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10/9 Reading Portions: 1 Kings 12; Philippians 3; Ezekiel 42; Psalm 94
Philippians 3:8
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
DUNG
Years ago, a Christian brother told me that there was more to Christianity than Jesus Christ. He confessed every basic truth of Christ’s incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension, and future return, so I never doubted his salvation. Nevertheless, he believed that emphasizing the priority and preeminence of God’s Son was overreaching and wrong. I meekly, yet firmly, disagreed with him then. I still do to this day. Although our verse today was Paul’s personal testimony, this is not a truth reserved merely for Paul, neither only for super-apostles of the first century. This is a truth to be embraced, cherished, and applied by every born-again believer. The Lord Jesus, Himself, said as much in a different way:
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:26
Though well-meaning, the brother years ago believed he needed to compartmentalize the Tri-une God: as if to give more credence to Christ was to diminish honor and glory to the Father and the Spirit. This cannot be. The first and third Persons of the Godhead cannot be truly glorified by sinners saved by grace unless Jesus Christ takes the highest position in the depths of our hearts, the breadth of our souls, the height of our minds, and the eternal length of our spirits (Eph 3:18). We must forsake anything that competes with loyalty to Christ Jesus (count everything as loss). Even the best in what we’ve achieved should be considered as rubbish, or literally, “like dog dung” when compared to the blessing of knowing Christ. Whatever pulls us away from the Lord Jesus must be considered as rubbish, in order that you and I may gain greater, higher, deeper, and more thorough love for Christ, joy in Christ, peace with Christ, patience by Christ, kindness to others on behalf of Christ, goodness before Christ, gentle humility and meekness because of Christ, and finally, temperate self-control through Christ (Gal 5:22-23). This is what it means to possess and own a Spirit-led life. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
It’s Christ who is our everything,
For His sake do we show
That Christ, alone, He is our King;
And all, to Him, we owe.
