Counting All Things as Loss

"Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him." — Philippians 3:7-8 (ESV)

A Remarkable Resume

If anyone had reason to trust in human accomplishment, it was the apostle Paul. He was circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. As to the law, a Pharisee. As to zeal, a persecutor of the church. As to righteousness under the law, blameless.

This was not a man who lacked credentials. By every measure of his culture, Paul had achieved the highest standing. Yet something radical happened that reordered every value he held.

The Great Reversal

Paul did not merely set aside his accomplishments — he counted them as loss. The Greek word he uses, skubala, is startlingly strong. It means refuse, waste, rubbish. Everything that once defined his identity and worth was reclassified in light of one overwhelming reality: knowing Christ Jesus.

This was not a grudging trade. Paul did not look back with longing at what he left behind. He looked forward with eagerness at what he had gained — a righteousness not his own, a relationship with the living God, and a hope that death itself could not extinguish.

The Surpassing Worth

What makes something "surpassing" in worth? It means there is nothing in the same category. Christ does not merely outweigh our achievements — He transcends them entirely. Comparing our best accomplishments to knowing Christ is like comparing a candle to the sun.

This is why Paul can speak of loss with such freedom. When you possess the surpassing treasure, releasing lesser things is not painful — it is liberating.

Found in Him

Paul's deepest desire was not merely to know about Christ but to be found in Him — clothed in His righteousness, united to His life, sharing in His sufferings and resurrection. This is a knowing that goes beyond information. It is intimate, transformative, and eternal.

To be "found in Him" means our identity is no longer rooted in what we have done but in what Christ has done for us. Our standing before God rests not on our resume but on His finished work.

Reflect

What credentials or accomplishments are you tempted to build your identity on? How does the surpassing worth of knowing Christ change the way you see your own resume?