THE SECURE MIND -- or Worry Robs Joy
Philippians 4
"Therefore my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved."
What's the "therefore" there for? It is often the wrapping up of a thought in previous verses. Paul has just wrapped up a section of his letter talking about having a spiritual mind and keeping our focus on Heaven. He has just been writing with many comparisons: Paul had so many things to feel good and confident about yet he counted them as wasteful (vs 2-7), he had put off the righteousness he had earned through the Law and turned to righteousness through faith (vs 8-9), he knew that no matter how hard he tried or how much he grew spiritually he would never be everything that God wanted him to be (vs 10-), and he reminded the church that some who say they are followers of God are really focused on the wrong things (vs 17-19). In verses 20-21 he gives a clear contrast about how we will be changed into the image of God when we are with Him.
So....because of all those things, he tells them to stand fast in the Lord. The Lord God never ever changes. We can count on Him being the same yesterday, today and forever. In chapter 3, Paul is going back and forth showing the one side of things and then the other. He wants to clearly show what is undesirable compared to what is spiritual. Showing the opposite extremes is a very effective method of teaching. It helps us figure out what must be separated out in order to have the spiritual mind we are desiring. It helps us create a mental picture of what the negative side "looks like" and what the desirable side "looks like." Now that he has made it crystal clear to us what a spiritual mind looks like, he is going to give us further instruction on how to become that.
Also notice that Paul refers to the church in Philippi two times in the same verse as "my dearly beloved." This reinforces how well he knew this group of people. He wasn't just randomly writing a lesson, but he was personally giving instruction in a manner that he knew these specific people would understand and relate to. Christian love is very unique! And he says he longs for them. That gives me the impression that he did not just miss them and think about them, but that his heart thought about them all the time and felt incomplete without them. To say "longed for" gives the ideal of a very deep, aching desire. He calls them his joy and his crown. Think back to the beginning of this church. Paul must have told everyone how this church was begun with a prison sentence (a horrible negative picture) but had become an entire church serving God (a wonderful spiritual picture). Like the feeling a new mother gets when she is telling the story about how awful her labor was and then shows off her beautiful new baby. It is a very deep emotion. "His crown" refers to the church as his greatest accomplishment. We know Paul did not have pride in a sinful way, but he has this one very clear example of how ugly and miserable things were and then a "look at them now" sort of illustration!
"Stand fast" is a military term. Picture the old hand-to-hand combat of early times. I imagine a row of soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder with their armor all polished and their shield held tightly together in an impenetrable wall of defense. They are strong. They are ready. They are united. They are undefeatable! Knowing that we are soldiers in the Lord's army should give us security! It should give us confidence to move forward and fight with all our might because we KNOW we will be triumphant. This is the difference between a little band of rag-tag farmers with pitchforks and hammers coming out to do battle compared to the well organized and well trained forces stepping up to the battle lines in their shining coats of armour and all of their various weapons at the ready to slaughter the enemy. In my mental picture, the army KNOWS it is going to overcome the band of farmers and fights with reckless abandon and confidence. The unprepared farmers are fighting with all their might but in desperation.
We are like that polished army. They enemy knows we have many different kinds of weapons at our disposal. He comes at us from every different angle and yet, no matter what he tries, we just pull out another sword or another axe and drive right across the battlefield.
In the movies you see the little group of fighting farmers trying to muster up their courage and then move forward in a defensive position. But the mighty army has all confidence in themselves and in their brothers, so they are able to stride forward in the attack and hack their way to victory. While they both have the same goal in mind, the well-trained, well-equipped, well-organized army most likely to succeed!
Having our minds completely set in God will give us the confidence we need to face the battles of this world. Sometimes it is just one vicious attack after another all day long from the Enemy. Other days I get exhausted from straining to be ready for his sneaky attacks. But either way, I can be confident that I will be standing with the Overcomer when it is over. Fight non, my dear ones, fight on!
Friday, February 28, 2014
Friday, February 21, 2014
Keep the focus where it belongs
Philippians 3:16-21
THE SPIRITUAL MIND -- or THINGS ROB YOUR JOY
"Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (for many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) for our conversation is in Heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself."
