In the previous message we covered the three occurrences of the phrase "on account of" in Philippians 3:7 and 8. On account of Christ, Paul counted as loss the things which were gain to him; on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord, he counted all things loss; and on account of Christ Jesus the Lord, he suffered the loss of all things and counted them dung. This is in contrast to the three occurrences of "according to" in verses 5 and 6: according to the law, according to zeal, and according to the righteousness that is in the law.
These three uses of "on account of" indicate a cause that produces an effect. On account of Christ, Paul counted as loss all religious gain and all gain from his natural birth. On account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, he counted everything loss. Moreover, on account of Christ Jesus the Lord, he suffered the loss of all things. On account of Christ, the all-inclusive Person, he forsook everything and gave up everything.
We need to be impressed with the all-inclusiveness of Christ. The Gospel of John reveals that Christ is God, that He is the Creator, that in Him is life, and that this life is the light of men (John 1:1-4). One day, He, the Word, became flesh, full of grace and truth (v. 14). According to Colossians, Christ is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of every creature, and the One in whom all things were made and in whom they consist (Col. 1:15-17). Christ holds together in Himself the entire universe. Hebrews 1:3 says that He upholds all things by the word of His power. For example, the planet earth is neither too close to the sun nor too far from it. If the earth were too close, it would be burned, and if it were too far, it would be frozen. The Lord Jesus Christ is the One responsible for keeping the earth in its proper position in relation to the sun. The very Christ who does this is also our life. If He can regulate the earth and the sun, then He can certainly regulate us, and He can surely regulate our relationship with our husband or wife. The Christ who upholds the universe and in whom all things consist upholds the relationship between a husband and his wife. The reason so many marriages end in divorce is that in those marriages there are two spokes without a hub. Hallelujah, we have the all-inclusive Christ as our hub!
Colossians 1:18 goes on to say that Christ is the Firstborn from the dead. Hence, He is not only the Firstborn in creation, but also the Firstborn in resurrection. Both in the old creation and in the new creation, He is the Firstborn. Therefore, He is the Head of the church. Colossians also reveals that it pleased the Father that all His fullness would be embodied in Christ (1:19).
Many who talk about Christ speak of Him in a light, superficial way. Christ is unlimited. We need to have the excellency of the knowledge of this unlimited Christ, who is our Lord. On account of this Person, Christ Jesus the Lord, the Apostle Paul suffered the loss of all things. This was the cause. The effect issuing from this cause was that Paul gained Christ. On account of Christ, he suffered the loss of all things in order that he might gain Christ.