5I 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! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
7I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8Yes, 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 9and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.cFor God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 10I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
Paul paints a picture of his upbringing as a Hebrew, a Pharisee and a zealot, but all that was he counted as worthless garbage because of what Christ has done! He persecuted the church, and even murdered.
But when he saw the Light he discarded everything for Jesus Christ the Lord. He became righteous through faith, he wanted to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead! Paul was to suffer with Him, sharing in His death so that he (Paul) could experience the resurrection of the dead.
Brethren, you too will experience all these things as a faithful follower of Christ!
With faith, you experience His pain and suffering on the cross for you!
With faith in Jesus all your life prior will be counted as worthless garbage, forgiven because of Christ's sacrifice!
With faith, you too will experience the resurrection of the dead with ever lasting life!
Thank Paul for showing us the Way.
Thank Jesus for being the Way.
Thank God for giving us a Way.
Most of all thank Jesus for the Way, the Truth and the Life.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
Blessings, David
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