Phil. 3: 8-9 "keeping the proper perspective"

“More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of Faith.”
NASB Phil. 3: 8-9

The New Living Translation says it this way :
“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ, and become one with him. I no longer count my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to Save Me, for Gods way of making us right with himself depends on faith.”

As I was reflecting on the first 3 verses in this chapter and then moving on to these what it really gets down to is that we MUST keep our eyes on Jesus. It would be so easy to get side tract into debates, into idle conversations about things that do not have any eternal purpose. Our Faith is what will bring us into the right relationship with God.

It really is about keeping a proper perspective on our Christian life and walk.
Romans 10:4-10 just summing up these verses with this
“ With the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness,
With the mouth he confesses resulting in salvation”
It isn’t about what we can do to save us as Paul wrote: “ I no longer count my own goodness or my ability to obey God’s law, but I trust Christ to Save Me.” But it is about putting our trust in Christ and doing what we believe. This results in a Faith that has Actions that result in Righteousness…….
We can’t do that in our flesh.. it can only happen in Christ.

You know if we would all get this principle we would stop trying to be Righteous in our strength and stop trying to put laws or rules in place to help make us and others righteous. What needs to happen is that we challenge people just as Paul is doing through the word. Allowing the Holy Spirit to work in and through them. There are the laws of the land and they are there for a reason but FOLKS It shouldn’t be for those of us who are SAVED by CHRIST. It is for the LOST to help bring them to the understanding that they are in NEED OF CHRIST!

Today what I’m carrying away from this passage is this :

I am in need of CHRIST DAILY! If I was left to my own strength and my own desires I’ll only produce UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. Instead- I’ve chosen to Die to self!
“ I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me.” Gal. 2:20

Lord, as we start this week we ask that You help guide us in what we say and what we do. Help us Lord, to keep our hearts clean before You. Help us, to not walk in our own strength but to Trust in only You. Lord, we desire your ways rather than our own. May our lives be a living sacrifice and may You be pleased to use us today, in reaching the lostness around us.

It is in Your name I pray,
The Name of Jesus,
Amen…………..