Day 280 (Through the Bible in a year readings for today: Isaiah 37,38; Philippians 3)
RUBBISH OR CHRIST?
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8-9 ESV)
“To be or not to be” is not THE question. THE question, the most important question anyone can ever consider is: “Rubbish or Christ?”
Paul considered the things of this world, that is, everything other than Jesus, to be rubbish. In fact, he had lost everything, in order to gain everything in Christ.
The everything he lost was made up of the things people prize so highly...money, health, freedom and the like.
The everything he gained with Jesus was the forgiveness of his sins and the promise of eternal life in heaven.
A cousin of mine died a number of years ago. He was a life-long follower of Jesus who knew the importance of what he had confessed his entire life:
● Faith in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
● The great and undeserved gift of the forgiveness of his sins.
● The comforting promises of the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting.
In the second stanza of the hymn “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross,” the hymn writer echos St. Paul and cousin Ted’s answer to THE question:
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast
Save in the death of Christ, my God;
All the vain thinks that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
(Lutheran Service Book, CPH, 2006, #425)
Heavenly Father, help me to be like Paul and sacrifice all the vain things of this life so that I can have Your everything in Jesus. When I fall and find myself placing anything else ahead of Jesus, please bring me back to reality and to You. In Jesus’ saving name. Amen.
Pastor David Paape
Daily Bible Reading Chart covering the entire Bible in one year.
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