Philippians 3:10 "I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."
Paul wanted to know Christ. Not just to know about him, not just of him, holding him at a distance, having only a taste of who Christ was. No, he wanted to know him, deeply and intimatly, drawing from his source of power, even relating to him in his suffering.
The power of the resurrection of Christ. In Ephesians 1 Paul said, "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know... his incomparably great power for us who beleive. That power is like the working of his mighty stength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead..." This same power that raised Christ from the dead is made available to me because of Christ. But how often my eyes are blind to this power and I leave it unused, untapped. Then quit, drained, discouraged, and defeated because I tried through my weakness to win the battle, overcome, through off the weight, myself, through my own strength which is nothing. Like the Israelites, who by trusting in the strength of God, managed to defeat the great city of Jericho, but when faced with the little city of Ai, went on their own power and suffered a miserable defeat. Oh the victory that comes in admitting inablity, surrendering to his easy yoke, and finally tapping into the power that is in Christ. This is the same power that raised him from the dead, how much will it also give us victory over death.
Sharing in the sufferings of Christ. Paul wanted to know Christ to the point that he was willing to put himself through trials in order to experience the sweet fellowship of being able to relate to Christ and his sufferings. When going through a difficult time, there are often people there who are willing to sympathize with what is happening. But that sympathy is nothing compared to having someone come alongside who has experienced the same thing because they know. They are able to relate on a deeper level because they understand, they have experienced exactly the same thing. The level of fellowship is so much deeper and so much sweeter, because each side can relate, each side knows what the other is feeling. Paul does not take any hardship into account as long as he can know Christ more. The circumstance didnt matter, only the sweet fellowship with his Savior.
Knowing Jesus is the greatest thing. What God showed me through this is that i have been searching harder after the blessings of Jesus more than the relationship with Jesus himself. I hunger for his peace and love to flow through me, I want his joy and his power and victory to overcome sin. But I have not been seeking as hard after Jesus himself. I want to know Jesus. I want to know his resurrection power and have sweet fellowship with him in suffering. I want to know Jesus personally, intimatly, trusting him, as I would trust a good friend. I love this promise, Hebrews 11:6 which says, "...anyone who comes to him must beleive that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him."
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Phillipines 3:9 "and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--- the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."
Paul had plenty to boast in. He had everything as far as the righteousness of the law was concerned. He was a circumcised Hebrew of the tribe of Benjamin. He was a Pharisee. He had so much zeal for the law that he aided in persecuting the church. He kept the law perfectly. But he gave up all of these statuses willingly to be found in him, to claim his righteousness. He came to the place of seeing these things as nothing that he could bring before God, nothing that he could put his confidence in. And in bringing nothing, he gained everything.
As a human, I long to be of worth, to have something to offer. So, I look around me and in me for something to cling to for identity, hardly being able to fathom that God loves me enough to take from my nothingness and give me something far greater. When I look for something to credit myself with, something to put my confidence in, it is often in disbelief of his goodness and personal love. But no, my righteousness is as filthy rags. There is nothing in my flesh that God looks at with favor. Like Paul, I must come to the place of bringing nothing, counting these things as loss. It is then that he will take my broken emptiness and fill it with his righteousness.
As Jesus said to Paul, so it applies to us, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Then Paul said, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (1 Corinthians 12:9-10).
God can use nothing. He made us out of nothing. When all we bring is nothing, God's power is so evidently seen and glory is brought to him because of our nothingness. It is a trade, counting all things as loss and finding his righteousness, that only is gained when in coming out of faith bringing nothing of ourselves.
Paul had plenty to boast in. He had everything as far as the righteousness of the law was concerned. He was a circumcised Hebrew of the tribe of Benjamin. He was a Pharisee. He had so much zeal for the law that he aided in persecuting the church. He kept the law perfectly. But he gave up all of these statuses willingly to be found in him, to claim his righteousness. He came to the place of seeing these things as nothing that he could bring before God, nothing that he could put his confidence in. And in bringing nothing, he gained everything.
