raison d'etre

Paul is writing along when, all of a sudden, dumps out his reason for being.

Remember that Paul is in prison when he wrote these verses.



Philippians 3

7 I once thought these things were valuable, 

but now I consider them worthless 

because of what Christ has done. 

8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. 

For his sake I have discarded everything else, 

counting it all as garbage, 

so that I could gain Christ 

9 and become one with him. 

I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; 

rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.

For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. 

10 I want to know Christ 

and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. 

I want to suffer with him, 

sharing in his death, 

11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!