08/27/2026
But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.
- Philippians 3:7-9
Dear friends in Christ, when it comes to basic human needs, everyone will tell you we need air, water, food, and shelter. Some people will add in sleep, clothes, and sanitation. And I think we all agree, those things are necessities, while everything else falls into the category of comfort.
While we would all agree to that, I wonder, how many comforts would we be willing to lose? A vehicle is a comfort. Would we be willing to go without a car? A house is a comfort. We could get shelter elsewhere. So, would we be willing to go without the comfort of a house? Food is necessary, but how much comfort are we willing to give up when it comes to what we eat?
Let's take that a step further. Do we look at all the creature comforts we have in the correct light? Paul said it so strongly in his letter to the Philippians: He considered everything to be garbage.
Taking a few steps back, Paul had been talking about people thinking their confidence was found in their flesh. They were pointing to circumcision as proof they were in God's good grace.
And if that was the measuring stick, no one could boast more than the apostle Paul. He kept the Old Testament laws incredibly well. If anyone could boast in keeping the laws, it was Paul.
But he told the Philippians that those things were no longer gains in his sight. In fact, Paul considers them a loss. Everything is now a loss and garbage, because Paul knew the reality of his Savior.
So, I ask again, do we have the same sort of attitude toward ourselves and our possessions? Is everything a loss because Jesus has given us everything, or do we hold onto what we have as proof that God loves us?
Because if we find our proof of God's love in what we have done or what we have, we're really looking for righteousness somewhere God hasn't told us to look. We're either looking at our own abilities or we're looking at stuff.
And the righteousness God gives isn't found in either place. Rather than giving us some sort of false righteousness tainted with sin, God has given us true righteousness. And it comes through Christ.
God sent his Son into the world to give us what we could never have or earn on our own. Jesus lived perfectly where we never could. He died as a perfect sacrifice; suffering hell for the entire world.
That death secured forgiveness. So now, God doesn't look at us according to what our sins deserve. He looks at us according to Jesus' perfect record in our place. We are righteous because righteousness was given to us!
Now that Christ has gained our forgiveness, we have the same attitude as Paul. Why would we hold onto anything that's going to get in the way of Christ? Jesus has given us everything we truly need.
So, Paul, this apostle who wrote so much of the New Testament, tells us he wants to be found in Christ. He didn't want to be defined by his status or his possessions.
What freedom Christ has given us! We are not defined by what we have or do. We are simply defined by the righteousness Jesus has given us. We are defined by the forgiveness God has given.
And that forgiveness means we have a greater possession to look forward to. Heaven is ours right now because of forgiveness. And Christ's resurrection tells us death is defeated. Even when we die, God is defining us by the righteousness he has given us.
So, dear friends, remember who you are. You aren't defined by what you have or what you do. You are defined by your Savior, Jesus. And he says you are totally righteous. Compared to that, everything else can simply be garbage, because Jesus has made us everything we need to be. Amen.
