Gaining by Losing

Q. 4: What is God?

A: God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

What’s the best snow day activity?

What does it feel like to lose something?

Introduction to Philippians

Paul is writing to the Philippians while in prison. He tells them why he is in prison and how this is actually advancing the gospel. Gives them some great insight into the theology of the humility of Jesus, then transitions to calling out false teachers that are arising.

These false teachers that Paul is calling out are called Judaisers, they are people who are claiming to be christian, but also claiming that you have to keep up with the old traditions of the law in order to be saved. They want both law and Gospel, but these are two opposite things because Jesus fulfilled the law. So in essence, they are saying that the works of Jesus are not enough to save and you need to contribute your own good works.

Have that in the back of your mind as Paul is talking about gaining and losing.

Philippians 3:3–4 ESV

3 For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more:

Circumcision was the sign of the old covenant, so Paul is saying that we, the believers, the church, the sign of the covenant, who have been baptized into the church, who worship God and put no confidence in the flesh.

Remember the Judaisers were wanting to try to walk in the new covenant by holding onto the old covenant.

That’s like grabbing the pole that is by the moving treadmill at the airport. You’ll step on but you won't move, because the pole is holding you back. It’s the same thing, because they were holding onto the old, they weren't able to embrace the new.

They were still taking confidence in all the accomplishments that they had when regarding following the law, but Paul has a baller move, he says if you guys think you have confidence for what you have done, I have more. What a line. What all have you done Paul?

Philippians 3:5–6 ESV

5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.

We read this in our day and are like, okay? But to the people reading this, this humbled them.

This is like a new student coming in here and you ask them about their faith, you hear that they were born in the church, they read their bibles for 3 hours a day, pray for another 3 hours a day, fast every other week, go on 17 missions trips a year, and sing on the praise band at church.

Like woah Paul, you have done so much stuff for God, it humbles the rest of us. But what does Paul say about it?

Philippians 3:7 ESV

7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

What even does that mean Paul? Everything that you have done and gained for your faith you count as loss? Elaborate please Paul.

Philippians 3:8–11 ESV

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.

This can be a confusing concept to grasp. Imagine that all of the good things that you have ever done for Christ become physical items coming towards you on that airport conveyor belt. What Paul is saying that the Judaisers are doing is taking all of them and holding onto them and building their house in them and living in them.

What Paul is doing, is taking all of the items, putting them in the toilet, and flushing them, because they are poop, that's what rubbish translates to. He knows that if He dwells on them, He will become conceited and confident in himself. What he is going to do is focus only on Christ’s righteousness and not His own, because His own righteousness is crap.

He is gaining Christ by losing all of what He has worked for and used to take confidence in.

He will continue doing good things and good works because that is what He is commanded to do, not because it saves. Paul is the person that when the boss says “Good job on all the things you’ve done, here is a raise” He says keep your raise, I’m doing my job and just working here is the only thing I need.”

Obviously don’t do that at your real job, but live your Christian life like that. Don’t live out your faith to be seen by others or build confidence in yourself, but live in confidence of Christ.

Application

The Christian life is about trusting in Jesus and not ourselves. It is telling others about what Jesus has done and not what we have done. Our faith isn’t about proving how good we are. It’s about pointing to how amazing Jesus is.

The bottom line application is what you focus on this week, it echoes what Paul was focused on. Paul was not focused on His name and making sure it rose to the point of fame, he was focused that by any means possible He would attain resurrection from the dead. When we boil it all down, that’s what it all comes down to.

This is grim but it is important. Everyone will die, so we must live counting everything here loss so that we will gain Christ at the resurrection. Don’t cling to anything here, but cling to Christ.

The longer I live the more I realize how short life is. I can’t waste it focusing on myself and my works. So I will count it as garbage for the sake of chasing Christ. Because if I am holding onto all of my good works, I will have no room for Christ’s.

How did Christ exemplify this?

He lost His glory by to earth as a baby

He lost popularity by preaching hard topics

He lost His life when He died on a cross

But in all of this loss, He gained all those who believe in him. Achieving our salvation in His loss, so that we might gain. So I will count all of my gain from good works as loss, so that from His loss I will gain.