"Paul's Letter to the Philippians — The Witness of the Apostle Paul — Risking Everything for the Sake of Christ, Part 2”

Philippians 3:8 declares how Paul had given up everything for the sake of Christ. He had counted “all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus [his] Lord: for whom [he] had suffered the loss of all things”.  Of course, this followed the great exhortation in chapter 2 verse 5 where he exhorted each of us to have that same mind-set that Christ had in leaving heaven’s glory for this sin-cursed earth with eternal redemption for sinners very much in view.  Paul’s example of this same mind-set dominated his life.  All followed from that he says here.  And, for him therefore, to be “found in him” at the Judgment Seat of Christ with nothing else to recommend him but that which is of the “faith of Jesus Christ”, that was his greatest desire.  As he then explains, is to leave behind entirely all works of law.  Shining forth at that time, in that special resurrection (the “out”-resurrection), with the reward appropriate, would then be his eternal badge of glory.  No dead works to be burned, all endures the judgment fire.  All lost here for the sake of that reward then.  May it be true for us as well.  Amen.