As a human, I long to be of worth, to have something to offer. So, I look around me and in me for something to cling to for identity, hardly being able to fathom that God loves me enough to take from my nothingness and give me something far greater. When I look for something to credit myself with, something to put my confidence in, it is often in disbelief of his goodness and personal love. But no, my righteousness is as filthy rags. There is nothing in my flesh that God looks at with favor. Like Paul, I must come to the place of bringing nothing, counting these things as loss. It is then that he will take my broken emptiness and fill it with his righteousness.
As Jesus said to Paul, so it applies to us, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Then Paul said, "Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (1 Corinthians 12:9-10).
God can use nothing. He made us out of nothing. When all we bring is nothing, God's power is so evidently seen and glory is brought to him because of our nothingness. It is a trade, counting all things as loss and finding his righteousness, that only is gained when in coming out of faith bringing nothing of ourselves.
Philippians 3:8 "What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things, I consider them rubbish, that i may gain Christ."
'It is worth it.' Many times before I have longed for someone to tell me that this was true, to look me in the eyes and implore me with those four words to let go and push ahead. I wanted to know if it was worth it. Because I sat there in the miry clay clinging in frustrated desperation, thinking that somehow this miserable state was better then letting go and pursuing Christ.
Here Paul is, telling me that it is worth it. In fact he says that, compared to the value of knowing Christ, everything else that I must give up has the value of rubbish. Paul's words here are not empty or hypocritical because he lost everything to gain Christ. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes the trials he has been through since following Christ. He went through hard work, imprisonment, flogging, severe beating, exposure to death many times. He had been stoned, shipwrecked, and spent a night on the open sea. He was all the time moving around. He faced danger nearly everywhere he went. He faced labor, toil, and lack of sleep. He knew hunger and thirst, cold and nakedness. And then in Philippians, Paul expresses, it is worth it. It is worth taking on discomfort, pain, constant danger, no place to call home, and hunger--- to gain Christ.
Christ truly is enough. To gain Christ will be to loose everything else, but IT WILL BE WORTH IT. There is so much value in knowing Christ that i don't realize because I still see myself clinging to other things. Everything else is rubbish in comparison. And clinging to rubbish will make me feel like the rubbish itself. Is this desperate state of clinging where the freedom really is? How, as I miserably hold tightly to what I must loose, how can I think that to gain Christ instead will not be worth it. Yes it will be worth it. It is trading rubbish for the immeasurable gain of Christ.
This study has brought to mind something that I had outwardly given up to the Lord, but inwardly I stilled grasped it so in application, I want to bring that before the Lord in prayer. Also I want to make a list of things that I cling to and write next to each one, Christ is enough.
'It is worth it.' Many times before I have longed for someone to tell me that this was true, to look me in the eyes and implore me with those four words to let go and push ahead. I wanted to know if it was worth it. Because I sat there in the miry clay clinging in frustrated desperation, thinking that somehow this miserable state was better then letting go and pursuing Christ.
Here Paul is, telling me that it is worth it. In fact he says that, compared to the value of knowing Christ, everything else that I must give up has the value of rubbish. Paul's words here are not empty or hypocritical because he lost everything to gain Christ. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul describes the trials he has been through since following Christ. He went through hard work, imprisonment, flogging, severe beating, exposure to death many times. He had been stoned, shipwrecked, and spent a night on the open sea. He was all the time moving around. He faced danger nearly everywhere he went. He faced labor, toil, and lack of sleep. He knew hunger and thirst, cold and nakedness. And then in Philippians, Paul expresses, it is worth it. It is worth taking on discomfort, pain, constant danger, no place to call home, and hunger--- to gain Christ.
Christ truly is enough. To gain Christ will be to loose everything else, but IT WILL BE WORTH IT. There is so much value in knowing Christ that i don't realize because I still see myself clinging to other things. Everything else is rubbish in comparison. And clinging to rubbish will make me feel like the rubbish itself. Is this desperate state of clinging where the freedom really is? How, as I miserably hold tightly to what I must loose, how can I think that to gain Christ instead will not be worth it. Yes it will be worth it. It is trading rubbish for the immeasurable gain of Christ.
