Lent 5 Wed Philippians 3:8-14 Nothing to Lose

Paul was a bright young man.  His early life had shown all of the signs of being a successful Jewish leader and scholar. He was the sort of son that made a family proud.  Earlier in his letter to the Philippians, he listed his attributes: “circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness, under the law blameless.” Philip. 3:5-6 (ESV)

Theses attributes which Paul possessed were highly prized among the Hebrews and Paul; would have been assured of a place among the Chief Priests and Pharisees of the Temple when he was old enough. Along with that prestige, Paul would have received the wealth and power that would make him envied among the Israelites.

Paul had within his grasp, all of the things that people want today; namely power, riches and glory.  These are the requirements that people believe will make them truly happy. Happiness is what the world wants and nevertheless the world desperately continues to search for true contentment.

But can contentment be found in material possessions? Anna Nicole certainly had plenty of beauty and money, but she was not happy. And she certainly did not take anything along with her when she perished. Could the answer to happiness and contentment be found in fame and achievement? Experience shows us that these will not truly satisfy either. Just ask Britney Spears or many of the movie stars that are frantic for attention.

Can contentment be found in relationships? Well sooner or later our friends let us down or we disappoint them when they discover that we are not all we are sometimes made out to be. Certainly everyone in the world wants to be well liked, to have plenty of money and to be constantly surrounded by friends. But all too often we see that when the fame starts to fade or when the money runs out, so too do those so called friends.

Proverbs (31:30) tells us this truth, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”

Something else also happens to us as we get older. Those things that we loved when we were young lose their appeal. We set aside our ‘blankies’ and ‘binkys’ our slinkys and twinkies. We leave behind our tricycles for bicycles.  Then we really get into music or cars. Subsequently marriage, children and houses become important. After that retirement and healthcare loom large in importance.

At various stages in our lives we seem to outgrow our past loves until finally as we approach the end of our lives we begin to wonder what is really important. We may derive some satisfaction from looking back at our lives but when we look ahead, the future is bleak without seeing salvation through Jesus Christ.

Paul understood these stages of life very well. Paul saw that the person who strives to be all sufficient in life and in good works is miserable.  He saw the happiness and contentment of knowing Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. While He was still relatively young, he compared all of his attributes that the world approved as a loss when compared to knowing Jesus Christ as his Lord.

He saw the power, riches and prestige that he could obtain for a short period of time and gave them up for eternal life where he would give Jesus the glory, riches and honor due to his Lord in heaven. He saw in Jesus Christ someone who was far beyond his power and capability.  He saw the power in Christ to raise believers to eternal life and he never looked back.

Now, it is easy for anyone to say theses things; but what would Paul do when he was tested by being beaten and thrown into prison?  He suffered the loss of even his personal freedoms for the privileges of a being Christian.

True knowledge of Christ such as Paul knew alters and changes people. Their judgments and mannerisms imitate someone who knows the love of Christ. They behave as those who have died to the world and all of its garbage and have been reborn into God’s kingdom knowing that they have nothing in this life to lose. The believer prefers Christ, knowing that it is better to be without all worldly riches, than without Christ and his word.

In fact true believers look forward to being with their Lord. Like Paul they can say, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.  (1:21-23ESV) Only those who know Jesus Christ as their Savior can make such a comforting statement.

Without the righteousness won by Jesus Christ when we appear before God, we have nothing to show Him, for we are guilty of sin. There is a righteousness provided for all people in Jesus Christ, and it is a complete and perfect righteousness. No one can benefit by His righteousness however, who trust in themselves. Faith in Christ is the God appointed means of applying the saving benefit to those who would trust in His work on the cross. That faith allows us to stand firm because no matter how many thousands of people set themselves against us, our Salvation belongs to the Lord and His blessing are already upon you.

Martin Luther sums it up: “The word they still shall let remain nor any thanks have for it.  He’s by our side upon the plain with His good gifts and Spirit. And they take our life, goods, fame, child and wife.  Though these all be gone, our victory has been won, the Kingdom ours remaineth.”

We remain in His Kingdom when we die to sin. Jesus died for sin and the world is crucified to us, and we to the world, by the cross of Christ. The apostle was willing to do or to suffer anything for the sake of those outside the kingdom, to reach his final goal of the glorious resurrection of the saints. This hope and prospect carried him through all difficulties in his work. He did not hope to attain it through his own merit and righteousness, but through the merit and righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Knowing the human Jesus to be also the Divine Christ, the anointed of God, is the ultimate knowledge. To know Jesus Christ by personally following Him is to possess the ultimate riches that life in this world cannot offer. Knowing the God-Man Jesus Christ gives you that peace which passes all understanding. Paul found that true contentment even when he was chained to a soldier in prison, even when he was put to death.

So we also stand true to the Lord whether others honor us or despise us, whether they criticize us or commend us. The world ignores us, but we are known to God; we live in a world of sin and death, but here we are, still very much alive. Our hearts may ache, but at the same time we have the joy of the Lord. We are poor by the world’s standards, but we give rich spiritual gifts to others. We own nothing, what we have is on loan from God, so we have nothing to lose and yet we enjoy everything in Christ Jesus, Amen.