Knowing Christ Jesus My Lord

“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 refuse, in order that I may gain Christ . . . .” Philippians 3:8. Through the knowledge of Christ Paul received the gospel—the possibility of being conformed to Jesus’ image, in order that Jesus “might be the firstborn among many brethren.” Romans 8:29. What was the real purpose of Jesus’ coming? “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-19. Was reconciliation the only reason for His coming? NO, this was only the beginning of the work He actually came to do. And what work was that? It was to redeem and liberate our bodies from sin so that the entire fullness of the Godhead could dwell in us bodily. Who has ever heard such a thing! It is amazing that this is not preached, in view of how clearly it is set forth in the Scriptures. It was, in fact, for this very reason that Jesus had to come in a body like ours, a body with a flesh in which dwells nothing good.

Concerning this mystery Paul writes, “. . . how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I have written briefly. When you read this you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which as not made known to the sons of men in other generations, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that is, how the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” Ephesians 3:3-6 and 2:12-22.

The Jews had been brought near because they had the forgiveness of sins by the law and the prescribed sacrifices, but the Gentiles had been brought near by the blood of Christ. “For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. And he came and preaching peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.” Ephesians 2:14-18.

In this passage we see what took place in Jesus’ flesh and by means of His body. Both Jew and Gentile had the same flesh, but the Jews had been given the law to stop sin from coming out of the body. However, that was only a partial solution. Consequently, they were obliged to present gifts and sacrifices that could never take away sins; these could only give them forgiveness for their sins.

“For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never by the same sacrifices which are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered? If the worshipers had once been cleansed, they would no longer have any consciousness of sin. But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sin year after year. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.” Hebrews 10:1-4.

Because of the law, which the Jews had received, a wall had arisen between Jew and Gentile. The Jews would not even eat together with the Gentiles. However, the flesh of the Jews was no better than that of the Gentiles. So when Jesus came in the flesh—a human flesh, like ours—He broke down this wall of division in His flesh. This took place because sin was condemned in the flesh and thus never entered His heart; consequently, it never came forth from His body either. And so the law was rendered superfluous. This is how He abolished the law.

With regard to Jesus’ body, the law had no task to perform. On the cross Jesus created one new man in place of the two, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. Now they both have access to the Father in one Spirit. Once the disciples were baptized in this one Spirit, they could be built up as the body of Christ so that they, too, were no longer under the law. It was hard for the Jews to believe that the Gentiles were on an equal footing here, but this was the great mystery, that “the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.” Ephesians 3:6.

The Jews criticized Peter because he had gone to Cornelius’ home and baptized Gentiles there. God had to give him a vision before he could have faith to take such a step. The Jews did not understand this mystery of Christ—that by His flesh He had abolished the law. Because sin had been put to death in the flesh, there was no longer any need for the law with its commandments and ordinances.

This is also a great mystery today. Religious people speak only of the work of Calvary, about how everything was done on Calvary. They have nothing to say about the time before Jesus began His public ministry. They are primarily taken up with the signs and wonders that Jesus did and with His death on Calvary. Thus they do not know the new and living way that Jesus consecrated through His flesh into the sanctuary. They only hear about how Jesus kept the law in our stead and how He died for us, and that consequently we are now under grace. Therefore they do not experience victory over sin or enter into sanctification. Nor are they particularly grieved about it, because they are “under grace.” But they really do not know what grace is. Jesus came not only with grace, but with grace and truth. John 1:17.

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree’—that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Galatians 3:13-14.

Before we can experience redemption from the curse of the law, we must have come to the acknowledgment that we are in fact accursed; and we come to that acknowledgment by loving the truth. Then we partake of grace, the Spirit of truth, and thus are also made partakers of the gospel. Now we hear this exhortation: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.” Galatians 5:16. It is now possible for us to follow Jesus on the new and living way. Further on we read, “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Galatians 5:24.

After expressing his enthusiasm for the knowledge of Jesus Christ, Paul continues, “. . . and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith.” Philippians 3:9.

When religious people read this, they reckon that righteousness is a gift that is imputed to them. They never speak about “the obedience of faith,” yet Paul was to bring the Gentiles to the obedience of the faith when he preached the gospel. Without the obedience of faith we have no part in the gospel at all. When Paul goes on to speak about the righteousness of God that depends on faith, he writes, “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, that if possible, I might attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:10-11.

To be a disciple of Jesus, Paul had to give up everything, and then he had to follow Jesus on the way that He had consecrated. But now he had not only his own strength (which he had under the law); now he was under grace in Christ Jesus, having come to know the power of Jesus’ resurrection. Now Paul was able to follow Jesus in the fellowship of His sufferings and become like Him in His death. Now the life of Jesus could be manifested in his body. 2 Corinthians 4:10-11.