiritual résumé. And like most résumés, it was designed to do one thing: impress someone and keep me in the gig.

Maybe you’ve done that too. Maybe not in a showy or obvious way. But quietly, inside, trying to prove your sincerity. Trying to prove your worth. Trying to prove to God and others that you’re enough.

That’s where Paul starts in this passage. But it’s not where he ends.

We Try to Justify Ourselves

Some people hear “righteousness” and tune out. It sounds like a church word. A theological category. But in reality, it’s one of the most universal human pursuits.

Righteousness simply means being “in the right.” It’s what justifies us, not only before God, but in our own eyes, and the eyes of others.

For some, righteousness is morality: “I’m a good person. I do my best.”
For others, it’s achievement: “I’ve worked hard. I’ve earned this.”
For others, it’s victimhood: “I’ve suffered. I deserve compassion.”
For others still, it’s authenticity: “At least I’m being true to myself.”

But we all have some standard by which we measure whether we’re “enough.” And when we meet it, we feel confident, maybe even proud. When we fall short, we feel shame, even despair.

We’re all seeking justification.

Paul Was Once No Different

That’s where we come to the Apostle Paul. He says, “So was I.” And not only was I trying; I was excelling. I wasn’t just in the race; I was winning.

He begins in verse 4: “If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more.”

Paul Had the Résumé of a Rising Religious Star (vv. 5–6)

Let’s look at what he lists:

• “Circumcised on the eighth day” — Not a late convert. A covenant child from birth.
• “Of the people of Israel” — The chosen nation, descended from Abraham.
• “Of the tribe of Benjamin” — A tribe known for its faithfulness and prestige. It was the tribe of Israel’s first king—Paul’s namesake. And after the kingdom split, Benjamin remained loyal to the house of David.
• “A Hebrew of Hebrews” — Not Hellenized. Not watered down. He was fluent in Hebrew, steeped in the culture and tradition.

That’s Paul’s pedigree.

Now he shifts to behavior:

• “As to the law, a Pharisee” — The Pharisees were perceived as the most faithful group of their day. We often think of them as enemies of Jesus, but at the time, they were revered as those who took Scripture and Jewish identity most seriously. They weren’t casual about obedience—they were intense, devout, sincere. Paul was trained under the preeminent rabbi of his day, Gamaliel. They had invested a lot in Paul.
• “As to zeal, a persecutor of the church” — Not just theory. Passionate, even violent action. He had letters from the Sanhedrin to hunt down Christians—men, women, even children. He intimidated them, arrested them, and in at least one case, participated in their execution. No one could question Paul’s zeal.
• “As to righteousness under the law, blameless” — Externally, he was spotless. He had done everything he was supposed to do, and avoided everything he was supposed to avoid. By every visible measure, he was “good with God.”

Or so he thought.

Jesus Replaced Paul’s Record with His

But then… Jesus literally knocked him off his high horse.

Acts 9 tells the story. On the road to Damascus, Paul is going out with authority from the Sanhedrin to drag Christians back into conformity with Jewish tradition, by force if necessary. But on that road, a blinding light confronts him. And Jesus speaks: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

And do you remember what Paul says?

“Who are you, Lord?”

That’s an astonishing question from someone who had studied Torah his whole life. It’s Paul’s way of saying: “All my training, all my knowledge, all my devotion... I clearly didn’t know God at all.”

And Jesus replies: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

In that moment, Paul sees it: His whole belief system, all his status and sincerity, had positioned him not as a friend of God, but as His enemy.

Paul is blinded—physically, yes, but also spiritually. Jesus gives Paul a severe mercy. For three days, Paul is led by the hand. His eyes are shut so that he might finally see. And that grace begins to dismantle his whole world.

Paul Learned His Self-Righteousness Was Worthless (v. 7)

“Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.”

Paul is speaking the language of accounting. He uses two Greek terms here: kerdē (gain, income, assets) and zēmia (loss, liability).

He’s saying: If I were keeping spiritual QuickBooks, everything I used to list in the revenue column (my birthright, my obedience, my sincerity) I now see as debt. Not just neutral. Dangerous. Because it kept me from trusting Christ.

This is one of the most important truths in spiritual growth: we don’t just repent of sin. We must also repent of righteousness, of trusting in it. Because even our best works, when relied on, become filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6).

Paul Learned the Surpassing Worth of Knowing Christ (v. 8)

“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

This is the heartbeat of the gospel: not just believing facts about Christ, but knowing Him. Loving Him. Experiencing His grace. Being united to Him.

Paul had gained status.
He counted it as loss at conversion.
And he continues (present tense) to count it as loss every day.

And the word he uses to describe his former righteousness? Rubbish. The Greek word is skubalon. It's crude, intense. Refuse. Filth. Excrement. He speaks in unvarnished terms about how hollow his résumé now seems in the light of Christ.

Paul Learned There Is No Gaining Christ Without Letting Go of Self-Righteousness (v. 9)

“…not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ…”

This is the climax.

Paul is teaching justification by faith alone. The only righteousness that counts before God is the righteousness from God, through faith, in Christ.

It’s what the Reformers called alien righteousness—a record outside of us, credited to us, received by grace.

