January 26, 2003 Sunday
Counting the Loss (Philippians 3:8)

"I count all things but loss....
and do count them but dung,
that I may win Christ".

When you consider all of the good works you have performed...all of the accomplishments you have achieved in your life...all of your goodness...do you count gain or loss? On the road to Damascus Christ Himself revealed to Paul what things could truly be counted as gain in life, and none of them had anything to do with Paul himself or his incredible credentials, but solely on Christ. In our prideful flesh we will always count as gain those things in our life which are nothing but loss. We ignore the fact that our own personal sin has purchased us eternity in hell separated from God (Romans 6:23) and that "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags". (Isaiah 64:6) When Christ has a hold of our hearts we learn to die daily to self and we see clearly what things are truly gain as we seek to "win Christ", and to "be found in him, not having mine own righteousness....but that which is through the faith of Christ". (Philippians 3:9) Will you be "found in him"? Have you counted the loss and found the true gain in life?