In the verses just before our passage today, Paul was making it clear that he is still chasing after or desperately seeking spiritual perfection and maturity. No matter how much people praised him and built him up, he kept his focus on becoming more and more like Christ. He did not stop and rest in his spiritual development, but kept learning, kept seeking God's guidance, kept bringing others along beside him. As much as he could have bragged about his "accomplishments" and prestige before his salvation, he could have been focused on how much he had given up and how much he had changed and how spiritual he was now. He had spent three years ALONE with God being taught by the very Master of the whole plan! And yet, he always recognized the others with him and in the churches who were mature and who were following Christ correctly. He shared the "spotlight."
And verse 15 is so very important. He puts the theme of this whole chapter into that verse by saying, "let all of us that are mature keep this common focus as our goal; and if you have a different goal, God Himself will show you that this is the right way to think."
Verse 16 says, "whereto we have already attained..." This is not contradicting the verses that come before it. Remember that attained is referring to the level of maturity that has been reached by the people he is writing to. Some of them were deacons, teachers, and pastors who had grown by instruction. Some of them were tent makers, merchants, and women who had grown by receiving instruction at church from hearing the Word of God preached and taught. They were all the same to him when he referred to their spiritual maturity. It didn't matter HOW they had learned and grown but it mattered THAT they had learned and grown. Each one of us has come from a different place and traveled a different path, but if we have the same goal (being more and more and more like Christ) then we are all the same. We must understand that we all have much more to learn and so much more to accomplish for God! We will have unity in this way only.
Verse 17 encourages the church to mark the people that are examples of this like-mindedness and follow them. First of all, that means we have to understand where we are headed and what the spiritual mind looks like. Then we are to notice those who are living this way. We are clearly being told here to judge and evaluate others with the intention of qualifying them. We have all had that special someone come across our paths who we could clearly recognize was following God with a pure heart and have wanted to be like them. Following someone's example is not the same as "worshiping" them. We need to look for examples.
There are false teachers and fake leaders out there. It saddens me to tell you this just like it saddened Paul to remind the church of this. There are people who just serve themselves. They are driven by "their belly" or the benefits they can get. Sometimes pastor's (and their wives) can get off focus and think they need to have the very nicest house and cars and clothes "because they are leading God's children and should set the example." There are those "whose glory is their shame" meaning they brag and tell about how awful they were without ever shifting the focus to how God has changed them. Have you ever heard someone who just told over and over what a rotten, vile sinner they were and got people's attention by shocking them with descriptions of their "old life." I've heard of evangelists who were attached to the mob and had killed people and went to prison where they found the Lord. If all they focus on is how terrible a sinner they were and do not talk about the new creature they have become, they are just getting famous for things they should be ashamed of. Some Christians have a gruesome tale about where God saved them from, but the story should never focus on that. It should focus on the change the Savior has brought them. They mind, or are focused on, earthly things not the spiritual things.
In verse 20 the word "conversation" really means citizenship. "This world is not my home / I'm just a-passinng through . . . and I can't feel at home / in this world anymore." Have you ever met someone who was not born in the US but has come here to live? Usually their dress is different, their speech is different, the terms and words they use are different, and the way they look at everything is different from those of us who have grown up American. As Christians we should be different from the world because this is not our natural home. We don't need to draw extra attention because we are so weird that no one wants to be near us, but we should be unique. There is a limit to how low of a neckline I will wear and the ladies I work with at the dress shop learned that right away. I would try on a dress, and sure, it was very flattering, but the neckline was too low for me and I would refuse to buy it. At first this confused them, but now they understand it is my personal rule because I am a Christian and I just will not make exceptions. Our lifestyle should be different. We don't have to be "old fashioned fuddey-duddies" but we should be different. Dressing modestly does not have to mean it cannot be fashionable or up-to-date. Having a popular hairstyle is not wrong. Living very nicely in a beautiful home and having an expensive car are not sins. But there should still be "something" about us that is just different enough for the world to notice.
Verse 21 talks about the greatest reward for having this spiritual mind. Christ Jesus will change our vile old bodies and make us like His glorious body. He will take away our diseases, our hurts, our weaknesses, our imperfections and make us just like Him! And He is the One who is able to do it! He has proven He is able by subduing all things to Himself. Would you like to step outside and stop the wind today? He could do that. He is the only One who can make us whole, so we must keep our mind on Him and His plan in order to keep the things of this world from robbing our joy.
