Gaining Christ

Gaining Christ

“But indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” Phil. 3:8.

This is how highly Paul esteemed Jesus. To him, gaining Christ meant to be worthy of being His bride. Matt. 10:37-38.

“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” Phil. 3:12.

Much is said about Jesus being wonderful and about His glory, but what do people actually mean by that? Very few people have actually thought about it and come to an understanding of it.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light . . . .” 1 Pet. 2:9.

Here we see what Jesus’ glory is. Paul was apprehended of Jesus’ virtues. He was so apprehended that he considered everything as dung in order to partake of the virtues of Christ. People speak about giving up everything for Jesus’ sake, but what do they mean by that?

You cannot grow in the virtues of Christ without forsaking everything. You have to forsake your self-will and everything that is of this earth in order to be patient. You have to give up your honor to abide in love. You have to give up your right in order to be merciful, or you will quickly come out of the virtues—Christ’s glory.

Paul writes, “Not that I . . . am already perfected.” He had not attained to the entire fullness of the virtues that are in Jesus, but he pressed on to lay hold of them just as he had been laid hold of. This is what it means to give up everything for Jesus’ sake. Gaining some earthly glory is as dung compared to gaining more of the virtues of Christ—His glory.

“That you may proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light . . . .” The darkness we were in was: that if only we could press our will through—gain some earthly glory and respect—then anger, impatience, strife, mercilessness, etc., wouldn’t matter much. And yet we see regardless of how much earthly glory is gained, it is not glorious after all because people do not have love. It is all darkness because the virtues of Christ are lacking. His “marvelous light” is: that everything is glorious if we possess the virtues of Christ, even if we are poor in earthly possessions. Earthly glory is as dung compared to the virtues of Christ.

Everyone agrees that Jesus is wonderful. No one gets offended if you speak about Jesus being wonderful and that He is our Bridegroom. But if the Bridegroom is wonderful, shouldn’t He then also have a wonderful bride? Paul understood this; he did everything in order to gain Christ. He wanted to be as full of the virtues of Christ as possible in order to please Him. 1 Cor. 10:5.

Most people’s virtues are just an outward show. They are only skin deep. This was the case with the five foolish virgins. As the night of trials was prolonged, their lamps went out. However, the wise virgins had oil in abundance; they had an inner, hidden life with Christ in God. Even if the night was ever so dark and long, their fullness of the virtues of Christ sufficed for the lamps to shine. Their virtues were not something external just to be seen by people; they were genuine.

Most people cannot bear exhortations because they do not have this “marvelous light.” However, those who have received light and want to gain Christ, they love exhortations, and Paul writes the following words with a view to meeting Jesus in the clouds: “Therefore exhort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” 1 Thess. 5:11. May God give us who are in the church great grace to follow this exhortation, and even more so as we see the Day approaching (Heb. 10:25), so that our glorious Bridegroom can have a glorious bride.