But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ.
– Philippians 3:7-8
It is likely that sometime in your journey through life you played the game Rock, Paper, Scissors. It is a really simple and quick game, usually played between two people. Simultaneously and in rhythm the players pound one fist into the palm of their other hand three times. On the fourth strike each player will make one of three gestures with the hand in motion: a fist (rock), a flattened hand (paper), or a fist with two fingers extended (scissors). Each of the three items symbolized has a strength over one of the other two and weakness to the third. Rock smashes scissors, paper covers rock, and scissors cut paper. This is how the winner of each round is determined.
When I read Paul’s words of self-reflection in Philippians 3:5-6, I picture a person who looked back at his religious life and saw it like a rock—a really large rock, hard like granite and impressive to any onlooker. He was proud of the rock. He may have flaunted the rock at opportune times. His rock was not to be outdone by any competing religious résumé. Everything he mentions—eighth day circumcision, tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee to the Law—were check boxes on the exhaustive list of credentials a Jew could have. Indeed, Paul’s “rock” was impressive, and he knew it. What Paul could not foresee was the overwhelming “paper” that would be revealed to him and entirely cover his rock.
When something is covered, the message conveyed usually is that whatever is under the covering is not to be counted or considered. Even things that we cover to be protected are usually uncovered during the time they are being used. If you go to someone’s home and notice a blanket thrown over something, you wouldn’t lift the blanket and say, “Hey, what’s under here?” That would be impolite. If they wanted you to see it, they would not have it covered with a blanket. In a way, the covering is exercising a form of dominion over whatever is beneath it. Thus in the game, paper defeats rock because it covers it. The power of the rock is rendered null and void when it is covered.
Meeting Jesus gave Paul a new spiritual economy. The things that were once most valuable had become worthless as to their ability to make him righteous before God. Grace became the only thing worth having, and in having grace Paul was faced with releasing everything that had once been a source of pride. Of course, Paul didn’t cease being what we would call a religious person. He still advocated for prayer, corporate worship, scripture reading, and the other things we would consider religious practices. Yet as all such things are part of life for a Jesus-follower, Paul knew that none of them could be used as currency to gain status before God. Grace through faith in Christ was the only currency in Paul’s new economy. It was the paper that covered everything else.
We can still learn from Paul’s example here. Our pre-Jesus background may not be exactly like his, but our human tendency to take pride in religious performance can still haunt us. We tend to criticize “religious people” when that pride begins to show itself. In fairness, we should remember that any Christian can without awareness slip into the old economy of legalism and works righteousness. Whenever we catch a hint of that happening, our quickest recovery is to turn our eyes on Jesus so that we can, in Paul’s words, remember the surpassing value of Christ’s grace toward us. That is the paper that prevails over our pride, the covering that renders self-righteousness to be worthless.
When He shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in Him be found,
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.
Thanks be to Jesus, who covers us with grace!
See you along the Winding Path.
The Winding Path 