Joy in the Loss of All Things

Part of our passage this morning (Philippians 3:7-11) has been my life verse since I was in college. I love that Paul reminds us that even if we lose everything, to gain Christ is a trade that is more than worth it. Compared to knowing Jesus, all else in this life is nothing more than a flaming pile of, well, you know, rubbish. Nobody knew this better than Paul. At one time he was the up- and-coming religious leader for a prominent religious group. His conversion to Christ caused him to lose all prestige, power, prominence, and position. This passage is the pinnacle of the entire book, and contains the promises that our hope rests upon. So, what if we lose the whole world? In return we get Christ, and that is enough. But on top of knowing Him, we also get righteousness, and the power of the resurrection.