This is the second part in my series of messages about 3P's. You can read the introduction here.

Text:

7 But whatever were gains to me I have considered 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, . . .

In this follow-up article, I argue that our generation, driven by power, pleasure, and profit, doesn’t consider human accomplishments as loss because the basis to come up with such an outlook in life is missing.

Receptivity

Abraham Kuyper describes this basis differently. Comparing the modern era to both the ancient and the medieval periods, he argued that for the revival of Christianity to take place in our time, one anomaly must be addressed. He identified this as the absence of receptivity to the Gospel expressed as hostility among the elites and indifference among the masses.

In the language of Paul in Philippians 3:7-8b, I see this basis as more basic than that of receptivity to the Gospel. In Paul’s experience, he found this basis in a thoughtful decision rooted in the past.

A Thoughtful Decision Rooted in the Past

Notice how Paul described his experience. The ESV translated the Greek verb “hegemai” as “counted,” emphasizing the importance of past decisions. The NIV added the adverb of time “now” to the present tense of the same Greek verb and translated it as “consider,” which implies a comparison between the past and present decision. The Greek Interlinear is more accurate by capturing the perfect tense of the same Greek word and translating it as “have esteemed.” If both the ESV and NIV follow the Greek Interlinear’s translation, they should translate the Greek verb “hegemai” as “have counted” or “have considered.” This suggests that the apostle Paul had come to a final decision to change his perspective in life only after considering the matter with thoughtful judgment.

The apostle Paul, after careful consideration and reflection comparing the two value systems, before and after knowing Christ, finally realized that what he considered as achievements mentioned in verses 5 and 6—“Circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law [c], blameless”—he now considered as loss. This tells us that the radical alteration of Paul’s perspective in life because of Christ was rooted in a thoughtful decision in the past.

The Need for Daily Renewal

Moreover, since a generation motivated by power, pleasure, and profit lacks that firm decision rooted in the past, our generation also doesn’t have the reference to have a fresh commitment on a daily basis.

Notice how the apostle Paul shifted from the perfect tense to the present tense, from “hegemai” to “hegoumai,” which implies that the settled decision that the Apostle Paul made in the past as the result of careful consideration is not enough. It must be reinforced daily by continuous and conscious moral choice. Some theologians would not be even satisfied by such a daily renewal of commitment. They would even emphasize an “existential” or a “moment-by-moment” conscious renewal of our commitment and our mind to remind us of the decision we once made when we came to know Jesus in the past. This tells us that a single decision to follow Christ in the past is questionable if the active reaffirmation of such commitment in the present is missing. Your initial commitment may have been sincere and transformative, but faith is not meant to remain static. It requires daily and even moment-by-moment choices to continue treasuring Christ above everything else. Practically, this means starting your day with a fresh surrender of your heart to Christ, realigning your focus when distractions and pressures arise, and remembering that following Jesus is not just a past event but a present, living reality that shapes every decision you make. In short, you and I are called to live a daily posture of conscious commitment, where our past decision to follow Jesus becomes a present and active reality in our lives.

The Spiritual Gap in Our Time

And this is exactly what is missing in a generation that is driven by power, pleasure, and profit. Our generation lacks such historical roots. What we have right now is a strong disgust for anything rooted in the past. We glory in the present and take our history for granted. Yes, the present is important but not at the expense of taking our roots for granted. On the other hand, there are those who glory in the past but fail to show the fruits of such commitment in the present.

Reflecting on these insights, let us ask ourselves the following questions:

Are we still conscious of that decision we made in the past? Is such a decision a product of a thoughtful reflection leading to a decisive commitment to Christ no matter what? Or is it merely an emotional response to the Gospel because we are invited to accept Jesus in our hearts?

Here, the apostle Paul tells us that we have to count the cost, compare the old and the new value systems, and consciously esteem Christ as our ultimate treasure. A generation of Christians rooted in such thoughtful commitment will produce believers who stand firm, not swayed by shifting ideas and circumstances, but anchored in a decision made once and for all.

And not only that, as a church we must also model and cultivate a faith that is not only rooted in a past decision but actively renewed each day. Like the Apostle Paul, we must teach believers that genuine discipleship requires daily and moment-by-moment reaffirmation of their commitment to Christ. This means reminding one another of the need for ongoing surrender of our all to Jesus, to be reminded of our focus and conscious obedience so that our past decision to follow Jesus becomes a present and living reality, not a forgotten event.

Grace and peace!

Part 3 and Conclusion