TEXT: Philippians 3:7-9 (CSB) – “But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith.”
So far in this letter, we have viewed the philosophy on our purpose in life – “To Live Christ.” We have viewed the pattern for living – “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus.” We are now viewing the prize of living as Paul summarizes its meaning in his life. In this chapter, Paul changes his bookkeeping system of the past, he changes his purpose for the present, and his hope for the future. We saw three warnings that he gave them (and us) about personalities who could steal our joy. He is wanting us to know that to truly know Christ – it is not what we do, but what He has done that provides the means.
What a set of credentials that Paul had. And yet, now he says that they were not going to get him into heaven. What changed? What happened to this boastful, self-dependent person called Saul that would change him into the Apostle Paul writing this letter?
One day – on the road to Damascus – Paul met the Lord Jesus Christ!
There was a complete revolution in Paul. Verses 7-8 – “But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ….
You see, Conversion stays with you. It CHANGES you. If you have truly met the Lord Jesus Christ, you will never be the same.
Paul flushed his religion down the drain. All the things he used to trust in. Everything he was counting on. All of it. Anything that was man-based – gone. Now, he trusts Jesus and Him alone.
Many religious people need to lose their religion. And find Christ. Billy Graham always said that he believed that as many as 70% of those sitting in pews on Sunday are lost. The church may be one of the largest mission fields for bringing people to a saving relationship with Christ.
No righteousness in ourselves – NONE! All righteousness in Christ –ALL! Verse 9 states, “and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith.”
Paul gave up his claim to his own righteousness. It comes only by Faith. What faith? The faith that sees that Christ died on the cross, subtracted our sins, rose from the dead and added His righteousness to us. That my friend is pure Grace.
We are accepted in the Beloved.
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