THE SPIRITUAL MIND -- or THINGS ROB YOUR JOY
"Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (for many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.) for our conversation is in Heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself."
In the verses just before our passage today, Paul was making it clear that he is still chasing after or desperately seeking spiritual perfection and maturity. No matter how much people praised him and built him up, he kept his focus on becoming more and more like Christ. He did not stop and rest in his spiritual development, but kept learning, kept seeking God's guidance, kept bringing others along beside him. As much as he could have bragged about his "accomplishments" and prestige before his salvation, he could have been focused on how much he had given up and how much he had changed and how spiritual he was now. He had spent three years ALONE with God being taught by the very Master of the whole plan! And yet, he always recognized the others with him and in the churches who were mature and who were following Christ correctly. He shared the "spotlight."
And verse 15 is so very important. He puts the theme of this whole chapter into that verse by saying, "let all of us that are mature keep this common focus as our goal; and if you have a different goal, God Himself will show you that this is the right way to think."
Verse 16 says, "whereto we have already attained..." This is not contradicting the verses that come before it. Remember that attained is referring to the level of maturity that has been reached by the people he is writing to. Some of them were deacons, teachers, and pastors who had grown by instruction. Some of them were tent makers, merchants, and women who had grown by receiving instruction at church from hearing the Word of God preached and taught. They were all the same to him when he referred to their spiritual maturity. It didn't matter HOW they had learned and grown but it mattered THAT they had learned and grown. Each one of us has come from a different place and traveled a different path, but if we have the same goal (being more and more and more like Christ) then we are all the same. We must understand that we all have much more to learn and so much more to accomplish for God! We will have unity in this way only.
Verse 17 encourages the church to mark the people that are examples of this like-mindedness and follow them. First of all, that means we have to understand where we are headed and what the spiritual mind looks like. Then we are to notice those who are living this way. We are clearly being told here to judge and evaluate others with the intention of qualifying them. We have all had that special someone come across our paths who we could clearly recognize was following God with a pure heart and have wanted to be like them. Following someone's example is not the same as "worshiping" them. We need to look for examples.
There are false teachers and fake leaders out there. It saddens me to tell you this just like it saddened Paul to remind the church of this. There are people who just serve themselves. They are driven by "their belly" or the benefits they can get. Sometimes pastor's (and their wives) can get off focus and think they need to have the very nicest house and cars and clothes "because they are leading God's children and should set the example." There are those "whose glory is their shame" meaning they brag and tell about how awful they were without ever shifting the focus to how God has changed them. Have you ever heard someone who just told over and over what a rotten, vile sinner they were and got people's attention by shocking them with descriptions of their "old life." I've heard of evangelists who were attached to the mob and had killed people and went to prison where they found the Lord. If all they focus on is how terrible a sinner they were and do not talk about the new creature they have become, they are just getting famous for things they should be ashamed of. Some Christians have a gruesome tale about where God saved them from, but the story should never focus on that. It should focus on the change the Savior has brought them. They mind, or are focused on, earthly things not the spiritual things.
In verse 20 the word "conversation" really means citizenship. "This world is not my home / I'm just a-passinng through . . . and I can't feel at home / in this world anymore." Have you ever met someone who was not born in the US but has come here to live? Usually their dress is different, their speech is different, the terms and words they use are different, and the way they look at everything is different from those of us who have grown up American. As Christians we should be different from the world because this is not our natural home. We don't need to draw extra attention because we are so weird that no one wants to be near us, but we should be unique. There is a limit to how low of a neckline I will wear and the ladies I work with at the dress shop learned that right away. I would try on a dress, and sure, it was very flattering, but the neckline was too low for me and I would refuse to buy it. At first this confused them, but now they understand it is my personal rule because I am a Christian and I just will not make exceptions. Our lifestyle should be different. We don't have to be "old fashioned fuddey-duddies" but we should be different. Dressing modestly does not have to mean it cannot be fashionable or up-to-date. Having a popular hairstyle is not wrong. Living very nicely in a beautiful home and having an expensive car are not sins. But there should still be "something" about us that is just different enough for the world to notice.
