“More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…”
— Philippians 3:8
Let’s be real—there are a lot of things in life that are genuinely valuable. Your job, your degree, your reputation, your social standing, your background, even your theology. Paul uses the word kerdos—Greek for “gain” or “profit”—to describe all those things he once held dear. These weren’t garbage things. They were good, respectable, even spiritually impressive things.
But then he says… “I count them all as loss.”
Why? Because the value of knowing Jesus outshines them all.
When Jesus Messes With Your Resume
Here’s what Paul is getting at: You can live a life built on your heritage, status, job title, degrees, ministry connections—and you might even be praised for it.
But you’ll end up missing out on Christ in you. Not salvation, but the joy, freedom, and clarity that comes from knowing Him intimately.
You’ll operate with Christ in you… but at a loss.
The Day I Got Offended Into Revelation
Let me tell you a little story.
I used to believe—like many others—that sometimes God makes you sick to teach you a lesson. That maybe sickness was part of His mysterious will. It’s what I’d heard all my life. It was safe, accepted, and I never really questioned it.
Then came my friend Eduard, from Eduard Serediuc Ministries.
Eduard didn’t fight with me. He just asked me hard questions. Ones that pushed me to go back to the Word—not to confirm my beliefs, but to test them. And I’ll be honest: I was offended. I wanted to prove him wrong.
But as I dug into Scripture hermeneutically—looking at context, covenant, and consistency—I came face to face with the fact that I had believed tradition over truth.
And I was wrong.
That realization didn’t feel spiritual. It felt like a gut punch. But it was the best thing that ever happened to me.
But What If I Had a Platform?
Now here’s the scary part. What if I were the senior pastor of a church? Or the head of a denomination? What if I had a huge following built on teachings that I now realized weren’t quite biblical?
Could I still shift?
That’s the real test of Philippians 3:8.
Paul didn’t just say, “Yeah, those old ideas were cute.” He said, “I count it all as rubbish—trash—compared to knowing Jesus.”
This isn’t about being right. It’s about being willing to lose your reputation, influence, or comfort zones for the sake of knowing Christ more deeply.
Why Some People Stay Quiet
That’s why many leaders stay silent. It’s not that they don’t see the truth—it’s that they don’t want to lose what they’ve built. They’re afraid of rocking the boat, upsetting the denomination, losing the pulpit, or even facing backlash from their own congregation.
But that’s exactly the trade Paul talks about: Will you suffer the loss of everything—your followers, your theology, your ego—for the surpassing value of knowing Jesus?
Because here’s the deal:
You can either keep the system running…
Or you can walk closer with Christ.
But you might not be able to do both.
Final Thoughts
Counting it all loss doesn’t mean you throw away your background or stop appreciating your growth. It just means that nothing—not even your most cherished theology—gets to compete with Jesus.
So whether it’s your views on healing, your denominational identity, your accolades, or even your well-packaged sermons…
Ask yourself:
“Would I still walk this road if it cost me all of that—just to gain Christ?”
If the answer is yes… you’re walking in grace.
Leave a Reply