Gainful Loss

There is much believers can unknowingly treasure that pertain only to this life. Such is liken unto a king visiting a foreign land who admires much of what he encounters, and in so doing is often unaware of being obstructed from remembering his own land, to where he startlingly recalls that he will be returning.

The longer saints are here the more is realized how void it is (apart from salvation) to our minds and hearts of any value-deeming sustenance. May God increasingly direct us in our mindset to revolve heavenly “things” (Phil 4:8) enough to be in sufficient communion and concert with Him here. God be blessed!
NC




Gainful Loss

“What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ” (Phil 3:7). Can you say that you do not value your amiability, for instance, but count it loss for Christ? It is a fact that it is harder to correct a man with what is called a nice nature, than a man with a very bad one; an amiable person is the most difficult to move, because he is so satisfied with himself.

Paul never knew Him but in glory (Acts 9:5), and he says, “I count all things but loss for the excellency if the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil 3:8). See what an object He was to eclipse everything, there is no question about Christ having put away all the bad things, but can you say He eclipses the best, and the brightest, and the most beautiful things on the earth to me, because He has so satisfied my heart?

Do you say: What heart-breaking work it is that I must give up this thing and not have that thing—what miserable work it is? No, but, I count them but rubbish! I give them up, not because they are wrong, but because “I count all things but loss …”

There is no way of getting a person out of the good things (from treasuring them—NC) but by showing him what is superior to them. So, if you say to me, That is a beautiful view, I quite admit it; but if it is to satisfy my heart, it cannot, for it will pass away; the only thing that can satisfy my heart is the Father’s beloved Son—“the excellency of the knowledge of Christ”—not just salvation—but “that I may win Christ” (increase in His “image”—NC).

The important thing is, do you desire to see Him? That is what the queen of Sheba did (concerning Solomon – 1 King 10:7); and what is more, she said, I will not rest until I have seen him. She had very far to get to him. She came to Jerusalem “from the uttermost parts of the earth” (Mat 12:42). You have not this long journey to go, but you will certainly have to go through the exercise that represents it. It is very easy for the soul to say, I should like to know Christ in glory; but it is a very humbling fact that every soul possess what it values (occupied with the heart’s treasure – Mat 6:21—NC).

I know I can say that the first effect on me of finding Him was that the things that I had been in vain trying to get rid of just dropped off without my giving them a thought; they dropped off without my realizing it. Some have one kind of attraction, some another. Things lost their hold that I had thought I never could give up or do without. Some things, of course, are uncomely, and those we are told are evil and we must drop them off; but it is the things that are not evil I mean. Why should I not be able to say, like the Apostle Paul, The things that were gain to me, those I count loss for Christ? I have seen something that puts everything here in the shade.

Thus I am clear of the badness by the Blood of Christ, but I am clear of the goodness by Him in glory. It is not the sin of this world, it is what man calls goodness that most balks the saints in their growth. But what are good things here compared to what I see in glory? The day is coming when all here will be burnt to ashes, but I have seen that which will never fade away. I have seen that which will endure in all its brightness forever; and though I can see the beauty of things here, they do not hold my heart a bit.

“But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Cor 3:18).

- J B Stoney



Excerpt from MJS devotional for October 3:

“Until the believer’s faith is firmly established in the fact of his position in the risen Lord Jesus, he will not be able to rest in Him during the process of his position becoming his condition. One must be sure of the Source before he can trust for the growth.” - MJS

http://www.abideabove.com/hungry-heart/
 
Greetings Brother,
To be more clear in what you are trying to convey unto others, What Kind of "Things" are you thinking of ?

Count what all a loss pertaining on gaining Christ?

I ask because many Believers may not quite understand what you are referring to and a simple answer of All Things will not always minister the point home.

Thank you and have a very Blessed Day
FCJ
 
Greetings Brother,
To be more clear in what you are trying to convey unto others, What Kind of "Things" are you thinking of ?

Count what all a loss pertaining on gaining Christ?

I ask because many Believers may not quite understand what you are referring to and a simple answer of All Things will not always minister the point home.

Thank you and have a very Blessed Day
FCJ
In brief, I believe it pertains to what we mean by treasuring something (spiritually speaking, not physical necessity). To me to treasure something is to consider that it is something that you believe you cannot be satisfied without and with which we are often preoccupied. In the early times of our rebirth there are my things we come to treasure that we eventually learn that are not as important as previously considered due to the progressive conforming of the Spirit via His Word and our new nature. The "things" we treasure that are unnecessary can differ between us but the things we eventually learn that are truly necessary are generally the same, because they are that which has to do with fellowship with God and one another.

I imagine explaining this can vary between believers so I'm including what I think best explains it for me:

Primarily verses 7-10: https://www.christianity.com/bible/commentary.php?com=gill&b=50&c=3
 
Hello Netchaplain;

Thank you for clarifying. I'd like to share Gainful Loss from another angle. Elijah experienced gainful prosperity in his prophecy. When he slaughtered the 450 prophets, God got the glory for the results but Elijah took ownership of his prophesy (remember when he taunted the prophets?) and expected even greater results, perhaps a conversion of the people from Baal and Asherah to the Almighty God. But this didn't happen and Elijah trembled and ran away to hide, not from God but from another human being.

