Nothing to Lose
Have you ever found yourself in a posture when you have nothing to lose? This posture tends to either lead to desperation or confidence. There is a tendency to take more chances when you have nothing to lose.
It’s like a freebie.
Philippians 3
Knowing Christ
3 In addition, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write to you again about this is no trouble for me and is a safeguard for you.
When you live your life trying to protect what you have amassed, it can lead to a life of fear, tension, and misery. Philippians 3 strips us of our artificial identities, masks, and distractions and allows us to know Christ more intimately. The result is a faith that is empowered and not futile. Hope abounds with the belief that is not rooted in our abilities and behavior. Only Christ can deliver us from our sins, and he should be the object of our worship and devotion.
A true Christian is a rejoicing person.
Peter speaks of joy, unspeakable and full of glory. Jesus said to His disciples that their hearts would rejoice when they see Him again, and no man can take their joy from them. The cross will bring them sorrow, but the resurrection will bring them joy.
2 Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the evil workers, watch out for those who mutilate the flesh. 3 For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, boast in Christ Jesus, and do not put confidence in the flesh— 4 although I have reasons for confidence in the flesh.
Beware of the things that can diminish your joy.
Beware of dogs. These wild scavengers run in packs snapping at everybody and everything. They are not going to have joy, and they will keep everyone around them from having joy. Jesus and other prophets used the term “dogs” to refer to opponents of God”s truth ( Matthew 7:6; cf. Deuteronomy 23:18; 1 Samuel 17:43; 1 Samuel 24:14; Proverbs 26:11; Isaiah 56:10-11). The Jews habitually referred to Gentiles contemptuously as dogs (cf. Matthew 15:21-28). In ancient times many dogs were unclean, wild, vicious animals that threatened the safety of everyone.
Beware of evil workers. “Judaisers”
“Galatian heresy” that Paul dealt with extensively in his epistle to the Galatians Paul was referring to the circumcision of the heart that happens when a person trusts in Jesus Christ. The alternative is trusting in self and in rite-keeping for salvation ( Romans 2:25-29; Colossians 2:11; Colossians 2:13; cf. Leviticus 26:41; Deuteronomy 10:16; Deuteronomy 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4; Ezekiel 44:7).
We rejoice in the finished work of Jesus Christ and in the righteous standing that He gives to us before God. We have no confidence in our flesh. We are not trusting in a fleshly ritual, such as circumcision or baptism. Peter speaks how that we are saved through baptism, but not that putting away of the filth of the flesh, but of a pure conscience before God.
If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law, a Pharisee; 6 regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless.
If any man had a right to be confident in the flesh Paul had more right than anyone. Paul would be considered “Privileged” – but gave it up
Paul had everything to lose.
He was circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin. He was a Hebrew, born of Hebrew parents. He retained the Hebrew language. He was a Pharisee (keeper of the law) – which held tremendous prestige and credibility. Finally, he zealously persecuted the early church to defend all he had accomplished.
7 But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss (rubbish) in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ[a]—the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, 11 assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead. (Salvation)
1 Corinthians 1:31; o that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.”2 Corinthians 10:17: But HE WHO BOASTS IS TO BOAST IN THE LORD.
We should appreciate Paul’s willingness to count all of his accomplishments and accolades as a loss for what he had gained. Note in the text that the tense changes from past experience to the present. “I counted loss, I do count them as refuse.” The past experiences are only valid in the extent that they are transmitted into the present. Too many people are trying to live on past experiences.: the things that they once did, the sacrifices that they once made, the blessings that they once had. The fact that I at one time counted something as loss for Christ is not valid if I have returned to pick it up again.
Paul traded his standing among the Pharisees to stand before the Lord. What he lost was his self-righteousness, what he gained was the righteousness of Jesus Christ.
“Like most “religious” people today, Paul had enough morality to keep himout of trouble, but not enough righteousness to get him into heaven! It was not bad things that kept Paul away from Jesus-it was good things! He had to lose his “religion” to find salvation.”
— Warren Wiersbe
Lose Yourself is a call to Discipleship. In today’s passage, Paul so eloquently expresses the sentiment of dying to oneself. Only when we lose our self-centeredness and pride can we appreciate all Christ has done for us. All we have accomplished is but “rubbish” when compared to all Christ has in store for us. Living our life for Christ is to live a life of fulfillment, meaning and purpose with nothing to lose.