This study has brought to mind something that I had outwardly given up to the Lord, but inwardly I stilled grasped it so in application, I want to bring that before the Lord in prayer. Also I want to make a list of things that I cling to and write next to each one, Christ is enough.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Philippians 2:8 "And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death--- even death on a cross!"
Such was the humility of Christ that he did not even count his life his own but submitted to death. This wasn't a glorified death nor was it a quick death. No, it was a slow and humiliating death on a cross. He was beaten and mocked, a crown of thorns was scoffingly placed on his head. His broken and bruised body was not able to bear the weight of his cross as he stumbled up the hill to Calvary where nails pounded though hands and feet to the wooden beams and he was left, stripped of dignity to suffocate to his death. He was able to humble himself in this way because of his hope of exaltation by God. Hebrews 12:2 says, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scoring it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of God." And Philippians 2:9 tells that Jesus humbled himself, "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place..."
Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24) As Jesus suffered so are we. Denying, acting as if it does not exist. Picking up my cross and carrying it to the place where I put to death the flesh. But even as it screams in pain, protest, and humiliation, I must leave it there to die. Why would I want to put myself through this painful act of removing, killing the very thing that once controlled my life? The only reason is for the joy that is set before me. The freedom that dying to self and living for Christ carries, the hope of God commending me, the joy of eternity. Jim Elliot said that, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose." Paul said in Philippians 3, "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whose sake i have lost all things."Right after Jesus' command to take up our cross he says, "For whoever wants to save his life will loose it, but whoever looses his life for me will find it."
Such was the humility of Christ that he did not even count his life his own but submitted to death. This wasn't a glorified death nor was it a quick death. No, it was a slow and humiliating death on a cross. He was beaten and mocked, a crown of thorns was scoffingly placed on his head. His broken and bruised body was not able to bear the weight of his cross as he stumbled up the hill to Calvary where nails pounded though hands and feet to the wooden beams and he was left, stripped of dignity to suffocate to his death. He was able to humble himself in this way because of his hope of exaltation by God. Hebrews 12:2 says, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scoring it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of God." And Philippians 2:9 tells that Jesus humbled himself, "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place..."
Jesus said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." (Matthew 16:24) As Jesus suffered so are we. Denying, acting as if it does not exist. Picking up my cross and carrying it to the place where I put to death the flesh. But even as it screams in pain, protest, and humiliation, I must leave it there to die. Why would I want to put myself through this painful act of removing, killing the very thing that once controlled my life? The only reason is for the joy that is set before me. The freedom that dying to self and living for Christ carries, the hope of God commending me, the joy of eternity. Jim Elliot said that, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose." Paul said in Philippians 3, "I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whose sake i have lost all things."Right after Jesus' command to take up our cross he says, "For whoever wants to save his life will loose it, but whoever looses his life for me will find it."
Philippians 2:7 "but made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."
Instead of grasping his position as God, Christ made himself nothing, took on a servant's nature, became like man. In this way he connected with man. He disregarded his position, comfort, rights and reputation in order to serve and to relate to men. For Christ to have refused to put on one hundred percent of man, he would not have been able to completely relate to the people he came to save. Without experiencing the struggles of man, he could not be an intercessor for them. Without making himself nothing, disregarding himself and his own rights to serve , he would not have been able to show the unconditional and selfless love that drew men to himself. It was in this way that Christ and his salvation plan connected with mankind.
Likewise, I will not be able to effectivly influence fellow humans for Christ without making myself nothing, disregarding position, rights, comfort, and reputation in order to relate to the people that I am trying to serve. I must make my self nothing, dying to the flesh, so that Christ can be all of my strength, so that he can work through me. I must seek to relate, to listen and learn, to understand a person and who they are in order to relate to them on the deepest level and be able to effectively serve them.