There are highs and lows, gains and losses, but when we experience success or prosperity, especially in ministry, its wise to give back the glory to God, (gainful loss) instead of taking ownership.

The gain is God's purpose to take us to the next level of our lives and ministry. It may not be as huge as slaughtering an army but God's purpose is still God's purpose and its not up to us to judge God's gain for us.

God bless you, Bob, and thank you for sharing your thread.
 
I looked up the passage and Paul was talking about being a Pharisee, being highly respected, being a Hebrew,being religious. Those things were gain to Paul, having confidence in the flesh, but counted loss for Christ.

He wasnt talking about his 'amiabilty' and I by all accounts Paul wasnt an amiable person when he was Saul as remember he persecuted believers, and thought he was doing God a favour.

Am not sure what point the rest of the bible study is its a bit lost on me to be honest. If we are focusing on our eternal treasures well we cannot lose them as they are eternal and kept for us in heaven. Earthly treasures of course wont last, as in the end they will be destroyed, rusted or moth eaten.

I dont know if the former relates to the latter but you could say the flesh will decay and wont last and our souls will be preserved when we are saved. so it doesnt matter the earthly circumstances how or where we were born or raised it only matters that we are born again.
 
I looked up the passage and Paul was talking about being a Pharisee, being highly respected, being a Hebrew,being religious. Those things were gain to Paul, having confidence in the flesh, but counted loss for Christ.

He wasnt talking about his 'amiabilty' and I by all accounts Paul wasnt an amiable person when he was Saul as remember he persecuted believers, and thought he was doing God a favour.
Hi Lan, thanks for your input! The idea of the article concerning one being amiable is that he will consider himself to be a good person, which increases the difficulty of such to understand his evil nature.

Am not sure what point the rest of the bible study is its a bit lost on me to be honest. If we are focusing on our eternal treasures well we cannot lose them as they are eternal and kept for us in heaven.
The issue here is not treasures but what we treasure, i.e. what we hold dear and in high regard. As we continue to grow in Christ's image we think more on Him and where He is, than on ourselves and where we are. What we think on the majority of the time is what we regard most in our hearts, even though the believer's soul has been eternally conformed into Christ's image of son-ship in God.

Blessings!
 
Hello Netchaplain;

Thank you for clarifying. I'd like to share Gainful Loss from another angle. Elijah experienced gainful prosperity in his prophecy. When he slaughtered the 450 prophets, God got the glory for the results but Elijah took ownership of his prophesy (remember when he taunted the prophets?) and expected even greater results, perhaps a conversion of the people from Baal and Asherah to the Almighty God. But this didn't happen and Elijah trembled and ran away to hide, not from God but from another human being.

There are highs and lows, gains and losses, but when we experience success or prosperity, especially in ministry, its wise to give back the glory to God, (gainful loss) instead of taking ownership.

The gain is God's purpose to take us to the next level of our lives and ministry. It may not be as huge as slaughtering an army but God's purpose is still God's purpose and its not up to us to judge God's gain for us.

God bless you, Bob, and thank you for sharing your thread.
Hi Brother and thanks for your comments! For believers I suppose there are no true losses, considering all that we encounter is in God's control for our good!
Appreciate your site labors in Christ!

God bless, and God be blessed!
 
Hi Lan, thanks for your input! The idea of the article concerning one being amiable is that he will consider himself to be a good person, which increases the difficulty of such to understand his evil nature.


The issue here is not treasures but what we treasure, i.e. what we hold dear and in high regard. As we continue to grow in Christ's image we think more on Him and where He is, than on ourselves and where we are. What we think on the majority of the time is what we regard most in our hearts, even though the believer's soul has been eternally conformed into Christ's image of son-ship in God.

Blessings!
Ok I get it now, so instead of self-righteous we have Christs righteousness. Instead of what we do and all our 'good deeds' its what Jesus has done. All glory to God!

Giving up our old man for eternal life in Christ is therefore no loss for us.
I have tried to explain this to my boss and some workmates, but they dont seem to grasp it. One doesnt want to give up his old man. Hes afraid, for example, that he will have to give up drinking beer and cursing and his pride in his work. That he wont be himself if he comes to Jesus. I tell him he will have a brand new soul and eternal life but he doesnt believe me. And hes quite sceptical of there being such a thing as garden heaven. Which Jesus assures us there is a place called paradise. I think he likes being the 'old man' or is just used to it but I tell you its not much fun working under a grumpy old man!
 
Ok I get it now, so instead of self-righteous we have Christs righteousness. Instead of what we do and all our 'good deeds' its what Jesus has done. All glory to God!
You got it! The righteousness seen from self is His being shown by Him through believers, because there is only one strain of righteousness--God's. Righteousness exists no where else in this and the next life.

Giving up our old man for eternal life in Christ is therefore no loss for us.
I have tried to explain this to my boss and some workmates, but they dont seem to grasp it. One doesnt want to give up his old man.
One cannot live apart from the dominion of the old man unless he comes to the understanding that this can only be cone by asking God to make him right with Him, for this cannot be done by man willing it.

Thanks again Lan and God's blessings to your Family, and His guidance to you in your witnessing.
 
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