“Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ”
Ahh, and yet again, we come
across yet another of those verses that today’s health-wealth movement
conveniently skips over.
If you
move backward a few verses, you see Paul talking about all that he has in the
flesh. He mentions that he was circumcised the eighth day (very important among
the Jews), he was from the tribe of Benjamin (a tribe that had produced the
very first king of Israel, and was then loyal to David – and helped to form the
restored nation with Judah after exile in Babylon), completely Hebrew, he knew
all there was to know about the Law, had enough zeal to actually go out and
persecute those who didn’t follow it, and was considered completely righteous
by the standards of the people.
But
then Paul says that astonishing statement in verse 7, “But what things were
gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.” Everything he worked so hard
for and was proud of was nothing next to Christ – absolutely useless.
Like
the fastest runner in the first grade when compared to an Olympic runner – are
our deeds to Christ. All these things we can be proud of; what we own, what we
wear, what we know – all nothing next to Him who made it all, clothed in
righteousness and kingliness from on high, and gave you the limited knowledge
you possess. They are all rubbish (or in the Greek, dung) next to the amazing
glory, majesty, love and grace of Jesus Christ.
Today,
I will stop my pride by memorizing Philippians 3:7, and keeping it in my head
today.
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