When I go to Cambodia in a few months it will be necessary to adopt this strategy in order to effectivly communicate the gospel. As Paul did, I will need to "become all things to all men." But now I am in Guatemala and I have this same opportunity surrounding me everyday. I can seek to relate to those around me whether it be Guatemalan people at Kids club or in town or my own team. To connect with and relate to these people requires sacrafice of myself but it is worth it. I must take time to listen and understand in order to relate and be able to effectivly serve. My goal to apply this is to learn more Spanish and also, when in conversation, to seek more to listen to understand rather than just to listen to respond.
Instead of grasping his position as God, Christ made himself nothing, took on a servant's nature, became like man. In this way he connected with man. He disregarded his position, comfort, rights and reputation in order to serve and to relate to men. For Christ to have refused to put on one hundred percent of man, he would not have been able to completely relate to the people he came to save. Without experiencing the struggles of man, he could not be an intercessor for them. Without making himself nothing, disregarding himself and his own rights to serve , he would not have been able to show the unconditional and selfless love that drew men to himself. It was in this way that Christ and his salvation plan connected with mankind.
Likewise, I will not be able to effectivly influence fellow humans for Christ without making myself nothing, disregarding position, rights, comfort, and reputation in order to relate to the people that I am trying to serve. I must make my self nothing, dying to the flesh, so that Christ can be all of my strength, so that he can work through me. I must seek to relate, to listen and learn, to understand a person and who they are in order to relate to them on the deepest level and be able to effectively serve them.
When I go to Cambodia in a few months it will be necessary to adopt this strategy in order to effectivly communicate the gospel. As Paul did, I will need to "become all things to all men." But now I am in Guatemala and I have this same opportunity surrounding me everyday. I can seek to relate to those around me whether it be Guatemalan people at Kids club or in town or my own team. To connect with and relate to these people requires sacrafice of myself but it is worth it. I must take time to listen and understand in order to relate and be able to effectivly serve. My goal to apply this is to learn more Spanish and also, when in conversation, to seek more to listen to understand rather than just to listen to respond.
Philippians 2:5-6 "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature with God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,"
The creator stooping below the creation. The humility of Christ was so great that in love he did not cling to his position of being God, but stooped to serve man so that they could benefit. Christ came to earth and lived a human life. In order to relate to our weaknesses and become the perfect sacrafice for our sins, he had to become one of us. He cloaked himself in our weak and imperfect human nature in order to be able to intercede for our sin that separated us from God.
But in pride and defiance, we rebelled against him and clung to our lives of sin. Despite this, he humbled himself to our position and served us. He took on the position of man to save us. Yet he was "despised and rejected" by the people he sacrafided his position to serve.
Christ did not grasp his position of God, but in humility and love became a man in order to relate to my weaknesses and intercede on my behalf. He took on my nature to become the perfect sacrafice for sin. In light of this, where do I have room to exalt myself before a brother. He even humbled himself to serve me, in my pride, knowing that I would never realize to the fullest extent what he actually sacraficed. He humbled himself to someone far below himself.
He has asked me to do the same. In John 14, Christ stooped to the position of the lowest servant by washing each of the disciples feet. After performing this act of humility he told his disciples, "...Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a mess anger greater than the one who sent him." (John 13:13-16)
As humans, we tend to look to wealth, or education, or age, or social status to determine our position. While it is not neccasarily wrong to have a position, Christ still had his position as God, we are not to grasp it, cling to it, or take pride in it. In light of the position that Christ, my Master took to exalt us, I have no place to claim position before my brothers, but ought to humble myself as Christ, who is greater than me, did before me. God himself, in humility, stooped below his position to save me and set me free, how much more ought I to take that place of humiltiy before him and others. This shows how detestable pride is. That i should think myself worthy to claim a position and not humbly serve my brothers after all that Christ let go of to serve an unworthy, unholy creature such as me.
The creator stooping below the creation. The humility of Christ was so great that in love he did not cling to his position of being God, but stooped to serve man so that they could benefit. Christ came to earth and lived a human life. In order to relate to our weaknesses and become the perfect sacrafice for our sins, he had to become one of us. He cloaked himself in our weak and imperfect human nature in order to be able to intercede for our sin that separated us from God.
