The Reckoning

 “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ…that I may gain Christ.” —Philippians 3:7-8

“Gain and loss” are accounting terms (as is of course, “counting”). If you are in business, you add up receipts and compare against expenses. The end result is either a gain or a loss. Paul took stock of his life before and after Christ. Before, he thought the columns were in his favor. He was gaining. The Christians he was persecuting he considered losers. Until he realized things weren’t adding up. 

He discovered that his life account was actually in the red, while those “loser” Christians’ accounts were a healthy black. So he did the math, and according to Romans, he realized that the life he was living actually was deadly to him. Here’s how he put it:

“For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” —Romans 6:10-11 

That word “reckon” is also an accounting term. It’s used when the gain/loss columns are added up. Reckoning is the process of making sure all the numbers match. He did the reckoning, and knew things had to change. So…how are things adding up for you?