As extraordinary as Paul was, he realized that all those credentials, all those status symbols, were not important at all. For all he was born into, for all he had become, every bit of it was worthless compared to winning Christ.
The word win in that verse means “to gain.” As far as Paul was concerned, gaining Christ was worth whatever it cost.
Jesus confirmed that thought in a parable He spoke in Matthew 13:44. He said, “The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.”
I can’t read that parable without remembering a time when I sold things that were valuable to me in order to buy something greater—a 25th anniversary gift for my wife. Jeanne had been believing for a special watch, so I asked the Lord to help me buy it for her. His response was swift: 'Well, Happy, if you’d sell your motorcycle and your restored 1950 Ford pickup truck, you’ll have the money to buy her that watch.'
That motorcycle and truck were special to me, but I didn’t think twice. I sold them. As far as I was concerned, those things weren’t nearly as valuable as giving Jeanne what she wanted.
Yes, God gives us all things to enjoy, but sometimes we have to decide what’s most important—what we’ll treasure. That’s what the Apostle Paul did. He had every reason to boast, but instead he counted his many achievements as “dung” compared to gaining Christ.
The Vital Side of Redemption
As believers, we are in Christ and He’s in us. We’re the redeemed! That’s the legal side of redemption. But there’s also a vital side of redemption that Paul is leaning into here. The vital side of redemption is in living for Christ day by day. It’s about working out our salvation and building our relationship with Him.
One day I was praying, when all of a sudden I had this revelation: In Christ I have no identity of my own. In this world, I’m my father and mother’s son. I’m my sister’s brother. I’m my wife’s husband. I’m my son’s father. I’m a grandfather to my grandkids, a great-grandfather to my great-grandkids. Here on earth I have identity. But in Christ I have no identity of my own.
I’m in Him. Period. Even when we know that to be true, the struggle is to live that way. That’s the vital side of redemption. Legally, I’m in Him and He’s in me. But vitally I want to live like that. I want to be like Him. I want to be conformed to the image of Christ.
* * * * article continues on p. 23 * * * *
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22 : BVOV
