I asked myself what 7 evidences does Paul give to point them to Christ over the flesh?
 The answer is Jesus Christ for Paul: 
1. Whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the SAKE OF Christ!
2. I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of KNOWING Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things!
3. I consider everything rubbish that I may GAIN Christ!
4. I consider everything rubbish that I may be FOUND in Christ!
5. Finding the righteousness not from the law but through FAITH in Christ!
6. I want to know the POWER of Christ’s resurrection.
7. I want to know the FELLOWSHIP of sharing in Christ's sufferings becoming like Him in his death to attain the resurrection from the dead.

IMPLICATIONS:
I asked myself what are the important implications for my own life?
As I studied these verses what came to my mind is it does not matter what accomplishments, accolades, achievements, I can show of myself. It does not even matter if I have come from a respected family where my daddy was a genius professor of Mathematics, published all over, where his picture was/is also in Haifa University in Jerusalem. It does not even matter that my mommy has been the best domestic engineer in the whole wide world while 4 of us boys were growing up. Now my precious wife Chandraleela is the best domestic engineer for me, and our daughters Esther and Evangeline. None of that even matters in comparison.

It does not even matter that I am well educated with degrees in Psychology (3.25 avg) & Administration of Justice (3.85 avg), major in Legal Studies (4.0 avg), minors in Math (3.0), Computer Science (3.0), and Business (3.85), volunteer campus minister for 7 years with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, former staff writer, staff columnist, staff photographer for Pitt News, managing editor of Pittsburgh Standard serving Pitt & CMU, former member of Sodexo Management Team for 15 years, and currently publisher of Pittsburgh Standard.

It does not even matter if I worship daily, if I am part of a Christian family, if I know the Bible from front to back, and how much zeal I have if I do not KNOW JESUS CHRIST personally. I can only come to know Jesus Christ personally through His Word and prayer, spending time with Him, supplemented by the fellowship of believers, the church.

All these things that Paul mentioned and I mentioned may make people look family oriented, accomplished, pious and even religious but it will not SAVE them apart from KNOWING Jesus Christ, GAINING Jesus Christ, being FOUND in Jesus Christ, and most of all having a RIGHTEOUSNESS that does not come from the law but through faith in Jesus Christ that comes from God. 

This is not to say we should not go for education, career, etc but even all these things should be done with the Lord Jesus as our focus. Every degree, major, minor, etc, I did while studying the Bible and praying. They were not done apart from the Lord. I still read books to gain knowledge, etc.

Through all this the Lord keeps reminding me of the signature verse He gave me for my life when I read the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation: "But life is worth nothing to me unless I use it to do the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus, the work of telling others about Christ's mighty goodness and love!" (Acts 20:24, TLB)

It is this verse that motivates me to do ministry daily. It is this verse, Pastor Mike's children's talk about being fisherman for the souls of men, and Pastor Mike's meeting with me about 'What is your calling?' that propelled us to do online ministry through Pittsburgh Standard as the Lord provides for us. Thank you Jesus! I want people to know Jesus, gain Jesus, and be found in Jesus for the Salvation of their souls. I want to use the paper to influence souls for Christ and give readers a Christocentric view for abundant living.

Jesus said, 'The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy but I have come that you may have life abundantly!' (John 10)

This is not talking about a prosperity Gospel. God is endorsing Jesus Christ for our Salvation. This is the only way we can be saved by the reformation that occurs in our lives because of Christ deciding to "die a death we should have deserved and giving us a treatment, He should have deserved." (Tim Keller's Gospel Christianity, Why Jesus Had To Die?)

For reformation to occur in my life, "an atonement had to happen incorporating five things to be understood in light of the cross of Christ: SACRIFICE, DEBT, BATTLE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, and LAW." (Gospel Christianity). This is based on the Tim Keller's Gospel Christianity series: 'Why Jesus Had To Die?' that Pastor Ed facilitated long time ago.

I like to call that the DEBT OF ATONEMENT for the CREDIT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS as a  TRANSACTION of the CROSS OF CHRIST.

It is Christ's atonement as a transaction of the cross which provides me JUSTIFICATION, PONTIFICATION, SANCTIFICATION, and finally GLORIFICATION as I place my faith in Christ to attain His righteousness, knowing Christ, gaining Christ, and being found in Christ for my spiritual circumcision.

