Gain 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.

Philippians 3:8 

In Philippians 3:4–7 Paul tells us he had acquired all the credentials that anyone could imagine they would need to be a righteous person. He was a Jew, and the Jews had always had a special place in God’s dealings with the human race. He had real advantages but in terms of salvation Paul came to admit that these things had actually kept him from God.

Paul’s confidence in his good works came to a sudden stop when he realized that despite all he had done he had still fallen far short of what God demanded. And what does God demand of sinners? It is all wrapped up in the word ‘righteousness’. God is a holy and righteous God, and heaven is a holy and righteous place. God has made it clear that nothing that is unrighteous or defiling will ever enter there (Revelation 21:27).

Now Paul had a kind of righteousness, ‘a righteousness which is from the law’ (v. 9). He is referring to the law of Moses. This law, given to the nation of Israel by God, describes and details for us the righteousness which God demands of all who would enter heaven. It’s all perfectly summarized in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1–17). If a person could perfectly keep this law, that person would be indeed righteous in the eyes of God.

Paul thought he had kept this law, and those who knew him would no doubt have agreed. But the righteousness Paul had was not the kind of ‘law righteousness’ God demanded. It was not perfect obedience to every single demand of the law. It was ‘law righteousness’ in an external fashion only.

Paul realized that all of his human efforts were nothing but wasted effort in trying to please God. It was only when Paul understood it was by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone that he could obtain eternal life. Any and all efforts to reach God by any other way than trough faith in Christ is nothing but rubbish. Is your faith in God based on Christ or garbage?  

...let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Acts 4: 10-12

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark