Living in the Light of Christ
A Sermon on Philippians 3:8-9
Originally preached June 3, 1962
Scripture
8Yea 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, 9And be found in him, not having …
Sermon Description
How does being a Christian change one’s life? In his sermon on Philippians 3:8–9 titled “Living in the Light of Christ,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that it changes everything about the Christian as it totally reorients and directs them to Christ. Before one sees Christ, they are lost in darkness and alienated from God and His love. They live according to the principle of sin and evil. But when the Holy Spirit gives the gift of salvation, the person is moved out of this kingdom of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of God. Christians now are to leave the world and its sinful desires behind and pursue Christ and His kingdom. How does one know that they are a Christian? They are to test themselves and see if they are in the faith and truly believers. All Christians ought to know that they are truly saved and live knowing that they are loved by God because Christ has made Himself known. God gave His word in the Old and New Testaments and in these Scriptures is found God’s will for His people and the way that Christians are to live. But most importantly they find the gospel of grace that frees them from sin and reveals the God of all love and peace.
Sermon Breakdown
- A Christian is a person to whom Christ is absolutely central. Christ is the central object of the Christian's ambition, the goal of his life, his greatest interest and concern.
- The Christian life is based entirely upon faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, not on one's own righteousness or good works.
- To be "in Christ" means to be living an entirely new kind of life. The Christian life is no longer based on self but on Christ. All of life is related to and dependent on Him.
- Because the Christian is "in Christ," his past sins are forgiven, he lives his present life by Christ's power, and his future hope is to be with Christ.
- The Christian wants to "win Christ" and be found in Him. He wants Christ to be the controlling factor in his life and thinking.
- The Christian regards himself as a slave of Christ, the One who bought him and gave His life for him. The Christian lives to serve Christ.
Sermon Q&A
What Does It Mean to Win Christ According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
What does Philippians 3:8-9 teach about winning Christ?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Philippians 3:8-9 teaches that winning Christ means making Christ absolutely central to your life. The apostle Paul declares that he counts all things as loss "for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." This isn't about gaining Christianity as a religion or philosophy, but about gaining Christ himself as a person. Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that Paul repeats Christ's name frequently in this passage because Christ is "the central object of the Christian's ambition," "the goal of his life," and "his greatest interest and concern."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones distinguish between Christianity and Christ?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes a crucial distinction between being interested in Christianity versus being interested in Christ. He warns this is "the single greatest danger confronting all who are church members everywhere in the world." Many people are interested in Christian teaching, Christian attitudes, or Christian philosophy, but not in Christ himself. He points out that some theological movements even suggest the facts about Christ don't matter - only the teaching matters. Lloyd-Jones firmly rejects this, stating: "There is no Christianity apart from Christ" and "This is not a teaching, it is not a philosophy."
What does it mean to be "found in Christ" according to Lloyd-Jones?
Being "found in Christ" means living an entirely new kind of life based on a completely different foundation. Before becoming a Christian, a person's life is based entirely on self - "what I think, what I do, what I like." After conversion, the Christian no longer bases life on self but is "in Christ." This means: 1. Being part of a new humanity (no longer in Adam but in Christ) 2. Having died with Christ to sin and the law 3. Being raised with Christ to new life 4. Standing before God clothed in Christ's righteousness rather than our own 5. Having access to the Father through Christ 6. Drawing life and power from Christ rather than self
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain Paul's statement about not having his own righteousness?
Lloyd-Jones explains that Paul's statement about "not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ" refers to a complete change in the basis of one's standing before God. Before conversion, Paul trusted in his own righteousness derived from keeping the law - his religious accomplishments, moral life, and good works. After conversion, he recognized all that as "worthless" and "dung." Instead, he now relies entirely on "the righteousness which is of God by faith" - a righteousness that comes through faith in Christ rather than personal achievement. Lloyd-Jones summarizes: "Until a man becomes a Christian, he has faith in himself. The moment a man becomes a Christian, he has faith in Christ."
What does it mean to have Christ as "my Lord" according to the sermon?
Having Christ as "my Lord" means recognizing Christ's ownership and authority over every aspect of your life. Lloyd-Jones explains that when Paul calls Christ "my Lord," he's saying "I'm nothing but a slave." The Christian acknowledges being "bought with a price" - the blood of Christ - and therefore is "no longer your own." This lordship extends to: 1. How we think - "He thinks after Christ" 2. How we feel - "Let nothing please nor pain me apart, O Lord, from thee" 3. How we will - "Only to do thy will, my will shall be" 4. How we view the world - as pilgrims just passing through
Lloyd-Jones concludes that a Christian is someone who can honestly say, "Thou, O Christ, art all I want, more than all in thee I find."
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.