We all remember the apostle Paul, the man formerly called Saul who persecuted the church to death, a man with many academic degrees, educated at the feet of the most prominent teacher of the time called Gamaliel, besides all this he was a Pharisee and was a Man too important at that time, however, there is nothing impossible for God and when our Lord has a plan with someone no matter who he is, He fulfills it because He fulfills it.
Even Paul, being all that we have mentioned before, God makes him a faithful follower of Jesus, and already that Saul of Tarsus has to stop persecuting the church because he now understands the divine purpose in the church of Christ.
The apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians:
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 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 3:7-8
In the verses that precede those we quoted above, Paul basically gives the Philippians a resume of who he was, and then tells them that he does not miss his old way of life, letting them know that what was gain form him, what he put on the top of popularity, everything that led him to fame, now he has rejected it for the love of Christ. How many things have we rejected for love of Christ? I am sure that many things, since Christianity is also based on a daily denial, on taking our cross every day.
Beloved brothers, let us never speak of the past as if we missed it, since everything we have stopped doing brings us closer to the love of Christ, and I guarantee that at the end of all this we will have a great reward and it is our reward in the Heavens.
Finally, the apostle says that everything has all that as rubbish in order to earn the excellence of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Friends, if we have not rejected certain things in our Christian life, it is time for us to do so, and let’s raise the banner of the gospel and live for God every moment of our lives, because there is no greater reward than the kingdom of heaven.
