Wednesday, August 12 — Willing to Lose the Résumé

Most of us keep a mental list of what makes us worth something — the title, the degree, the name people know us by. Paul had a list like that too, and he tore it up.

Philippians 3:3-9 — KJV

3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. 4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: 5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; 6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Philippians 3:3-9 — WEB

3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh; 4 though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless. 7 However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ. 8 Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith,

Explanation

Philippians was written from a prison cell, which makes what Paul says here even more striking. He's not talking about his accomplishments from a comfortable armchair. He's chained up, and still he says his old credentials are worth nothing next to Christ.

And what credentials they were. In verses 5 and 6 Paul lists them like a man reading off his own trophy shelf: the right family, the right tribe, the right training, flawless in keeping the law. If anyone could have earned God's approval by pedigree and performance, it was him. This is the same man we've been reading about all week — the Pharisee, the zealot, the one who was so sure of his standing that he persecuted the church.

Then verse 7 lands like a hammer: "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ." He does the math and comes out the opposite of what you'd expect. The very things that made him somebody, he now moves to the loss column. In verse 8 the older English is blunt — he calls his old glory "dung," garbage, the stuff you scrape off and throw out. Not because those things were evil, but because he found something so much better that they stopped being the point.

Here's the deep thing Paul is after. He no longer wants a righteousness he built himself, "mine own righteousness, which is of the law." He wants the righteousness that comes from God through faith in Christ. That's the difference between a Pharisee and a Christian, and it's the exact turn our Sunday lesson traces. Saul the Pharisee trusted his own record. Paul the Christian trusted Christ's.

For us, this cuts close. We may not have Paul's religious résumé, but we all have something we quietly lean on to feel acceptable — how hard we work, how we look on paper, how much better we are than "those people." Paul isn't telling you your work or your family or your effort is worthless. He's telling you they make a terrible savior. The freedom in this passage is that you can finally stop auditioning. You don't have to earn your way into God's good graces by stacking up a perfect record. Christ already has the record; faith receives it. Loosen your grip on the list you've been trusting, and you may find your hands are finally free to hold on to Him.

Thought for the Day

Everything I lost was nothing next to knowing Christ.

Reflection Question

What are you still trusting to make you acceptable — and could you set it down?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I've spent a lot of energy building a record I hoped would be enough. Today I lay it down. I don't want a righteousness I made; I want the one You give. Help me to count all of it loss next to knowing You, and to rest in what You've already done. Be my confidence today. Amen.

This week we walk toward Sunday's lesson: Saul of Tarsus, How a Pharisee Became a Christian.