And here’s what that means:

One day, each of us will stand before the throne of God. We will stand on one of two records: either our own or Christ’s.

Jesus warned about this often. In Matthew 7, He says many will come to Him saying, “Lord, Lord, did we not do all these things in your name?” And He will say, “Depart from me, I never knew you.” Why? Because they pointed to their résumé, not to His cross.

The Scriptures are clear: “Without holiness, no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). And if our righteousness is as filthy rags, we will not see God if that is where our trust lies.

Religious performance can actually be rebellion if it’s rooted in self-reliance. It says: “I don’t need Christ. I’ve got this. I’ll do it my way.”

And yet, this same God is astonishingly patient.

Second Peter says, “The Lord is not slow… He is patient, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

That means today is the day to repent. To lay down your record. To stop striving to earn what's already been given. And to trust.

What Can Happen When a Church Lets Go

Imagine what it would look like if a whole community lived this way:

• No more competition for spiritual status.
• No more pretending.
• No more comparing.
• Just a deep, abiding humility—and radiant joy.

That kind of church wouldn’t just preach the gospel. It would embody it.

What Can Happen When You Let Go

So let me ask: What are you clinging to today?

Your sincerity? Your suffering? Your parenting? Your activism? Your obedience?

Paul says: I had a résumé. And I let it go. Because I found something better.

Christianity is not a self-improvement project. It’s a self-abandonment project, not into the void, but into the arms of Christ.

You don’t have to earn His love.
You don’t have to prove your worth.
You don’t have to hide your failures.

You can come to Him even now and say, “I want to be found in You.”

And here’s the promise:

He will forgive you.
He will set you free.
He will cause you to flourish.

Conclusion

And just so you know: there’s a bowl of candy at the Welcome Desk this morning.

Not because anyone remembered their manners.
Not because you kept the rules.
Not because you said the right thing on the way out.

It’s there to remind you: someone else earned it, and decided to give it freely.

That’s the gospel.
Jesus did it all.
And all we can do is say—with our mouths and our lives—thank you.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, help us let go of what we think we need to prove, so we can receive what You’ve already done. Let us treasure You more than anything else. Let our church be a people marked not by self-righteousness, but by the surpassing worth of knowing You. Amen.

Reflection & Discussion

Use these questions for personal reflection, journaling, or group conversation.

Where are you most tempted to build a spiritual résumé?
What accomplishments, traits, or religious habits make you feel “okay” before God or others? How do Paul’s words challenge that mindset (Philippians 3:4–7; Jeremiah 9:23–24)?

When has your relationship with God felt more like performance than communion?
What internal scoreboard do you tend to keep? How can you tell the difference between spiritual discipline and self-justification (Galatians 3:2–3; Isaiah 64:6)?

Have you ever trusted in your sincerity rather than your Savior?
Paul sincerely believed he was serving God—even as he persecuted Christ’s church. What does this teach us about the limits of zeal without truth (Acts 9:1–6; Romans 10:1–4)?

What does it mean to gain Christ—and what might you need to lose?
Paul considered everything else “rubbish” compared to knowing Jesus. What are you tempted to count as gain today? What would it look like to re-evaluate it in light of Christ (Philippians 3:8; Matthew 13:44)?

What righteousness are you trusting in before God?
Paul contrasts a righteousness of his own with the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ. Which one describes you right now? What assurance does gospel righteousness provide (Philippians 3:9; Romans 5:1–2)?

How does the reality of judgment shape your view of righteousness?
One day, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. Will you stand on Christ’s record—or your own (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:11–12)?

What does Jesus' warning in Matthew 7 reveal about misplaced confidence?
Why is it so sobering that people can do religious things “in His name” yet never truly know Him? How does this deepen your gratitude for justification by faith (Matthew 7:21–23; Luke 18:9–14)?

Why is hell real—and why is God still patient?
Jesus spoke often and clearly about the reality of final judgment. How does that warning reveal both God’s holiness and His mercy? What is He patiently giving you time to do today (2 Peter 3:9–10; Romans 2:4–5)?

What does repentance look like when it’s rooted in grace, not guilt?
How does knowing God is both holy and gracious change the way you respond to conviction? What does it mean to repent not only of your sins—but of your righteousness (Luke 15:25–32; Titus 3:4–7)?

What would it look like to say, “I want to be found in Christ”?
Not found in your record, your reputation, or your sincerity—but hidden in Him. How does that shape your identity, your confidence, and your peace (Colossians 3:3; Galatians 2:20–21)?

Related Scriptures for Further Study

• Isaiah 64:6 – “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags…”
• Jeremiah 9:23–24 – “Let not the wise boast of their wisdom…”
• Matthew 7:21–23 – “Lord, Lord… did we not…?”
• Acts 9:1–6 – Paul’s confrontation with Christ
• Romans 5:1–2 – “Since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God…”
• Romans 10:1–4 – “They have zeal, but not according to knowledge…”
• Galatians 2:16–21 – “If righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”
• Philippians 3:3–9 – “Not having a righteousness of my own…”
• 2 Corinthians 5:10 – “We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…”
• 2 Peter 3:9–10 – “The Lord is patient… not wanting any to perish…”
• Titus 3:4–7 – “Not because of righteous things we had done…”
• Colossians 3:3 – “Your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

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