My Life: A Waste, or One that Counts

January 27, 2013
My Life: A Waste, or one that Counts
Philippians 3:1-14
Scott Howard

In the book of Philippians, Paul is evaluating his life.

>>God wants to raise up men and women in His Church whose lives Count for His glory on the landscape of human history.

The first characteristic of men and women whose lives have counted for the glory of Christ on the landscape of human history:

1.  They treasure Christ above everything this world has to offer.

Paul lists some things that many people treasure, even good things, that he considers waste, rubbish, loss, compared to knowing Christ Jesus.

"...If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the [Christian] church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.  But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.  I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is though faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.  I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."
--Philippians 3:4-11

The many treasures of a wasted life:

• Family Heritage --> Paul's circumcision on the eighth day of his life signifies that he was born into Jewish tradition and the Jewish law.
• Social Status --> The tribe of Benjamin included Jerusalem and the place where the original temple of God was.  It is also the tribe from which Israel received it's first king, Saul. 
• Biblical Knowledge --> Paul studied the Jewish Law (the Bible--the first few books of it anyway) his whole life and was a very learned man.
• Religious Activity --> in regard to what one believes--Paul was zealous in persecuting the Christian Church because Christians were going against the law of Judaism.
• A Moral Lifestyle --> Paul followed all the rules of Jewish law--legalistic righteousness

These are all good things, but by themselves they will not be what counts at the end of our lives.  It is possible to have all these good things, and good qualities, and to be a "good person" and all of it be a waste.

>>The only Treasure of the life that Counts is: Christ.  To put it another way, Jesus is a treasure chest of Holy Joy and everything else pales in comparison to His Greatness!  Paul said, "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord."  

>>We have found something worth losing everything for.  Jesus Himself tells us this in Matthew 13:44-45, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.  When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it."

It is better to lose one's life than to waste it.  Christianity that costs nothing, produces the same!

Do you really KNOW Christ?  So much that nothing else matters; your social status, your heritage, your religious activity and piety?  May we strive to know Him better, to desire to share in His joy and His pain, as true friends/brothers do.  And as Paul said in our text, our righteousness will then come from our faith in Jesus.