But in pride and defiance, we rebelled against him and clung to our lives of sin. Despite this, he humbled himself to our position and served us. He took on the position of man to save us. Yet he was "despised and rejected" by the people he sacrafided his position to serve.
Christ did not grasp his position of God, but in humility and love became a man in order to relate to my weaknesses and intercede on my behalf. He took on my nature to become the perfect sacrafice for sin. In light of this, where do I have room to exalt myself before a brother. He even humbled himself to serve me, in my pride, knowing that I would never realize to the fullest extent what he actually sacraficed. He humbled himself to someone far below himself.
He has asked me to do the same. In John 14, Christ stooped to the position of the lowest servant by washing each of the disciples feet. After performing this act of humility he told his disciples, "...Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a mess anger greater than the one who sent him." (John 13:13-16)
As humans, we tend to look to wealth, or education, or age, or social status to determine our position. While it is not neccasarily wrong to have a position, Christ still had his position as God, we are not to grasp it, cling to it, or take pride in it. In light of the position that Christ, my Master took to exalt us, I have no place to claim position before my brothers, but ought to humble myself as Christ, who is greater than me, did before me. God himself, in humility, stooped below his position to save me and set me free, how much more ought I to take that place of humiltiy before him and others. This shows how detestable pride is. That i should think myself worthy to claim a position and not humbly serve my brothers after all that Christ let go of to serve an unworthy, unholy creature such as me.
Philippians 2:4 "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."
As a body, we are dependant on on another. "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!'...But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that their should be no division in the body, but that it's parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." (1 Corinthians 12:21, 24b-26)
How selfish it would be for me to disconnect myself from the body, thinking, in pride, that i have no need of it. I would surely shrivel up and die. No, the body gives life but it means death to self. Because now, as part of the body, I cannot act on my own. As a body we have one spirit and one purpose and of course we have the responsibility to look out not only for our own interests, but the other member's interests as well because as a unit, their well being is important to the function of the body as a unit. If I think that that i have no need of the body, it won't be important for me to look after their interests. I then will only strive after selfish gain and will in that way disconnect myself from the life that the body gives.
But since, as the Body of Christ, we have one spirit and one purpose. When they suffer, I am to suffer, when they rejoice, I am to rejoice. "Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law if Christ." (Galatians 6:2) "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." (Hebrews 10:24)
If we are striving toward the same goal with one mind, there will not be opportunity for selfish ambition or envy within the body because we will be one in spirit and in purpose. We truly will suffer with those who are suffering and rejoice with those who are rejoicing, because their interests are my interests as we seek together towards our goal which is Christ. My application for today is to look for ways to praise God with those who are rejoicing and to bear the burdens of those who are mourning.
As a body, we are dependant on on another. "The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't need you!'...But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that their should be no division in the body, but that it's parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it." (1 Corinthians 12:21, 24b-26)
How selfish it would be for me to disconnect myself from the body, thinking, in pride, that i have no need of it. I would surely shrivel up and die. No, the body gives life but it means death to self. Because now, as part of the body, I cannot act on my own. As a body we have one spirit and one purpose and of course we have the responsibility to look out not only for our own interests, but the other member's interests as well because as a unit, their well being is important to the function of the body as a unit. If I think that that i have no need of the body, it won't be important for me to look after their interests. I then will only strive after selfish gain and will in that way disconnect myself from the life that the body gives.
But since, as the Body of Christ, we have one spirit and one purpose. When they suffer, I am to suffer, when they rejoice, I am to rejoice. "Carry each others burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law if Christ." (Galatians 6:2) "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." (Hebrews 10:24)
If we are striving toward the same goal with one mind, there will not be opportunity for selfish ambition or envy within the body because we will be one in spirit and in purpose. We truly will suffer with those who are suffering and rejoice with those who are rejoicing, because their interests are my interests as we seek together towards our goal which is Christ. My application for today is to look for ways to praise God with those who are rejoicing and to bear the burdens of those who are mourning.
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