I.　The "all things" in Philippians 3:8 refer mainly to things of religion, philosophy, and culture:

A.　Paul was not speaking of superficial, outward, or material things.

B.　Satan uses religion, philosophy, and culture to hook people and to keep them from Christ—Gal. 1:4; 6:14; 5:4; Col. 2:18-19.

C.　National philosophy and domestic logic are hidden substitutes for Christ and subtle enemies of the experience of Christ—Phil. 3:4-7:

1.　In every part of the world, the national philosophy and the domestic logic are so strong that there is little ground in the believers for Christ.

2.　National characteristics are like tumors which grow in a person's psychological stomach, and which take over nearly all the room which should be reserved for Christ.

3.　We need the most skillful Surgeon to remove the tumor hidden within us—Col. 2:11.

II.　Pursuing after the enjoyment and experience of Christ is the governing principle of our Christian life—Phil. 3:12-14, 16:

A.　This principle will preserve us in the proper oneness—Col. 2:19.

B.　This is what Paul describes as "this mind," and is the unique path, the particular lane, for our Christian walk—Phil 3:16.

C.　"Not to forget but to linger in our past experiences, however genuine they were, frustrates our further pursuing of Christ"—3:13 note 2.

D.　Let us all pursue Christ to such an extent that we are willing to count as loss even our national philosophy and characteristics on account of Him.

III.　In order to gain Christ in a full way, we need to put our natural life to death by being conformed to the death of Christ through the power of His resurrection—3:10:

A.　To be conformed to His death means that we put to death not only the negative elements of the human life but the good aspects as well.

1.　Christ continually put to death His sinless human life so that His divine life could flow out—Matt. 3:15; John 5:19.

2.　Those of every nationality treasure their own national characteristics and philosophy:

a.　Such elements become a huge rock hindering the release of the power of Christ's resurrection from within us.

b.　In order to make spiritual progress, we have to count these as refuse that we may gain Christ—Phil. 3:8.