When Paul penned that statement, it was not with the intent of making a man as nothing, meaning irrelevant self. Mankind as a parcel of Gods Own Heart is NO thing.

We as individuals have worth. The notion of losing ones "self" is a work in itself. It's a phony bill of goods sold by christian and new age religions. No person "loses" them-selves. There is a life we are to lose, and that life is the life of evil and sin as a form of disassociation.

Paul knew this about mankind and their "present life" and this is a truth:

Ephesians 5:29
For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church (THIS IS YOU!)

God does not love a NO thing. People retain some form of individual identity beyond the grave. What that may consist of we do not presently know, but the notion of No self is absurd. You were "made" as an individual and you will not be losing that identity anytime soon as much as you may want to ditch yer-self. Even your hairs are numbered!

Luke 12:
6 Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?
7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

I could wax on about tangible eternal values. Things such as the HOPE we are to carry and grow in here, Love, etc. And none of these "things" are "worth-less" or "self-less" but in reality a long term worthy condition/gain to SELF fit for the ages to come, til the summation into the AllHood.

enjoy!

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