Knowing Christ | Monday: The Surpassing Worth of Knowing Christ
MONDAY | October 26, 2026
Knowing Christ | Room to Grow | Philippians 3:7-16
Knowing Christ changes what we treasure and what we are willing to lose.
Philippians 3:7-8
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
English Standard Version
Devotional
Paul had a long list of reasons to be impressed with himself. In Philippians 3:4-6, he names his heritage, religious standing, and zeal. These were the things he once relied upon to establish who he was and why he should be accepted. Then he came to know Christ. The achievements remained part of his history, but their place in his confidence changed completely. What had appeared to be gain could no longer serve as the ground of his hope.
Sunday’s sermon pressed a question we should carry into this week: Do we know Christ, or have we become comfortable knowing things about him? Sound doctrine matters. We cannot know the true Christ while rejecting what he has revealed about himself. But being able to explain his person and work does not, by itself, demonstrate that we trust him. Paul’s knowledge of Christ reached into what he loved, how he evaluated his life, and what he was willing to surrender.
Notice his words: “Christ Jesus my Lord.” Paul is speaking about someone to whom he belongs. Christ is not a subject he has mastered and put away. He is Paul’s Lord, whose worth has overturned Paul’s former judgments. We should be wary of a version of Jesus who always agrees with us, never confronts our desires, and leaves our priorities untouched. The Christ revealed in Scripture calls us to himself and claims our obedience.
His worth does not depend on whether we recognize it. Colossians 1:15-16 declares that all things were created through him and for him. The Son does not become glorious when a sinner finally believes. The sinner begins to see the glory that was already his. Paul’s changed accounting rests on this reality: nothing in creation can rival the Lord through whom creation came to be.
That does not mean every created thing is evil or every human responsibility should be abandoned. A family, an honest vocation, and opportunities to serve can be received as gifts from God. The danger comes when a gift takes the place of the Giver, or an accomplishment becomes a reason to trust ourselves. We misuse good things when we ask them to supply the righteousness, identity, or security that can be found only in Christ.
Paul’s words also describe more than a decision buried in the past. He counted his former gains as loss, and he continues to count everything as loss because knowing Christ remains better. The judgment is tested when obedience carries an actual cost. It is easy to say Christ is worth more than approval until faithfulness threatens our reputation. It is easy to surrender an imagined comfort while fiercely protecting the one we enjoy today.
Consider where that test may come for you. Perhaps speaking truth will make a relationship uncomfortable. Perhaps serving a member of the church will interrupt a plan you have guarded. Perhaps repentance will require admitting that the reputation you have maintained is not the whole truth. The question is not whether those losses feel painful. Paul calls them losses. The question is whether knowing Christ is worth more than keeping what obedience requires you to release.
Begin the week by looking at him. Read the passage slowly and notice what Paul says about his Lord. Ask God to expose the things you have begun counting as gain apart from Christ. Christian maturity grows as we learn to value everything in relation to him. We will have room to grow in that judgment for the rest of our lives, but we can make a faithful response today.
Questions for Reflection and Application
Which achievement, relationship, or possession most tempts you to find your identity apart from Christ?
How does “Christ Jesus my Lord” challenge a merely factual knowledge of Jesus?
Where is obedience currently costing you something you would prefer to keep?
How can you receive a good gift gratefully without making it a rival to Christ?
Journal
Name one thing you are tempted to value above obedience to Christ. Explain what makes it attractive, then record one faithful response you will make today.
Meditate and Memorize
Related Scriptures
Philippians 3:4-8
Colossians 1:15-20
Matthew 13:44-46
Luke 14:25-33
Memory verse - Philippians 3:7
But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, open my eyes to your surpassing worth. Expose the things I trust and treasure above you. Teach me to receive your gifts gratefully and to surrender whatever competes with obedience to you. You are my Lord. Make that confession visible in my life. Amen.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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