Philippians 3:1-11: Joyful Loss and Joyful Gain
There are some things that Christians should be joyful to live without; others that we can be joyful to live with.
Paul describes his own experience of joyful loss in verses 3-7. Before he became a Christian, Paul (Saul) was someone who thought he had it all: a top-flight religious education, a perfect record of obeying man-made religious laws, a pure, “good” person. This is what he is describing in verses 4-6. He was a “Hebrew of Hebrews”, he ticked all the boxes that the Jewish religion had, he was the best of the best…
But he says in verse 7 that he lost it all – and he’s glad about it! Paul had been trusting in his own “goodness” as salvation, without realising that he could do nothing about his own sins.
Today, people still want to trust in themselves: being a “good Protestant”, or a “good Catholic”, or just a “good human being”, who recycles, or gives to charity, or never murders anyone, or does their bit for the local community.
Paul describes all of this as “rubbish” in verse 8 – in fact, the word could be “dung”. The Bible says we cannot save ourselves. Everything that we’re tempted to rely on, we will someday lose. We can take nothing with us out of this life.
But then Paul describes his joyful gain. In verse 8, he says everything is a loss “compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord”. In verse 9, he describes how he now does not trust in his own goodness, but instead trusts in the goodness – the “righteousness” – of Jesus Christ, which he has received as a free gift.
What we gain in Christ, by faith, is a perfect record of sinlessness – past, present and future. This leads to the greatest gain of all, which Paul describes in verse 11: “resurrection from the dead”.
If God took away everything else from you, could you still rejoice in this: that Jesus Christ has taken away your sin, and someday, you will rise again to live with him forever?!
What else could we possibly need?
Questions
- Have you lost anything for putting your trust in Jesus?
- What are you most joyful (verse 1) about as a Christian?
Prayer Points
- Pray that God will make you more and more content – and delighted! – with who you are and what you have in Jesus.
- Pray that in a world lacking contentment, Christians will be joyful witnesses to the life and peace that comes in Christ.
- Pray for the preaching and hearing of God’s Word tomorrow.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.