◄ What Does Philippians 3:7 Mean? ►

What a heritage the apostle Paul had before his conversion to Christ. He was a renowned scholar and a pupil of the great teacher, Gamaliel. Paul was also a highly esteemed religious leader, a Pharisee of the Pharisees, and blameless concerning the Law.

He was proud of his Jewish heritage as a descendent of the tribe of Benjamin, and he was greatly respected due to his birth as a Roman citizen. Saul of Tarsus had it all as far as the world was concerned: power, prestige, position, privilege, and prosperity, but after his conversion, he simply became Paul the apostle and bond-slave of Jesus Christ. He told us: "Whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ."

Paul did not renounce his Jewish heritage nor spurn his Roman citizenship, but he recognised the insufficiency of the world, its trappings and all that it offers, and learned that in all things Christ is his sufficiency. Paul compared all that he had before his conversion to his new position in Christ, and recognised that although these earthly treasures brought glory to himself, they were insignificant by comparison to all he had in Christ.

Jesus Himself told us that there will be no profit for a man who gains the whole world, but loses his soul. And Jesus warns us against laying up treasures on earth (where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal), but exhorts us to lay up treasures in heaven. Paul's life exemplified these teachings of Christ, until Christ became his all in all, and he was able to say: "To live is Christ, and to die is gain."

May we learn the important lesson that Paul learned, that were we to gain all the world's power, prestige, position, privilege, and prosperity, it profits nothing and should only be counted as loss for the excellence of knowing Christ and being clothed in His righteousness.

Father God, thank You for Christ Jesus. I thank You for the many benefits and blessings that you have bestowed on me in this life, but I pray that nothing will ever eclipse my thankfulness for my position in Christ. I pray that, like Paul, whatever gain I have I may count as loss, for the sake of Christ Jesus my Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, AMEN.