The Place to Be #53

 

Philippians 3: 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 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 9 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— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

In chapter 2 We saw the example of Christ, Who, for the joy set before Him, humbly chose obedience and death on the cross to fulfill God's plan.  Paul has since that statement been working up to this point, calling on this church (and us) to follow in suit.  Having listed all his religious "credentials" in the preceding paragraph, he now announces that he denounces all those things a useless in the pursuit of godliness.  He views them as unprofitable rubbish (sounds like a sophisticated Brit) in order to obtain true righteousness, which is only found in Christ.  Having done so (and by way of implication, for all who will do so), Paul has found the power of Christ at work in his life now, and to be the hope we have for the life to come.  The church is to be a place where we all have this attitude and common conviction - where we all are on the same page.