Verse 21 talks about the greatest reward for having this spiritual mind. Christ Jesus will change our vile old bodies and make us like His glorious body. He will take away our diseases, our hurts, our weaknesses, our imperfections and make us just like Him! And He is the One who is able to do it! He has proven He is able by subduing all things to Himself. Would you like to step outside and stop the wind today? He could do that. He is the only One who can make us whole, so we must keep our mind on Him and His plan in order to keep the things of this world from robbing our joy.
Friday, February 14, 2014
love
Happy Valentine's Day! The day of roses, chocolate, cards, candlelight dinners and LOVE. If you know me at all, you know that my husband and I have been married 27 years and are very much in love. I have friends who don't have sweethearts and pretty much dread this day. Every single one of us has a very special Sweetheart, though, and I'd like to focus on Him today.
I Corinthians 13 is called the Love Chapter. Song of Solomon is very descriptive about a bridegroom and his bride on their wedding night. The historical books of the Old Testament are full of accounts that tell of romance, love, and marriage. The prophetic books and many of the illustrations used in the New Testament present Christ as a bridegroom and the church as His bride anxiously awaiting their wedding day. As Christians, or "little Christs," we look to His example of loving the sinner but hating the sin as we interact with the wold in our day-to-day lives. We're going to look at the traditional Love Chapter today, but let's not focus on who we are loving or even the romantic relationships we have. Let's just examine the Scripture and let it speak to our hearts about how we are loving others in every relationship we have. Let's look at the chapter and I will share some of my thoughts on how to apply these verses to our hearts.
I Corinthians 13
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as a sounding brass of a tinkling cymbal."
Even if I am able to impress you with the eloquent words I can speak or the spiritual sound of my talk, if I do not have love in my heart I will sound like a non-stop, clanging dinner bell or a continuous little Teacher Bell......both of which have a purpose but will begin to get on your nerves and drive you crazy with their emptiness.
"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and
all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I can remove mountains,
and have not charity, I am nothing."
Even if I have great discernment and can teach others and help them understand things, and though I have so much faith that others think I can surely perform miracles, but have not charity what good does any of that do me. I am empty.
"And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my
body to be burned and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."
No matter how much I sacrifice and serve others, no matter if I work myself to death for others, if I do not have real charity, it does me absolutely no good and I am not going to be rewarded.
Charity . . .
--suffereth long will suffer for a long time without complaining
--and is kind do we treat the ones we love with the same kindness we give to strangers?
--envieth not is not concerned with what others have now or get
--vaunteth not itself does not put itself ahead of others, cocky
--is not puffed up is not proud or vain
--doth not behave itself unseemly is not drawing attention to itself, rude
--seeketh not her own is not seeking benefit for self, selfish
--is not easily provoked is not easily angered
--thinketh no evil does not jump to negative conclusions
--rejoiceth not in iniquity is not happy to see others fail or sin
--rejoiceth in the truth is happy and content with the facts
--beareth all things does not consider itself a martyr
--believeth all things does not create drama
--hopeth all things looks for the "sunny side"
--endureth all things takes things as they come for as long as needed
--charity never faileth never gives up
"Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they
shall cease, whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away."
When I look at this short list I see the things of man being temporary. Prophecies can mean teachings, tongues can mean languages, knowledge can mean knowledge. So as time goes by, or even just as we get older, we start to see the discoveries of man being surpassed. We see languages disappear and the use of a "universal language" so communication is easier. We see people forgetting what they what they know, whether by age related conditions or by choice.
"For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is
perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."
We only know as much as our human brains can handle at a time. Once we get used to some new technology THEN something new is developed and becomes available. We can understand only so much about the Bible, about other people, about anything; but when Christ comes back for us we will have full knowledge. There will be complete understanding of all the "why's" and of all the things God has been trying to teach us.
"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I
thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish
things."
Children "think" they are so smart. But children talk like children, and perceive things as a child, and go about things in a childish way. But when someone starts to mature or has a more intelligent grasp on things, they leave the old things behind and reach forward to better themselves.
"For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now
I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."
We do not have all the facts here on earth; the whole picture is not clear to us. But when we are with God we have a full understanding and others will have a full understanding of me!
"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the
greatest of these is charity."
In this life we have our faith in God, we can always hope for tomorrow, and we will always find love. But the very greatest thing of all is LOVE! Love conquers all! If you really love someone you spiritual faith will not always help you act right toward them. You can always be looking off to tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. But the greatest thing about love is that it is the greatest thing. It can endure and stand the tests and will prove itself over and over again!
