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literature
Philippians 3
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Literature Text
All that I once sought to grasp
the things I thought brought gain
All seem to me so worthless now
just glorying in shame
The things I thought made me look great
Every race I won
Just filthy rags that cannot cover
all the wrong I've done
The "glory" of the things
that we so much adore
Pale to such a flimsy glow
in light of Christ my Lord
The things that brought me pleasure
whose loss caused such a row
Now buried in the distant past
spent, exhausted now
All these things I cast aside
their value is erased
by the priceless worth of
wholly seeking Jesus' face
And if I am to boast
may I only boast in Him
That through the cross
my Father is Yahweh the King.
the things I thought brought gain
All seem to me so worthless now
just glorying in shame
The things I thought made me look great
Every race I won
Just filthy rags that cannot cover
all the wrong I've done
The "glory" of the things
that we so much adore
Pale to such a flimsy glow
in light of Christ my Lord
The things that brought me pleasure
whose loss caused such a row
Now buried in the distant past
spent, exhausted now
All these things I cast aside
their value is erased
by the priceless worth of
wholly seeking Jesus' face
And if I am to boast
may I only boast in Him
That through the cross
my Father is Yahweh the King.
I just got back from a camp this weekend where we focused on the book of Philippians. Chapter 3 really challenged me. Here, the Apostle Paul declares that all that he once thought precious and important is really rubish compared to the priceless value of knowing Jesus. Paul was a pure-blooded Jewish member of the tribe of Benjamin. He was a Pharisee, a respected leader and teacher of the Jewish faith. In light of the Jewish law, he was blameless. He was so zealous in his faith that he persecuted the early Christians. He was the guy who just had everything worked out. If you were holding a conference, you would've wanted Paul to speak.
Yet the Lord, in His grace, revealed Himself to Paul. Paul was on his way to Damascus, where he was to persecute and imprison Christians. However, on the way, the Lord appeared to Him, and Paul was never the same. He became a whole-heated follower of Jesus Christ.
If anyone had reason to brag, it was Paul. If anyone was to be a role-model of success, it was Paul. Yet he declares:
"I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith."- Philippians 3:7-9
Can we say that as Christ followers? Are we so in love with Christ, that we can honestly say that everything else is rubbish. Obviously that doesn't mean we have to adopt a negative attitude about everything. Christ gives our lives meaning and joy. But COMPARED to Christ, can we say that everything else is merely a flicker in the wind compared to the wonderful joy of knowing the Lord? And more so, can we say that whatever good we've achieved is "just filthy rags that cannot cover all the wrong I've done"?
I want to know Jesus like Paul knew Him. That I would know Him on such an intimate level, that everything else just pales in comparison. Amen.
Yet the Lord, in His grace, revealed Himself to Paul. Paul was on his way to Damascus, where he was to persecute and imprison Christians. However, on the way, the Lord appeared to Him, and Paul was never the same. He became a whole-heated follower of Jesus Christ.
If anyone had reason to brag, it was Paul. If anyone was to be a role-model of success, it was Paul. Yet he declares:
"I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith."- Philippians 3:7-9
Can we say that as Christ followers? Are we so in love with Christ, that we can honestly say that everything else is rubbish. Obviously that doesn't mean we have to adopt a negative attitude about everything. Christ gives our lives meaning and joy. But COMPARED to Christ, can we say that everything else is merely a flicker in the wind compared to the wonderful joy of knowing the Lord? And more so, can we say that whatever good we've achieved is "just filthy rags that cannot cover all the wrong I've done"?
I want to know Jesus like Paul knew Him. That I would know Him on such an intimate level, that everything else just pales in comparison. Amen.
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Thank you...my heart aches that His people would begin to understand this!