August 31, Loss and Gain
4 Though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. 7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ
Philippians 3:4-8
What motivated Paul to count all things loss?
Paul’s desire to “gain Christ” identified his love for Jesus as his greatest passion every moment of every day. A true personal knowledge and encounter with Jesus truly changes a person. And the ultimate pursuit in life becomes "more of Him."
Paul knew the love of Christ, the joy of forgiveness, the call of faith, and the sure righteousness that can only come from faith in God’s work of salvation through the cross of Jesus. Paul knew this well. And this was the chief identifier of His life. His office as an apostle, his fervor as a preacher of the gospel, and his tireless vision as missionary and church planter all came from within his love for our Lord. He did not serve in order to gain a love for Christ. His love for Jesus came first. And this love became the motivation and purpose for how he served. His love for Jesus was clearly apparent because of His desire to better know Christ.
He considered His whole life lost to gain Christ, to know Him more richly, and to walk even closer with Him than the moment before. He loved the exchange of losing his life to gain Christ. What an amazing exchange many miss because of an unwillingness to truly lose oneself - to take up one’s cross and die to self.
So let go of living for self, and you will know Christ even as Paul expressed. Can you imagine the joy of truly saying every single day, “I count all things loss for the sake of gaining more of Christ”?
Blessings.
