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, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
Philippians 3:8-11
Imagine, for just a moment, that you could make it into heaven on your own merit. You could patch yourself up, paper over the cracks and somehow make atonement for the stuff you’ve done wrong. And having made amends, you could manage to keep it together for the rest of your days on this planet, filling your life with good deeds, being kind, loving and morally pure. So that, on the day of judgement, when all is revealed and lives are weighed in the balance you could be declared righteous, fit for heaven and you could enter in on the basis of your own goodness.
Suppose that were an option – would you take it?
For Paul, the answer is a resounding no. No – because his own righteousness, even if it could accomplish access to heaven, could never satisfy the deepest longing of his soul. He has been captivated by, become entranced by, is obsessed by the prospect of knowing Christ.
Paul counts everything else as “rubbish” (although crap would probably be a better translation) because it doesn’t lead to identification with, relationship with Jesus Christ. He has not only seen the emptiness and futility of all our attempts to impress God with our own performance, he has been overwhelmed by a greater vision – where we are not just God’s people, but his children. Where we are not just recipients of his blessing, but co-heirs with Christ. Where we are not just in his land, but in his house.
Would you rather ride in your patched up Ford Escort, held together with gaffer tape and unjustifiable optimism, or would you rather take a ride with the King in his limousine? Would you rather struggle in as a part of the crowd, or a be welcomed in as member of the family?
How does Paul intend to pursue this Jesus-saturated, Christ-exalting vision of inexhaustible bliss? By following in the footsteps of Jesus now. As we follow in Jesus footsteps, live Jesus shaped lives, we share in his journey – and we begin to see the world through his eyes. As we obey the father as he obeyed the father, love as he loved, suffer as he suffered, live courageously and boldly in this rebel world as he did, so we get to know him in ways only shared experience can offer.
The desire to know Christ experientially, rather than just as an interesting phenomenon or an intellectual pursuit, is at the heart of the Spirit’s work in us. It is our deepest and most fundamental need.
To ponder:
What inferior pleasures, joys and ambitions hold you back from the headlong pursuit of this goal? What are you willing to endure, to suffer or pursue in order to strengthen your relationship with Christ?
