Paul’s comments concerning the things that he once considered worthy and valuable have been forceful and solid. But with verse 8 and the phrase, “what is more”, they become even more so.

Take a look at the passage in Philippians 3:8-9:

Paul has a pedigree that would be the envy of almost everyone else. But he has stated that it is worth nothing. In this passage, he takes that thought to its logical conclusion. And he expands his thoughts from his Jewish background and accomplishments to a more universal idea. Literally everything is now included as a loss.

Paul’s progression here goes from what is loss to what has been gained. Everything that was held in high esteem, in the world’s eyes, he counts as loss, for the ultimate gain.

Paul uses a very forceful term to describe this. What many have translated as “rubbish” or “garbage” is a Greek word that can be translated as dung, waste, or muck. Paul’s point is clear: you’ll find more of value in the refuse pile than in any list of accomplishments outside of Christ.

But here, Paul shifts gears. While those things are worthless, knowing Christ is of infinite worth. Paul calls it “gain,” picking up the idea of “profit” from verse 7. But what has he gained? There are several things that fall into this category, many of which he will go on to discuss in the coming verses:

• He gained the excellency of knowing Christ (verse 8).
• He gained a righteousness that comes by faith (verse 9, Romans 1:17 and 3:21-22).
• He gained an understanding of the power of the resurrection (verse 10).
• He gained a partnership in the sufferings of Christ (verse 10).
• He gained the identification with Christ in his death (verse 10).
• He gained the assurance of the resurrection to come (verse 11).

What is more, all believers have received these same gains. We no longer have to strive to keep the Law, somehow to achieve a righteousness all on our own. We know that is impossible. What we have gained from Christ is the righteousness that only he could achieve, and that comes by faith.

The first kind of righteousness Paul mentions is the kind we all strive for. We seek to stand on our own. Paul addresses this kind of righteousness in Romans and Galatians, and his conclusion is that our own righteousness is insufficient to save us.

The second kind of righteousness that Paul mentions here is the kind that comes “through faith in Christ,” and is “by faith.” What we cannot accomplish, Christ did on our behalf. And by our faith, that accomplishment is transferred to our account.

If we seek to achieve a righteousness on our own merit, we restrict the ability of Christ’s righteousness to take effect in our lives. We cannot have it both ways. In order to receive the righteousness that we need, we must first let go of our attempts at righteousness under our own power.

When it is all said and done, our desire should be to be found in Christ, accepting his work on our behalf. This comes through faith. This comes through my response, faith, to Christ’s offer of the gospel. And since this is something that I cannot achieve on my own, a gratefulness is appropriate. Because now I have the hope of being reconciled to God.

Question: How often do you consider the gains of being in Christ over the losses of our own achievements? Which do you look to more frequently? You can leave a comment by clicking here.