Philippians 3:7-11 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 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. 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 lost everything in this world when he made the decision to sell out for Christ. As we read in the previous breakfast, he had status in his religion, culture, and community: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless. (Philippians 3:5-6) Paul's family and friends must have been very proud of him as he gained recognition, position, and reputation within the Jewish society. Paul, as a young man, was on top of the world as far as success in this world was concerned, but now we see Paul after his conversion, happy that he has lost his position for the purpose of gaining Christ in his life. Paul considered all that he previously had gained in the world as rubbish, as dung, as a manure pile in reference to knowing Christ and his righteousness. He now has a righteousness, an acceptance with God, not of his own, but of the Son of God. He now has favor with God the Father. How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ. Long ago, even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave him great pleasure. (Ephesians 1:3-5) Paul understood that faith in Christ and his works made him holy and without fault in his (God's) eyes. The sacrifice Paul paid for following Jesus was nothing compared to the richness of God's love towards him. He would gladly suffer all things to win Christ and God's approval. He would endure all things to win eternal life, to be placed forever in the body of Christ. Paul wanted to know Christ and the power of his resurrection. He wanted Christ's resurrection power to flow through him, causing him no longer to be bound to this earth, but to eternity.
Paul also wanted to know the fellowship of sharing in his (Christ's) sufferings, becoming like him in his death. Jesus died to this world. This world had nothing in him. He did not live to gain the world but to save the world. Jesus knew salvation would come through his suffering, his death, not his great accomplishments or his miracles and success in the world. He held no throne, no position of honor in this world; yet through his suffering and death, He brought life to "whosoever will." We who are IN CHRIST are the "whosoever will." Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mark 8:34-37, KJV) Jesus wants us to live for the Kingdom of God and not this world. As we deny ourselves the things of this world, take up the cross of Christ, we become his followers, people of the Way. If we live for his kingdom, we will bring life and light to the world; but if we live for our kingdom, we will benefit only ourselves in this dark and desperate world. To attain to the resurrection from the dead, Paul had to commit his life totally to Christ; anything less would fall far short of God's purposes for his life. This is the life we embrace as believers, a life totally committed to the One we love. When Peter told the church that they might suffer for righteousness sake, he also said concerning Christ, He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:24-25)
We who live in the twenty-first century have the same obligation upon us as Paul. We have been crucified with Christ and raised in newness of life by the Holy Spirit within us. We are to be one-hundred percent in for the cause of Christ. Anything less will not be acceptable to God. Jesus told the disciples He must go away to send the Holy Spirit to teach them and to convict the world of righteousness. Jesus also said, when the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. (John 16:13) We can walk in the truth, doing God's will as the Holy Spirit leads us. As Paul told the church at Ephesus, For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10) If for fleshly reasons, we fail to produce good works, we are failing God's purposes for our lives. We cannot be half in and half out. We cannot have sweet and bitter water coming from the same container. We cannot be a chameleon, changing our allegiance whenever it pleases us. One day we are in the world completely; the next day we are sold out for Christ. We cannot partake from the containers of violence and sin; then supposedly drink heartily at the fountain of living water. We cannot complete the race of Christ by running half-heartedly. We should be passionate about serving the Lord, fully committed. Our minds should constantly commune with God. Our lips should express faith and praise in words and songs. If we are not zealous for God, this world is too much with us. If we do not want to deny ourselves of any of the "goodies" of this world, we must wonder what Jesus meant when He asked us to deny ourselves and to take up the cross. Paul says, Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. (Romans 8:5-8) Dear ones, let us please God in word and deed. Let us yield to the Holy Spirit, allowing him to shape and mold us into the image of our dear Lord.
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