4/9/26

The fight between a love for Christ and selfish pride is real!

I have a selfish desire to be with Christ. It is selfish because I love Him and want to be in His presence, for me. I desire to be in His presence for my comfort and joy.

However, in my love for Him, I desire to please Him. So I live on in an attempt to live for Christ.

Paul says in the first chapter of Philippians, verse 21, "for me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

I can say, "to die is gain", for me is an inarguable fact. However, I fail so much in living for Christ that I struggle to even say, "for me to live is Christ."

Because of this I say, Thank you Jesus for grace!!!

Our text today says in, Philippians 3:8 NASB95 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ.

There is nothing on this earth that has eternal value, apart from the human soul in Christ!

Let me say that again. There is nothing on this earth that has eternal value, apart from the human soul in Christ!

How about one more time? There is nothing on this earth that has eternal value, apart from the human soul in Christ!

We spend the overwhelming majority of our time focused on things with no eternal value.

Paul says, "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."

Your house will fall, it will be owned by someone else, and it will burn in the end.

Nothing you purchase will last. Relationships end. Especially if at least one in the relationship doesn't know Christ. We attempt to build a legacy. However, in time your legacy will be shaped by people whom you might not have even met.

The only thing on this earth that will last into an everlasting eternity is the human soul. It will spend eternity in life, in the presence of God with all those who trust in Christ with a complete faith, or it will spend eternity in hell completely separated from all life. Hell is the ultimate solitary confinement and torture. Burning in hell is bad but being alone without God is the epitome of Hell.

So if we are going to continue on earth until our numbered days are up (which we are)? Then why not make our focus something that has true value? In other words, since for Christians, to die is gain in Christ, and we are presently awaiting that time. Why not live for Christ now? So all that we gain here we will see for all time. Then we can truly say "for me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."

Paul says, Philippians 3:8 NASB95 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ.

What are you focused on earning, keeping, and valuing? If it is not that a human soul will come to know Christ, then you are focused on earning, keeping, and valuing rubbish!

Sorry that might be harsh, but it goes for me too.

I pray we will all desire to be able to say what Paul says in Philippians 1:23-25 NASB95 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith.

Love Bro. Scott