No Perks for Paul

…whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
(Philippians 3:7 – ESV)

Paul didn’t follow Christ to gain worldly things; he already had as much as any Jew could have, in that he had prestige, pedigree and position. Yet he left all this for beatings, jail, being despised, and the trials of being the first missionary to the Gentile nations. He gave up everything, not to get anything but to lose it all and go back even further for the sake of winning Christ. How many see Christianity as a chance to gain things, but here Paul shows that he gave up not gained up, he went from the penthouse to the prison.

Paul gives his pedigree and his practice, his possessions by birth and his behavior since. He had as much to boast about as anybody. Yet he tells us that his faithfulness to his old religion was nothing compared to the faith in Christ he had been given. In Philippians 3:5-6, he lists seven things that were not enough, and that by way of modern application we will see are still not enough.

1. Faithful parents. Paul was circumcised the eighth day in accordance with Leviticus 12:3. It doesn’t matter who your parents are.

2. Faithful people. Paul was of the stock of Israel, a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and an heir to God’s covenant with them. Paul was a Jew. It doesn’t matter what race you are or what country you are from.

3. Faithful tribe. Paul was of the tribe of Benjamin, which gave Israel her first king, Saul (1 Samuel 9:1-2). It was the tribe that aligned itself with Judah when Israel divided into two nations at the time of Rehoboam (1 Kings 12:21). It also had Jerusalem in its boundaries (Judges 1:21). Paul wasn’t just any Jew, but a member of Benjamin. It doesn’t matter what tribe you are or what sect you belong to, or your social status.

4. Faithful legacy. Paul was a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He was pure Jew on both sides. This also contrasts him with those who embraced Greek culture, as many Jews at that time tried to live and act as much like Greeks as they could (Acts 6:1-6). Paul’s line was faithful to their heritage. It doesn’t matter how good you family history is.

5. Faithful profession. Concerning the law, a Pharisee. Paul was elite, they weren’t many Pharisees, perhaps only 6000 or less, and they lived their whole lives trying to keep every detail and letter of the law. Of course they did so at the expense of the spirit of the law (Matthew 23:23). It doesn’t matter what degree you hold or what job you do.

6. Faithful labor. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church. Paul was not just an intellectual opponent of perceived heresies; he was an active fighter against them. Acts 7:58-8:3 / 9:1-2, 21, 26-28 / 22:3-4 (5:34) / 26:10-11. It doesn’t matter how successful or hard working you are.

7. Faithful practice. Blameless – Paul achieved the standard of righteousness which was accepted among the men of his day, although this standard fell short of God’s holy standard. By man’s interpretation of the law, there were those who were deceived into thinking that they really were blameless, like the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-23). It doesn’t matter how good you try to be, or how much good you do.

Even if you have all these things they aren’t enough to get you to heaven. But for those who don’t have anything anyway, realize you don’t need any of these things either. All you need to inherit the kingdom of heaven is Christ. Jesus Christ is all you need, and more than anything you will ever leave behind. Christ is more beautiful than anything in the universe. Life may give you great things, or it may not, but if you come to Jesus you will receive the greatest gift of all, God Himself. Don’t come to Christ for His perks come for His person.

“Living For Today With An Eye For Tomorrow”©