Philippians 3:8
“I 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.”
Paul was one of the most accomplished followers of our Lord Jesus Christ. He was an ardent Jew, a well-trained Pharisee, a faithful abider of the law, and zealous for the Lord. Yet, in today’s verse, he counts all his accomplishments as loss when compared to what He has gained by knowing Jesus Christ as Lord. Paul’s relationship with the Lord meant so much to him that everything else was worth nothing to him.
This knowledge of Christ is not merely head knowledge but knowing Him personally and relationally. Paul uses the term “Christ Jesus my Lord” to signify an intimate relationship and personal experience of knowing Jesus as His Lord and Savior. We experience this kind of personal, intimate knowledge of Christ when we understand His great love for us that led Him to the cross on our behalf.
When we understand God’s love for us, we desire to know Him more and make Him known. Paul, a persecutor of the church, became one of the pioneers of the early church. A close relationship with the Lord will transform us into His likeness.
Would you say everything else in your life is rubbish compared to what you have gained in your personal relationship with Christ? Walking with the Lord might require us to surrender a lot of what we once held dear. But it is all worth it when we consider the richness of a life lived with Jesus Christ at the helm.
