Reading Paul's Letters Backwards

This morning I have been reading Paul's letter to the Philippians backwards, as I read first verse of Chapter 4, which led me to turn to some verses in chapter three.  Here are the verses in the order I read them, for I was deconstructing Paul's logic.

Philippians 4:1 NIV

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, dear friends!

The question in my mind was "standing in what way?"

Philippians 3:17-21 NIV

Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. [18] For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. [19] Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. [20] But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

I thought - "what is his example?"  Clearly, there are those who do not embrace the cross of Christ, and what that means, but understanding what that means to Paul, required that I backtrack to see what He was talking about.  Being an enemy of the cross of Christ is a theme that I need to do some more research on, and will come back to later.  However looking back to His example, He describes it as follows:

Philippians 3:12-14 NIV

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. [13] Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, [14] I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

I love Paul's transition statements, for they do require a that one understands fully, what He was just talking about, for he is building a logical flow.  In this case, read verse 12, I again wanted to revisit what he meant by "not that I have already attained all this".  

Philippians 3:7-11 NIV

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. [8] What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ---the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. [10] I want to know Christ---yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, [11] and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.

While these verses are very familiar to me, it was actually helpful for me to read them in this way, asking questions and going backwards to find the answers.  Sometimes, I find I flow so easily through Paul's writings, that I don't actually stop and let the meaning f what He just wrote settle into my mind and heart!  He has so much weight to his writings, and while they do flow well logically, it is important for me to stop and really mine them.  

Today the foundational thought of all of these verses is that everything He was pursuing previously in His life, were as nothing when compared to Christ.  In fact, the more he experienced this life in Christ, the more he realized he was only scratching the surface, but the value of what he had received in Christ, and the value of knowing Christ more fully was worth everything, and every waking breath for the rest of His life!  This was no casual pursuit, but a life-long, all-in pursuit!   Also, this was not an ala-carte pursuit of Christ, just picking and choosing what he wanted, but rather an embracing of everything regardless of the cost, personally.  

Oh Lord, that I might have a greater understanding of the supreme worth of knowing You, that everything else in comparison is so much rubbish.

Amen!