The acrid odor of rotten eggs invaded Paul's nostrils. As the river of human refuse slowly exited the prison latrines, it sent plumes of sewage smells through the hallways as an unwanted parting gift. For Paul, it was a eureka moment. "That's it!" he thought. "Now I know how to think about my accomplishments." He reflects on everything that has benefited him in life, then calls these items worthless. They're garbage. Manure. A couple of decades earlier, Jesus told a parable of a pearl merchant. Presumably, the man had a large supply of beautiful pearls. But when he found "a pearl of great price," he sold everything he had to get it (Matthew 13:45-46). If an expert at valuing the finest things in life would give up everything for the best thing in life, then we should do the same. Paul has made the parable personal. Because of his loyalty to Jesus, he's lost his career, status, health, and freedom. But he knows Jesus. And he testifies that this relationship outranks anything else he could have. Paul doesn't know Jesus in the sense that he's read a book about him. His words echo how God 'knew' Israel after making a covenant with his chosen people. We know about our acquaintances, but we know our best friends. For a few years, I went to a church that strongly emphasized that we were saved by faith alone. I heard the doctrine taught and debated so often that I started to think more about my theology than my personal knowledge of Jesus. It's important to know that God gives us righteousness by faith, not through our achievements. Jesus has offered his own righteousness to us. How could we respond by saying, "Look at how much good I've done"? But Paul talks about his all-in faith and the gift of God's righteousness as the means of an ongoing participation in Christ's resurrection life and suffering for the sake of others. "Faith" describes not only the state of his heart, but also the contours of his life. The ministry conference handshake is a way of vetting who deserves a seat at the table. Paul's clothes were soaked with sweat and ammonia. He didn't have a nice suit, but he was conformed to the pattern of Jesus' death and resurrection. He was spiritually alive, and his greatest hope was to be fully alive after death.