I Corinthians 13 is called the Love Chapter. Song of Solomon is very descriptive about a bridegroom and his bride on their wedding night. The historical books of the Old Testament are full of accounts that tell of romance, love, and marriage. The prophetic books and many of the illustrations used in the New Testament present Christ as a bridegroom and the church as His bride anxiously awaiting their wedding day. As Christians, or "little Christs," we look to His example of loving the sinner but hating the sin as we interact with the wold in our day-to-day lives. We're going to look at the traditional Love Chapter today, but let's not focus on who we are loving or even the romantic relationships we have. Let's just examine the Scripture and let it speak to our hearts about how we are loving others in every relationship we have. Let's look at the chapter and I will share some of my thoughts on how to apply these verses to our hearts.
I Corinthians 13
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as a sounding brass of a tinkling cymbal."
Even if I am able to impress you with the eloquent words I can speak or the spiritual sound of my talk, if I do not have love in my heart I will sound like a non-stop, clanging dinner bell or a continuous little Teacher Bell......both of which have a purpose but will begin to get on your nerves and drive you crazy with their emptiness.
"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and
all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I can remove mountains,
and have not charity, I am nothing."
Even if I have great discernment and can teach others and help them understand things, and though I have so much faith that others think I can surely perform miracles, but have not charity what good does any of that do me. I am empty.
"And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my
body to be burned and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing."
No matter how much I sacrifice and serve others, no matter if I work myself to death for others, if I do not have real charity, it does me absolutely no good and I am not going to be rewarded.
Charity . . .
--suffereth long will suffer for a long time without complaining
--and is kind do we treat the ones we love with the same kindness we give to strangers?
--envieth not is not concerned with what others have now or get
--vaunteth not itself does not put itself ahead of others, cocky
--is not puffed up is not proud or vain
--doth not behave itself unseemly is not drawing attention to itself, rude
--seeketh not her own is not seeking benefit for self, selfish
--is not easily provoked is not easily angered
--thinketh no evil does not jump to negative conclusions
--rejoiceth not in iniquity is not happy to see others fail or sin
--rejoiceth in the truth is happy and content with the facts
--beareth all things does not consider itself a martyr
--believeth all things does not create drama
--hopeth all things looks for the "sunny side"
--endureth all things takes things as they come for as long as needed
--charity never faileth never gives up
"Whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they
shall cease, whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away."
When I look at this short list I see the things of man being temporary. Prophecies can mean teachings, tongues can mean languages, knowledge can mean knowledge. So as time goes by, or even just as we get older, we start to see the discoveries of man being surpassed. We see languages disappear and the use of a "universal language" so communication is easier. We see people forgetting what they what they know, whether by age related conditions or by choice.
"For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is
perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."
We only know as much as our human brains can handle at a time. Once we get used to some new technology THEN something new is developed and becomes available. We can understand only so much about the Bible, about other people, about anything; but when Christ comes back for us we will have full knowledge. There will be complete understanding of all the "why's" and of all the things God has been trying to teach us.
"When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I
thought as a child; but when I became a man I put away childish
things."
Children "think" they are so smart. But children talk like children, and perceive things as a child, and go about things in a childish way. But when someone starts to mature or has a more intelligent grasp on things, they leave the old things behind and reach forward to better themselves.
"For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now
I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."
We do not have all the facts here on earth; the whole picture is not clear to us. But when we are with God we have a full understanding and others will have a full understanding of me!
"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the
greatest of these is charity."
In this life we have our faith in God, we can always hope for tomorrow, and we will always find love. But the very greatest thing of all is LOVE! Love conquers all! If you really love someone you spiritual faith will not always help you act right toward them. You can always be looking off to tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow. But the greatest thing about love is that it is the greatest thing. It can endure and stand the tests and will prove itself over and over again!
Friday, January 24, 2014
We are back!
Philippians -- The Book of Joy
(Welcome back! We took some time off for the holidays, but we are back in the swing of things again.)
