Jump to content
  • Welcome Guest

    For an ad free experience on Online Baptist, Please login or register for free

What does "Winning Christ" in Philippians 3: 8 mean?


Recommended Posts

  • Members
21 hours ago, mbkjpreacher said:

Is it about salvation or about winning God's approval? 

It's about finishing the Christian race so we can receive the prize at the end (vs 14). We don't win salvation. That would make it no longer a gift.  I do think at the judgement seat Jesus will be disappointed with many of us. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Members

The apostle answers the question through the Holy Spirit inspired context, as follows:

Philippians 3:8-14 -- "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

In this context, "winning Christ" means (1) growing more and more in the knowledge/fellowship of Christ so as to be (2) transformed more and more unto the perfectly righteous character of Christ.  Will such a process "win God's approval?"  Certainly it will; however, "winning God's approval" is not precisely the point of the context.  Rather, "winning" a growing fellowship with Christ and a growing transformation unto Christ-likeness is precisely the point of the context.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...