“But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 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” – Philippians 3:7-8
I recently saw an altercation between two NBA players, Rajon Rondo of the Celtics and Chris Paul of the Hornets. It was heard that Rondo was yelling at Paul that he has a championship ring and that Paul will never get one. Paul chased Rondo down the players’ hallway screaming, “You will respect me as a man!” Quite silly. Two grown men, making millions but acting like a couple kids on the blacktop in middle school.
We all get offended, upset. I still have an anger that scares my poor children every once in awhile. Here is a truth that we can observe in our frustration- Whomever or whatever we place our confidence, the greater the potential for our disappointments. True? If you find your identity in USC football, you would be very disappointed last week. If you place your identity in your relationship, you can be depressed and desperate when you break up, get the idea? But if you place your confidence in God? Then whatever happens, good or bad, you rejoice! (Phil. 1:18, 3:1, 4:4)
But I came across something in my recent study for a sermon that drastically changed my way of thinking and how it directly affected my own anger issues.
This passage is found in the middle of the Apostle Paul’s wonderful testimony. Please follow along so that you can get the heart of what he is saying. First of all, let me offer a little background- there were individuals that were informing the people of this church that they must become Jews before they can become Christians, i.e. they had to become circumcised. Paul directly attacks them by calling them “dogs, evil workers, those of the false circumcision.” (3:2) Paul was condemning anyone who believed a salvation apart from grace through faith alone, that we need not add works to grace. When someone is dependent on religion, they are dependent upon works, their deeds, something they can boast about, something others can see so they can receive attention.
Paul said if there is anyone who can boast in the flesh, the works that someone has accomplished, it is him. See, Paul was everything a Jew would want, he was wealthy, he was well educated, he was a “Hebrew of Hebrews,” the Jewish poster child, a modern day Justin Timberlake or Tom Cruise. But when Jesus brought him to faith, he says, “But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” All those things that were envied in the eyes of men, now in Christ, they are nothing to him, a “loss”, a disadvantage in terms of comparison.
But he doesn’t stop there and here is the burden of the text, he then says, “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.” The key word here is “all” Paul says when coming to Christ, he has suffered all things a loss.
Now we know when we come to Christ, we count our sins to be a loss. We can count on Christ dying for our sins, but what about the “all”? Paul is saying not only the bad (sins) but also the good (his merit) that he counts as a loss.
You see, when you come to the cross, the sins die at the cross and so do all the goodness of yourself as well. We think inherently that there is something good about us, that we are kind, we are descent, we are smart. There is a lot here for God to use for His glory. However, for God to be glorified, we must fully count all things a loss. That is the only way God can transform us into the image of His Son. To be conformed to His image, there must be no traces of our own goodness! Your goodness must die at the cross as well, “loss of all things.”
Now what does that have to do with anger and being offended? Just this, that if we cannot claim any confidence in ourselves, then how can we ever be offended? If all our goodness was nailed at the cross as well, then the only identity we are left with is Christ in us, “I have been crucified with Christ, I no longer live but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal. 2:20) When someone teases us, threatens us, when we come to suffer, we were called to this purpose, “When reviled, did not revile in return, when suffered, offered no threats, but entrusted Himself to the One who judges righteously.” (1 Peter 2:21) Our only offense is at the sake of Jesus Himself.
Let us walk worthy of the calling of the Gospel, let us suffer “a loss of all things” so that we can glorify God in our character. God bless.
Pastor Sung