Philippians 3:1-6

Philippians 3:1-6 
English Standard Version (ESV)

 Going through business school, I spent A LOT of time working on my resume.  It has to capture who I am, while also communicating why I should be hired on the basis of who I am.  I'm trying to put my best foot forward, projecting the right image, and I'd tailor it to the job opportunity, ensuring that I reflected the right qualities, depending on the opening.  There's an art to it.
  Paul could put together a pretty impressive resume.  He had plenty of qualifications, and he could go toe to toe with anyone when it came to his Jewish heritage.  He had lived it, worked hard to earn it, and knew he could use his background as a trump card.
  But when he committed himself to Christ, he realized that none of it mattered.  What he had done didn't matter.  What truly mattered is what Christ had done for him.  The worldly gains he had made, the prestige -- that didn't elevate him in the eyes of God, and it wouldn't earn him eternity.  Only Christ could give that to him.
  It's true for you -- your resume will never get you into heaven.  What's also true is that your past won't prevent you from getting into heaven.  The black marks on your resume, the parts of it you'd rather not see -- those won't separate you from the love of God.  Christ has achieved something for you, and given it to you as a gift, and you are worthy because Christ makes us worthy by his atoning sacrifice.  So do not cower in fear, and do not boast with pride -- accept with gratitude, and let go of yourself.  When we lose ourselves in the love of Christ, we discover what it means to love others and invite them into an astonishing place of grace.