The Daily Word of Righteousness

Winning Christ

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)

What in the world is Paul talking about?

They say that the Book of Philippians was written toward the end of Paul's ministry. Churches had been established. Epistles had been written.

How come Paul is trying to "win Christ"?

All you have to do today is confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead. Then you've got it. No more is necessary. You ought to try to do good, but if you don't good ol' grace is standing there ready to receive you graciously.

It's too bad Paul wasn't living today. Here the poor fellow was striving with might and main to win Christ when all he had to do was confess with his mouth and believe in his heart. It's unfortunate he had never met the apostle Scofield.

Maybe mankind has evolved since then so we don't have to try so hard.

But let's get wild and imagine Paul actually knew what he was doing. What was he trying to win?

In the same passage he says he was trying to attain the resurrection from the dead. What is that?

My thought is we should ignore all such nonsense and get on with the job of getting people to "make a decision for Christ."

There may be a few radicals around who are giving their whole life trying to gain the fullness of Christ, trying to get resurrected on the inside so they will be raised in the first resurrection, the resurrection of the royal priesthood. Crazy talk! It isn't even in the Book. If it is, it must be for the Jews.

We know it's of the devil because we don't understand it.

History reveals the majority is always correct and there are no exceptions to this.

We don't need the Bible anyway, we have marvelous traditions.

These nuts will keep on talking about perfection and counting everything garbage to "win Christ."

Why should we pay any attention to a few kooks? The majority will follow us as we teach them how they can make a profession of Christ and then get on with the job of living. We will show them how God loves them so much they can sit in the slops dead drunk with their blonde girlfriend, raise their hand, say I believe, and the Father will come running and give them the ranch.

When the trumpet blows (maybe before I finish this enlightening article) we will be snatched from the slops and brought up to our mansion in Heaven. Then those dumbbells who wouldn't make a decision for Christ can pay our bills. Ha-ha-ha.

We will sit in air- conditioned comfort and have another cold one while those Jews down there face Antichrist without the Holy Spirit. That'll teach 'em.

Aren't you glad you're a Gentile saved by grace and can do anything you want?

A final word to the kooks. Go ahead. Try to keep Christ's commandments. Give to God everything that matters to you. Have fellowship with the sufferings of the Lord. Trust in the power of Christ's resurrection to keep lifting you out of your problems. Act as though God knows what you are doing instead of "seeing you through Christ."

This will be your reward. Your fellow Christians will call you a legalist.

What will God call you?