Two Sentences

Philippians 3 is the pinnacle of the book of Philippians. But it is easy read right past the two sentences that are the books most important.

I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.

For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him.

The loss specifically was his Jewish credentials. Generally though, it was everything and anything in life. For Paul, only Jesus matters. Jesus is the the greatest height, the greatest depth, the greatest joy, the greatest truth, and the greatest grace. Notice the two words, surpassing worth.

But it wasn’t easy. Notice the word suffered. Christianity is the religion of the weak and needy. And when someone becomes a Christian the reality of suffering does not diminish. Paul is addressing not just what he gladly tossed aside in his Jewish heritage and credentials, but also all the persecution and deprivations.

Notice he suffered for Jesus’s sake. And he suffered to gain Christ and be found in Him. It was all worth it.

These two sentences teach the heights of knowing Christ and pain of knowing Him. And the way Paul says it he makes it look as it ought to look. To know Christ, to gain Christ, to be found in him is the greatest treasure and pleasure mankind can know.