Phlippians 3:2-6
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. – Phlippians 3:7
Click to read
When we think about missions, we often picture activities such as sending, going, preaching and serving. But before Apostle Paul speaks of what he does for Christ, he tells us who he is in Christ. Philippians 3:7–11 is Paul’s testimony: his past achievements, his present passion, and his future hope. This is not just an autobiography—it is a model for us as we reflect on the mind, the model, and the mission of Christ this week.
In earlier verses (vv. 4-6), Paul begins by laying out his credentials. By every human standard, he had it all—circumcised on the eighth day, a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee, zealous and blameless under the law. In today’s terms, it would be like having the perfect résumé—religious pedigree, moral integrity, passionate zeal. Yet he declares: “Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ” (v. 7).
The word Paul uses for “loss” is strong; it is like calling them trash, refuse or dung, as translated by different versions of the bible (v. 8). All his achievements are worthless compared to the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Paul is not denying his past but re-evaluating it in light of Christ. What once gave him confidence now counts for nothing, because the only righteousness that matters is the one that comes by faith in Christ (v. 9).
The heart of the gospel is that we are not accepted by God because of our religious performance, good works, or moral efforts. Our justification is by faith alone—sola fide. To be “found in Christ” is to be clothed in His righteousness, not our own. Mission begins here: not with what we do for Christ, but with what Christ has done for us.
But Paul doesn’t stop at justification. His passion is not only to be right with Christ but also to know Christ: “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (v. 10).
v This is experiential knowledge, not head knowledge. To know Christ is to live in the power of His resurrection—the power that breaks sin’s grip, that gives courage to witness, that sustains us in mission. But it also means sharing in His sufferings. Paul understood that following Christ means embracing the cross before the crown, suffering before glory. Sanctification is shaped in the furnace of trials; similarly, mission often comes with cost. Yet Paul welcomes this, because it conforms him to Christ’s death and points him to the hope of resurrection (vv. 10–11).
Paul’s testimony shows us that missions is not about what we gain in this life, but what we lose for Christ’s sake. It is not about self-promotion but self-surrender. When we, like Paul, count everything as loss compared to knowing Christ, we are freed to give ourselves fully for His kingdom.
Reflection:
What do I count as gain previously that Christ might be calling me to count as loss now? Is Christ really my greatest gain? Is knowing Him really my surpassing worth?
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, help me to count everything as loss compared to knowing You. Clothe me in Your righteousness, give me strength to share in Your sufferings, and joy in the hope of resurrection when I follow in Your footsteps. May my life show that You are my greatest treasure. In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen.
Click to read
When we think about missions, we often picture activities such as sending, going, preaching and serving. But before Apostle Paul speaks of what he does for Christ, he tells us who he is in Christ. Philippians 3:7–11 is Paul’s testimony: his past achievements, his present passion, and his future hope. This is not just an autobiography—it is a model for us as we reflect on the mind, the model, and the mission of Christ this week.
In earlier verses (vv. 4-6), Paul begins by laying out his credentials. By every human standard, he had it all—circumcised on the eighth day, a Hebrew of Hebrews, a Pharisee, zealous and blameless under the law. In today’s terms, it would be like having the perfect résumé—religious pedigree, moral integrity, passionate zeal. Yet he declares: “Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ” (v. 7).
The word Paul uses for “loss” is strong; it is like calling them trash, refuse or dung, as translated by different versions of the bible (v. 8). All his achievements are worthless compared to the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Paul is not denying his past but re-evaluating it in light of Christ. What once gave him confidence now counts for nothing, because the only righteousness that matters is the one that comes by faith in Christ (v. 9).
The heart of the gospel is that we are not accepted by God because of our religious performance, good works, or moral efforts. Our justification is by faith alone—sola fide. To be “found in Christ” is to be clothed in His righteousness, not our own. Mission begins here: not with what we do for Christ, but with what Christ has done for us.
But Paul doesn’t stop at justification. His passion is not only to be right with Christ but also to know Christ: “that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (v. 10).
v This is experiential knowledge, not head knowledge. To know Christ is to live in the power of His resurrection—the power that breaks sin’s grip, that gives courage to witness, that sustains us in mission. But it also means sharing in His sufferings. Paul understood that following Christ means embracing the cross before the crown, suffering before glory. Sanctification is shaped in the furnace of trials; similarly, mission often comes with cost. Yet Paul welcomes this, because it conforms him to Christ’s death and points him to the hope of resurrection (vv. 10–11).
Paul’s testimony shows us that missions is not about what we gain in this life, but what we lose for Christ’s sake. It is not about self-promotion but self-surrender. When we, like Paul, count everything as loss compared to knowing Christ, we are freed to give ourselves fully for His kingdom.
Reflection:
What do I count as gain previously that Christ might be calling me to count as loss now? Is Christ really my greatest gain? Is knowing Him really my surpassing worth?
Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, help me to count everything as loss compared to knowing You. Clothe me in Your righteousness, give me strength to share in Your sufferings, and joy in the hope of resurrection when I follow in Your footsteps. May my life show that You are my greatest treasure. In Jesus’s name I pray, Amen.