2019 August – For the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
“Yet indeed I also 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.” (Phil 3:8)
For Paul, all things were counted as loss
1. All things were a reference to all possessions and status
2. Paul regarded them as loss
a. He would always count those things as loss
b. He was never going to back to them
For Christ, he was willing to suffer the loss of all things
1. It was for Christ that Paul had suffered this loss
2. He regarded them as rubbish for Christ
a. He deemed all things as rubbish
b. This was how he saw all things consistently
The things that would be gained
1. The excellence of the knowledge of Christ
a. Paul suffered the loss of all things for the knowledge of Christ
b. There was the pursuing the excellence of the knowledge of Christ
c. Even though he had already a tremendous knowledge of Christ
d. Yet, there was a far more excellent knowledge that he was striving for
2. Christ Himself
“that I may gain Christ…” (Phil 3:8)
a. The purpose of suffering the loss of all was to gain Christ
b. Gaining all that Christ is
i. His Person
ii. His blessings
iii. His love
iv. His grace
v. His joy and more