Losing it All

 March 3, 2024

This morning’s sermon text was Philippians 3:12-4:1. There’s so much in these verses that I could easily spend a week or more commenting on them, but for tonight, there’s just one thing that stands out to me. 

“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 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” —Philippians 3:8-12 

Paul here tells us his life goal—to know Christ, and to fulfill the purposes for which God saved him. Of course, he gives us more detail than this, but the two “thats” are the clues to his intention. I suspect many of us would echo Paul’s desire; to know Christ and his life-purpose for us. As they say, the devil’s in the details. We want the end result, but often are reluctant to buy in to the process. 

To know Christ and his purposes, Paul tells us we must suffer the loss of all things. We don’t mind suffering the loss of some things; after all, the weight of sin, the expense and destruction of addictions are gladly dispensed with, but what about my comfort, my standing in the church or community? Am I willing to suffer the loss of my bank account, my retirement, my health, my friends or family? 

Do I want Christ enough to let go of all this? That little word “all” bothers me. I haven’t suffered much of anything in this world, so how much do I really know of Christ and his purposes? As I said recently, it’s not the things in the Bible I don’t understand that bother me; it’s the things that I do understand that bother me. Those words “the loss of all things” bother me…challenge me…convict me. But have they converted me?