"Yes doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ"Phlip:3:8
St.Paul was looking at all that he gave up , all that he had sacrificed and out behind him in the past all that he might come to know our Lord Jesus Christ. St.Paul gave up his life,the "good" and the "bad", his achievements and his failures  and handed it all over to God and looked forward and upward to the Lord Jesus. The Apostle said that he "counted them but dung" .
St.Paul was writing regarding his pedigree and his heritage as an Israellite and a Pharisee, but,  he may of had in view  actions, which he took,  in  his misguided zeal , against the Church of God and any who stood in his way calling in in his former life"dung".
"The Dung Offering"
It maybe that the Apostle St.Paul had in mind an offering , which is found in the Old Testament. St. Paul , being a Pharisee,  and being a product of the Rabbinical School under the instruction of "Gamaliel " who was a renowned scholar of the day,   would have been very well instructed to all the tenets of the Old Covenant.
"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today." Acts:22:3
St.Paul may have written with the "dung offering"  in mind.  This "dung offering"is often overlooked, but yet,  this offerings is found among the prescribed sacraments  which the Priest of God were to conduct ,especially under the time of the standing  Tabernacle,  as Israel made their way to the Promised land. 
"And you will  cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons will put their hands upon the head of the bullock. And you will kill the bullock before the Lord, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And you will take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.  And you will take all the fat that covers the inwards, and the caul that is above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the altar. But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, you will burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering." Ex:29:10-14
This "dung offering" , however , was not offered within the courts of the standing Tabernacle ,but was taken out side of the encampment of Israel and burned apart , while the other part(s) , the choice part(s) of the sacrifice were used within the courts of the Tabernacle.
Even the Priest of God who stood ministering the sacraments before the Lord were to themselves make offerings for their sins, this included the "dung", again the choice part(s) were presented before the Lord by the Priest.
Sin Offering
The Priest were to offer sacrifices before God to keep the people "ceremonially clean"  this was to be a complete offering using the whole of the bullock. This offering again, was to be taken "outside of the camp" to a "clean place" .The whole of the bullock was given over to the Lord.
"And the skin of the bullock, and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung, Even the whole bullock shall he carry forth without the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire: where the ashes are poured out will he be burnt."Lev:4:11-12
We find another sacrifice which was to be presented before God, the choice parts, including the blood,  were to used within the courts of the Tabernacle while the "flesh" and the "dung" were offered outside of the camp.
 "And he brought the bullock for the sin offering: and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the bullock for the sin offering. And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar roundabout with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar, and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it. And he took all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and Moses burned it upon the altar. But the bullock, and his hide, his flesh, and his dung, he burnt with fire without the camp; as the Lord commanded Moses." Lev: 8:14-17.
The Day of Atonement 
One of the Autumn of Holy Days which enjoined under the Old Covenant was the"Day of Atonement" or  "Yom Kippur" . This was a day of national fasting for the Children of Israel, a day , the only day of the year, in which the High Priest would confess the sins of the people and would enter the Holy of Holies dressed all in white and present the blood of the sacrifices before the Mercy Seat which sat atop the Ark of the Covenant. 
The bullock and a goat who's blood were used as sin offerings on the Day of Atonement  were then taken outside of the camp, here,  they were completely burned, including their "dung" . 
 "And the bullock for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the holy place, shall one carry forth without the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins, and their flesh, and their dung." Lev:16:27.
In the economy of the sacraments of the offerings which the Lord God had given to Israel, not one part of the sacrifices were put to waste. All of it was used in  the service of God, even "the dung".
Our Dung
What does this speak to we Christians? It tells us that , when we ,like St.Paul come to Jesus and offer our whole lives upon the alter of service to Jesus, both good and "the dung" , it all can all be redeemed by God for his purposes. Even the"dung" , that is,  the parts of our lives which have stank of sin and failure , brokenness , and even the injustices,  and even that which have been inflected upon us by others.  
There are times in all of our lives in which we have stumbled in the "dung" past behaviors and fallen short of the holy life which our Lord has included all of us in thru his incarnation and our shared humanity so that Jesus is a faithful Priest to and to all us..
"For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people." Heb:2:17
Offer Our Dung to God
When we find our selves covered in "the dung" of living here upon the Earth and in the flesh, whether it is from our own actions, or it has been pressed upon us by circumstances, or others ,or if we are haunted by past sins,  or if our lives take a dramatic downward plunge into the "stench of dung" , when we find ourselves in these places that life literally stinks, then we should bring it to our God , when we do,  we will find that  our Father in Heaven has already extended to us his grace and complete forgiveness,  and in so doing , even the "dung" ,in which we might find ourselves is redeemed for his uses. No part of our lives is wasted by our God,  not even the "dung" , the parts of our lives , which reek , and are filled with the stank of sin and failure are wasted. 
Jesus understand what we all are, for Jesus shares our humanity and has been tempted even as we all are.
"Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."Heb:2:18
Jesus knows that this life can stink, but he has come to lift us out of the and above the cesspool and "dung pit" of sin and suffering, that we might have life and life abundant in his Kingdom all found in Jesus.
"I have come that they may have life, and have life abundant."Jhn:10:10b
When we bring our "dung offering to our Lord and lay it upon his alter he can uses it for his glory as we minister that redemption to others who find themselves in the "dung" of suffering. 
"so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."2Crth:1:4b
Our Lord uses our whole lives given over to him  ,even our "dung" , to minister his redemption to those around us who like ourselves have found themselves suffering the "dung" of this life. 
Benediction: May we each and all offer our whole lives upon the alter of service to our Lord who will redeem even the "dung"  of our lives ,for his uses and glory, today, tomorrow and forevermore.Amen.
Rev. Todd Crouch, Pastor
The Fountain of life Church a Congregation of Grace Communion , 2101 Old National Pike,  Washington, Pennsylvania, 15301.   www.gcfountainoflife.org 

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