“Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,” (Philippians 3:8)
In the third chapter of Philippians, Paul was sharing that he had everything well in control and life was good for him before he met Jesus on the road to Damascus. He was a Pharisee of Pharisees, not only living his life in accordance with Mosaic Law, but also as a persecutor of Christians. He had many Christians imprisoned and some killed. He thought he was doing God a favor by riding the world of this new sect called Christians. The Pharisees appreciated his zeal, so he was on the fast track to greatness as a Pharisee.
After his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus he changed and then started living his life to serve Christ. In our verse today, Paul is proclaiming that all he had and did before being saved by the Lord’s amazing grace through faith was to be counted as dung (filth, excrement). In other words it was just about useless and fruitless. He felt that it was so worthless that he left the Pharisees forever to be a Christian and serve Christ.
Everything that we do here on Earth – all our great deeds, our accomplishments, our triumphs, our accumulated wealth – all amount to nothing, unless the purpose of these deeds and accomplishments are achieved in service to our Lord and for our Lord. Please understand that I’m not saying that you work your way into Heaven. The only way to Heaven is by grace through faith. An amazing consequence of salvation is a desire to serve our Lord. If we do anything that will be eternally meaningful, fruitful and important, it will be done in willing sacrificial service to our Lord and Savior, Jesus, the Christ.
“Lord in everything I do, let me do it for you, to praise and honor you and further your Kingdom. Amen!”