Monday, October 07, 2024 - RUBBISH OR CHRIST?

 

"I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen." (Luther's Morning Prayer)

Monday, October 07, 2024 - Day 281 (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 echoes 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