I consider them garbage

Philippians 3:2-15 (TNIV) -

2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh.3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh—

4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If others think they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;

6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider 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, that I may gain Christ9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.

My thoughts -

Verses 2-6 here remind me of what Paul wrote in Galatians 5. He lets the reader know his thoughts about those who would impose a standard on others that they themselves cannot live up to. Strong words from Paul here, he calls them "dogs". Paul also establishes that if anyone could impose a standard of "righteousness" under the law on others it would be him, as he held the law to the point of absurdity, to the point of persecution.

So Paul has lived fully under the law, and with such zeal as to persecute others. What does he have to say about how this worked for him? What does he think of that lifestyle?

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 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, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.

Whatever he gained from strict, legalistic, zealous adherence to the law he counts as loss, as garbage. It's just not worth anything in comparison to knowing Christ.

So does this mean that we don't have any obligations to serve God? Does this mean that we get to do whatever we want? Does this mean that there's no law and no sin anymore? Obviously not! We are called to follow Christ. Faith is an action, not just a belief. We are called to love God and to love people completely, not to just strictly adhere to a rigid set of rules. He are called to hunger and thirst for righteousness and to grow closer to God through Christ each day.

Paul is in deep here. He's tasted some of what Jesus has and he wants more. How else could you explain a man who would endure what Paul did for the sake of Christ? And look at the language he uses to express the desire to know Jesus more and to experience Jesus more fully:

I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Do we have this desire for Christ? Do we have this desire for Godly things? Do we need Jesus more than anything this world has to offer? Is everything else trash, garbage, worthless? Are we pressing on to experience God more fully through Christ? Do we desire to be completed?

I do, at least right now. I pray this never passes. I don't know how I would be if I didn't need God more each day. I've had my own way and it sucked.