All I once held dear I have counted loss - John 12 & Philippians 3

St. Andrew's Brussels Sermons

Sunday 7 April: ‘All I once held dear I have counted loss’ Preacher: Rev Eric Foggitt Rev Foggitt is a member of our sister church in Amsterdam and will be preaching at St Andrew’s during April. Readings: John 12:1-8, Philippians 3:1-14 (NIV) In today's reading, Paul explains that his call to service in the Lord had nothing to do with his background. Sometimes, things come crashing into our lives that completely change the way we look at our lives. Deaths, divorces, breakups, unemployment, or things for which we have been working for for a long time, suddenly cast aside in a moment. Today, we see that Paul is angry with people who were proclaiming that salvation came through circumcision. They claimed that you could only come to Christ after becoming a Jew first. Paul dismissed this heresy by calling it ’mutilation’, not only of the body, but also of our *faith*. Because circumcision was not needed for our salvation; only faith in Christ, given to us by the Grace of God. Paul was saying that circumcision was being proclaimed as a way to *replace* grace - completely contrary to God's plan for us through Christ Jesus, His Son. This is why Paul was so livid when people claimed that our salvation was only possible through circumcision. This would be a mutilation of our faith! And ultimately worthless. Paul speaks from personal experience when he says this. He was right up there among the most zealous persecutors of Christians. He was so passionate as a Pharisee that he had many Christians killed. But now, in the light of God's Grace and our salvation through His own Son, his world was turned upside down, and he concluded that everything that he had done before was *rubbish*! Paul knew for sure that salvation only comes by grace, and by grace alone. God had a different purpose for Paul for which his background was irrelevant. And in finding this purpose, Paul achieved peace and fulfilment to such an extent that he gladly dismissed all that he had done before as a waste. God has a purpose for each of our lives. What is God's purpose for you, dear Reader? We only find peace when we are at the centre of God's will for us. Amen.