Surpassing Worth (Theology for Living from Philippians) – 3:10,11

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 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.  (Paul’s letter to the Philippians, chapter 3, verses 10-11)

For what would you give up everything?  For love?  Many have chosen to give up careers, family, current marriages, and even God, for the love of another human being.  For money?  Many have chosen to give up friends, health, honesty, leisure, and even God for money.  For fame?  Many have given up privacy, comfort, peace, and even God for fame.

Paul gave up everything for the benefit of knowing Jesus Christ.  With knowing Jesus Christ came a right standing with God on the basis of faith.  What Paul had to give up to have this was the pursuit of a right relationship with God based on his own righteousness.  He had to quit being good to get to heaven.  He had to forget all he had been taught about keeping the Law as a means of getting God’s love and favor.  He had to give up his religion.  And he had to give up all other pursuits for happiness.

But he did not have to give up God.  By receiving what Jesus had done for him (and what He will do for all who come to Him) Paul received a right standing with God, a place of loving acceptance and cherished family relationship with the divine Father.  He gave up everything to get God.

And for Paul it was worth it.  Everything else paled in comparison to knowing Jesus.  With Jesus as his lord there was no other master and all other masters fell short of really satisfying Paul’s longing heart.  All else was garbage.  Love, money, and fame were actually hindrances if they were sought as that which could fill the human heart.  Only one thing sufficed to fill that empty place inside him.  Jesus.

It is hard to describe how true this is to someone else unless they have found love, money and fame, or their own way of pursuing God to be bankrupt.  Then maybe they become open to the reality of how Jesus can truly fill that place.  I hope you have filed bankruptcy on life’s trivial pursuits and found solvency in Jesus Christ.