As Paul addressed the Philippians and who he was, he was making the Philippians see the importance of the reformation that occurs in our lives through Christ. He wanted the Philippians to grasp that they will not be saved through circumcision of the flesh, through ethnicity, through religion, through family status, through religious worship, through the law, through education, etc. The only way for spiritual circumcision for reformation of our own lives would happen if we understand that Salvation comes through grace by faith in Jesus Christ and not by our own works.

I ask you now dear friends, why for R.E.F.O.R.M.A.T.I.O.N you need the transaction of the cross?
Studying this passage made me think of the 5 S's of the Reformation:
1. ‘Sola Scriptura’ - By Scripture Alone
2. ‘Sola Gratia’ - By Grace Alone
3. ‘Solo Christo’ - By Christ Alone
4. ‘Sola Fide’ - By Faith Alone
5. ‘Soli Deo Gloria’ - Glory To God Alone
all occurring because of the transaction of the cross for our sake.

It is especially exciting to know that even though Paul was in prison, he was still emphasizing Salvation through faith in Christ Jesus to the Philippians over the theology of works!
 
Friend, my Salvation in Christ is based upon the gift of grace I have received from Jesus. It is a free gift offered to me by Jesus Christ so I can be set free from the power of sin and death. All I have to do is receive Jesus into my life and make Him the Lord of my life. You can too!

“For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ.” (Romans 6:23)

When I acknowledge Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior letting Him know what a sinner I have been, believe in my heart that Jesus doed and was raised from the dead for my atonement, confess and repent of my sins to the Lord and turn to Him for His cleansing blood to cleanse me of all my unrighteousness, I have received the free gift of Salvation through faith that Jesus Christ offers apart from the law.

I am saved to the bone not because of any works I have done but because of what Jesus Christ already did on the cross. It is Christ Alone that saves me and nothing I have done or do can save me apart from Christ.

That does not mean that I go on living my life in a hedonistic way because once I come to Christ and receive His forgiveness, He sends His Holy Spirit to reside in me. As I yield to Christ, He will work in me and through me. Now the good works that come out of me will be seen as good from the Lord because I am not doing it in my own flesh but the Spirit of God working in me and through me. It is grace that saves me and the works reveal to others that I am saved. The works are a fruit of my Salvation rather than working to attain Salvation or a means of Salvation.

This does not mean I will never sin because I will if I yield to my own flesh.

For the Word says, "Live by the Spirit and you will not fulfill the lust of the flesh."

I hope your concept of being saved is not based on how many times you go to worship the Lord, how many times you pray, how many times you read the Bible, how many times you take Communion, how many good works you do, and if your family is a Christian, etc.

None of that can save us and reform us to be what Christ wants us to be if Jesus Alone is not the reason for our Salvation. None of what we do can give us brownie points apart from Jesus Christ being our Lord and Savior!

In summary, it is good to be reminded of the 5 S's of the Reformation:
1. ‘Sola Scriptura’ - By Scripture Alone
2. ‘Sola Gratia’ - By Grace Alone
3. ‘Solo Christo’ - By Christ Alone
4. ‘Sola Fide’ - By Faith Alone
5. ‘Soli Deo Gloria’ - Glory To God Alone

May we all reform our own thinking on how to be saved by remembering that Scripture alone, Grace alone, Christ alone, Faith alone, and all done to the Glory to God alone WILL save us as a transaction of the cross occurred for our sake.

"Realize Everyday, For Our Redemption Messiah's Atonement Truly Imparts Omnipotent Nurture! (R.E.F.O.R.M.A.T.I.O.N)"/"Why for R.E.F.O.R.M.A.T.I.O.N you need the transaction of the cross?"

PRAYER:
Dear Jesus, I want to thank you for dying for my sins and coming back to life to save me as you love me so much. Your love is what has imparted to us your free gift of grace to be saved. Lord Jesus, you alone can save us and not anything we do or others do for us will save us. So Lord help us to always seek you and know from your grace alone that comes through faith alone in you is the only way we can be saved according to your Scripture alone to the Glory of God, our Heavenly Father. No matter what we do whether it is worshipping you, praying to you, reading your Word, taking communion, etc let it be because we love you and are excited to fellowship with you and remember what you have done for us. May they not be for the sole reason of being saved because we cannot save ourselves by anything we do but only by your grace! Thank you for your help! In Your Name I Pray Jesus! Amen!