But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 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 9 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. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil. 3:7-14
There are a lot of famous people lately professing Christ, whether it's getting baptized or just making a social media post but I've never seen anything like it. Just this week I heard about Ryan Lochte the Olympic gold medalist who even had a reality show celebrating his wild life got baptized. I read Eminem the rapper known for explicit lyrics and debauchery is rapping about Jesus. Sophie Cunningham, the "beauty" of the WNBA got baptized and says she is following Jesus. Ella Langley, the top female country star gave all the glory to Jesus Christ while receiving her award. Russell Brand, English comedian and notorious sinner gave his life to Christ while going through a sexual scandal trial. Perez Hilton, flamboyantly gay gossip columnist with 4.5 million followers went through a near death medical illness and reassessed his life and became a believer and is now posting about reading his Bible. I just read this morning that Hunter Biden may have had a conversion experience although I need more details on that.
This is amazing and I'm always optimistic and hopeful, but I always have a degree of pessimism. Paul was at the top of his world as we saw in the previous verses and he by faith received Christ and lost all his friends, his popularity, and became hated so much that everyone wanted him dead. He lost home, wealth, influence, power, safety, retirement - everything for the sake of Christ. Paul said it was well worth it because to get to know Christ and to be known by Christ became everything to him. In fact, all those things he thought were important before now seemed like rubbish. I wonder if these celebrity conversions are that or just adding something else to their lives? Time will tell but Perez Hilton says he is still extremely gay, Sophie Cunningham posed topless for a magazine and Ryan Lochte has a live-in girlfriend who they share a child with.
While it's easy and more fun to look at others than ourselves, we have to ask these questions - am I willing to give up everything in this world to obtain a deeper relationship with God? Am I willing to endure suffering to know Christ better? Are treasures in Heaven more important to me than treasures on this Earth? I just read that Francis Chan's book Crazy Love has sold 2.2 million copies worldwide, yet his net worth is $300k. That's what I'm talking about. Is Jesus that "pearl of great price" that you would sell everything to obtain it? Is he that buried treasure in a plot of land that you would sell everything to buy that plot of land to dig up Jesus? I want to know Jesus more than anything. Do you?
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