Scripture:
“But whatever gain I had I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
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 and be found in Him (not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the Law but that which comes through faith in Christ…
Brothers: I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Let those of us who are mature think this way and if in anything you think otherwise God will reveal that also to you.” Phil 3:7-9a; v13-15
Observation:
I think I see a pattern from Paul. In the Letters there is a consistent effort to make sure his is communicating good doctrine concerning the Atonement and the effects that should be taking place in minds. Basically: Renew our minds to the Truth and Facts of the Gospel!
Application:
One of the things that wakes me up doing this journaling is how interrelated the Scriptures are. I can’t get away from the consistent themes from everything I read that are facets of the Jewel that is the Gospel.
I see driving principles: Renew my mind (Romans 12). I also see pursue God and good doctrine (1st Tim 4:15). Cultivate love of the Scriptures (Ps 119), and so many other things.
In this passage I am reminded that it is worth everything I am and have for the knowledge of Jesus my Lord. This worth is so surpassing that all I know and am involved with is garbage comparatively.
Continuing, I don’t have anything of worth to offer Jesus. Even me-I am not of any worth to offer Jesus. The only worth that is found in this transaction is Him and only Him. I gain Him, the Righteous one who was given for my sin. What does He get? Me, a sinner deserving only Wrath.
Paul insinuates (really, tells outright) that this is the mindset to have. If I don’t cultivate this mindset, God will reveal that to me-so I can get stinking thinking out of my noggin and get my head on straight concerning the Gospel.
Pretty cool that He cares for us so very much in this way.
For readers: The above starts with simply praying “I want to know You more, Lord. Please hear my prayer and make it happen.” This is a prayer that He is overjoyed to answer.
Prayer:
Father, hear my prayer. I want to know You more. I want to think in the way that Paul writes. I am so self-absorbed and self-involved: I want to understand and execute how to “count (things) as rubbish” in order that I may gain more of You. AMEN.