The Loss of All Things
A Sermon on Philippians 3:7-8
Scripture
7But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8Yea 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 …
Sermon Description
How can Christians say that all loss is gain in Christ? This seems like an odd statement. Why is it good to lose things? In this sermon from Philippians 3:7–8 titled “The Loss of All Things,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches about the new life that comes by believing in Jesus Christ. He says that Christians must count all worldly greatness as nothing because now they have Christ who is infinitely better than everything else. All those who are now in Christ undergo a radical change that reorients their whole life. Believers have new desires and motives; they now love God and His ways. Christianity is not a mere addition to a person’s natural life, but it totally transforms them. It is a new way of living that calls Christians to new standards and values. It is a life of peace because all believers can truly know that they have been saved and are at peace with God in Jesus Christ. This is the most important message that any can hear because it tells that they can be saved and made new. It tells that Jesus offers new life to all who believe in Him. There is peace in the blood of Jesus.
Sermon Breakdown
- The apostle Paul is making a review of his life and the profound change that took place in him.
- Becoming a Christian changes everything - it's not an addition but a complete transformation.
- To evaluate a view of life, look at the past, present and future. For Paul, becoming a Christian revolutionized his view of all three.
- Past: Paul used to boast in his birth, ancestry, achievements and law-keeping. Now he counts it all as loss and rubbish compared to knowing Christ.
- Present: For the non-Christian, life is boring and dependent on circumstances. For Paul, the present is an opportunity to know Christ through the Word, prayer and service.
- Future: The non-Christian dislikes considering the future and death. For Paul, his citizenship is in heaven - he looks forward to Christ's return, the resurrection of the body and eternity with God.
- We can test ourselves by how we view the past (what we glory in), the present (how we spend our time) and the future (what we look forward to). The difference between the non-Christian and Christian view is profound.
- If we are still living for the things of this world, we have not truly understood the gospel. We must turn to Christ, acknowledge our sin and folly, and put our trust in Him alone for salvation and an eternal future.
Face to Face with Christ
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.