What have you discarded?       

Read: Philippians 3:5-11 NLT – I was circumcised when I was eight days – Bible Gateway

“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.” Philippians 3:8 NLT

The apostle Paul in his letter to the church at Philippi was expressing the value of knowing Christ in chapter 3. Paul noted all of his accomplishments starting with his pedigree as a true Jew. “I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one!” (Phil.3:5 nlt) He then went on to declare his membership as a Pharisee, those who knew and kept the strictest of Jewish Laws. Paul was on top of the Pharisaical ladder and so zealous for the Law that he persecuted all who went against it, especially Christians. But Paul gave it all up for the sake of knowing Christ, by stating, “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.” (Phil.3:7 nlt)

This passage deals with those, as Paul, who thought self-righteousness, doing good deeds, obeying manmade laws in religion is the way to God. Paul realized it wasn’t the way. He needed to get rid of all his self-made rules, his piousness, and his self-accomplishments which he now considers worthless.  Paul needed to discard all the garbage he was counting on for salvation. Christ Jesus has done it all for him and all Paul needed to do was to accept this by faith. “I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.” (Phil.3:9 nlt)

So, how about you? What are you counting on to get you to heaven? It’s time to discard those fruitless efforts and rely on the only true way to heaven, faith in Jesus. Paul calls them garbage, and so they are. Time to take out the garbage!