GAIN TO ME, LOSS FOR CHRIST

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." (Phil 3:7, KJV)

IT IS ESSENTIAL TO NOTE the things that were "gain" to Paul were not health, wealth, social status, academic achievements, or political successes. Everything he mentions had to do with revealed religion. He was born into a God-chosen nation. From the very first, his parents presented him to the Lord in obedience. His chosen vocation was a spiritual one. He excelled in that pursuit. He personally gave himself to the zealous opposition of those he perceived to be the enemies of God's chosen people because he felt that is what God required him to do. He also engaged in an unrelenting pursuit of personal righteousness, as defined by God's Law.

IF IT WAS POSSIBLE for the "flesh" to be approved by God, surely Paul would have gained such approbation. At once we see how utterly foolish it is to claim superiority upon the basis of social, political, or philosophical excellence. It is unfortunate that such measures of superiority have penetrated the church. Men are actually held out as possessing "gain" because of achievements wholly unrelated to revealed religion. They are honored for things that have little or nothing to do with obeying God or pursuing righteousness. If flesh cannot boast at the level of Jewish superiority, it certainly cannot be the basis for confidence at even lesser levels.

WHEN PAUL SAYS "WERE gain to me," he views himself as formerly apart from Christ. It is another way of saying self-centered. Coming into Christ brings a whole new definition of "gain" or benefit. Paul here makes reference to temporal, NOT eternal, gain. Jesus spoke of this kind of "gain." "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Matt 16:26). Salvation radically changes our ideas of gain, profit, and advantage.

"I COUNTED LOSS FOR CHRIST." Moses also had the perspective Paul reveals in this text. It is said of him, "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt" (Heb 11:26). By saying "I counted," Paul refers to his personal evaluation of the circumstance. His determination to gain Christ involved judgment and a decision. He was faced with the temporary gains of the flesh, or the gain of eternal life. Once seen, he judged matters relating to the flesh as worthless, zealously discarding them.

THE WORD "LOSS" IS AN ESPECIALLY STRONG ONE. It means Paul let these things go, refusing to allow them to capture his attention. It also means he saw they were competitive, and damaging to the soul. In other words, Christ could not be possessed while retaining a hold on those "things." To gain Christ, all fleshly emphases and distinctions must be forfeited. It is only to the degree this takes place that the individual is capable of appropriating Jesus.

THIS PERSPECTIVE IS NOT COMMON in churches with whom I have been affiliated. I fear the world is courted more than Jesus, and appearance is valued more than spiritual substance. Scarcely can a religious person of renown be found that is not distinguished by the flesh. Such a stance excludes one from Divine fellowship, robbing the soul of gaining Christ Jesus. A fellowship with Christ simply cannot be had while a priority is placed on "the flesh." Confidence in flesh cannot exist simultaneously with faith in Christ. They are opposed to each other, and aggressively so. If a person is to gain Christ, a judgment will have to be made concerning temporary gain, or advantages. What is a person willing to keep at the expense of losing his own soul?

– Given O. Blakely