Philippians 3:8
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,

As I read this verse, a few words which stand out notably, in their sequence, are:

  • Loss: To give up what my self destructive flesh wants to hold, but which won’t have a place in heaven. Matthew 6:19 “Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal…”. Matthew 16:25 “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
  • Excellence: What my spiritual eyes are excitedly looking forward to when this earthly life ends, and what I see now in faith of Gods promises of Him completing what He has started through Christ.
    Philippians 3:12-16 but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. …But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
  • Christ Jesus: The standard and hope for mankind. The selfless earthly path He walked to the cross in obedience to The Father, to redeem sinners from the penalty of selfish sin. Philippians 2:5-8 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, didn’t consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;  rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
  • Rubbish: Earthly wisdom, emotion and possessions; when compared to Heavenly treasures. Revelation 21:1-4 Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
  • Gain: Depths of the present and eternal blessings which come with Gods merciful salvation through Christ.
    Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. Hebrews 12:1 …let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 1 Corinthians 2:9 …“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him.”

To daily deny the selfish desires of the flesh in diet, entertainment, pride and personal “rights”; The proposition isn’t generally a socially acceptable topic among Christians, and I expect that’s largely due to it predominately being an individual act of obedience to God, and not generally for man to impose on man.

When God personally disciplines or teaches us, He graciously reveals a little of our sinful state and our need for Christ’s righteousness; on these occassions, His hand can feel like a soft breeze, or a blow from a sledge hammer. Peter expressed recognition of the difference between his state and Christ’s, after his net was filled with fish, when the men had been fishing all night and caught nothing until Jesus said to cast the net to the right side of the boat… Luke 5:8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. There are times when we are given to see depths of our depravity, but these occassions are followed by greater appreciation of Christs righteousness, and it’s covering the Saint.

What an amazing blessing! The love of God granted to the Saints by way of Him directing, shielding, feeding, leading in peace, disciplining,.. When you stop to consider some of the many alternatives the Saints are saved from, such as are shown in the following passage, where God exercises no discipline or guidance in love over some men… Romans 1:28-32  And even as they didn’t like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:  Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

Who is this One to have saved me?

Who is The Father that sent Him?

Who is the comforter that has come?

Praise God for His Fatherly love to His children. By His grace , through the blood of Christ and with the help of Holy Spirit, may we count all as loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus our Lord, for whom we suffer the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that we may gain Christ.

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