7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider lossb for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowingc Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christd 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,e but that which is through faith ina Christ—the righteousnessf that comes from God on the basis of faith.g 10 I want to knowh Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings,i becoming like him in his death,j 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrectionk from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal,l but I press on to take holdm of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.n 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behindo and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press onp toward the goal to win the prizeq for which God has calledr me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Following Paul’s Example

15 All of us, then, who are matures should take such a view of things.t And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.u 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.