Philippians chapter one was titled "The Single Mind" or "Circumstances Can Rob Your Joy." When we began this study we talked quite a bit about who this man Paul was and who this church at Philippi was. Paul was an apostle . . . converted and then taken aside and taught by Christ Himself before being sent out to minister. He had a frightening reputation before his conversion. He was the poster child for being the perfect zealous Jewish soldier fighting against this new system of worship called Christianity. But once he gave his life to God, he completely changed! His new life in Christ was so opposite of his life before that he had to choose one or the other. He could not ride the fence and go back and forth between the two. He had to pick one. None of us has control over our circumstances and that makes circumstances the biggest distractor in our lives. We can have everything in order and be toodling right along serving God and POW!!!! something out of our control jumps up and lands right in the path of our good intentions. Paul began this letter to his beloved church by encouraging them to keep their eyes on Christ and on the prize so that circumstances don't get us off track.
He taught them that discernment . . . being able to see through things for what they really are . . . is a mark of maturity. When something out of our control plops itself in our path we have to look at it and decide how important it is, how much energy is deserves, and how long we're going to stand there before walking around it. Keep your eyes on the prize. Paul told the church that every hard and bad thing that had happened to him had happened for the furtherance of the gospel. Prison? Losing friends? Losing his job? Losing his status? Yes. If he focused on any one of these circumstances he would surely have lost his motivation and his zeal for spreading the gospel. Our circumstances can rob out joy if we do not keep a Single Mind about what our life is really all about.
Chapter two was titled "The Submissive Mind" or "People Can Rob Your Joy." If we substitute the word humility for submissive we get a really clear picture of what Paul was teaching here. He had status and reputation and power and fame and all that goes along with it before. Now he had taken on the spread of the gospel as his one ambition in life. Paul no longer sought attention based on his status. He no longer took credit for what his accomplishments. He no longer worked at being the biggest personality in the room. He had humility and a different focus. He had submitted his life to Christ and taken on the purpose of spreading the gospel. Christ was all that mattered to him. He didn't need recognition or praise. He had changed his outlook from being "it's all about me" to "it's all about Christ." If Christ, the Prince of Heaven, loved us so much to give up His throne and power and position in order to become a servant of lowly fishermen turned evangelists, then who was Paul . . . or ANY of us . . . that he should seek any glory for himself? People probably threw his past up into his face all the time. Others probably lauded him and tried to make him a celebrity. He did not let people rob his joy. He had pure joy from keeping Christ in the place of honor and considering himself the lowliest servant.
Chapter three teaches us to have a Spiritual Mind. The opposite of spiritual is earthly. It is not hard to understand that shifting your focus away from the spiritual things will settle them on earthly things. Earthly things break and crumble and disappear. The Jewish people were learning to shift their focus away from the Law and the tedious manner of life they were used to and shift it to Grace where there is freedom. They were so used to being conscious of every little thing in their day to day lives . . . how far they walked on certain days, who they spoke to, which food they ate on certain days. There were over 800 laws that they had to be conscientious of or be GUILTY of the whole Law. The penalties in those days could be as severe as stoning for some offenses! Talk about pressure! Some of these people were old and had lived their entire lives being that tedious in their every action. That must have been hard for them to let go of. But if they did not change their focus and concentrate on the spiritual things, all kinds of earthly things could get them frustrated and discouraged. Just like them we need to keep in the very front of our minds exactly what we are striving for in Christ.
So, we are done with the holidays. We are back on track with our Bible study. It brings joy to my heart to be doing this study and I pray that it encourages you as well!
(Welcome back! We took some time off for the holidays, but we are back in the swing of things again.)
Philippians chapter one was titled "The Single Mind" or "Circumstances Can Rob Your Joy." When we began this study we talked quite a bit about who this man Paul was and who this church at Philippi was. Paul was an apostle . . . converted and then taken aside and taught by Christ Himself before being sent out to minister. He had a frightening reputation before his conversion. He was the poster child for being the perfect zealous Jewish soldier fighting against this new system of worship called Christianity. But once he gave his life to God, he completely changed! His new life in Christ was so opposite of his life before that he had to choose one or the other. He could not ride the fence and go back and forth between the two. He had to pick one. None of us has control over our circumstances and that makes circumstances the biggest distractor in our lives. We can have everything in order and be toodling right along serving God and POW!!!! something out of our control jumps up and lands right in the path of our good intentions. Paul began this letter to his beloved church by encouraging them to keep their eyes on Christ and on the prize so that circumstances don't get us off track.
He taught them that discernment . . . being able to see through things for what they really are . . . is a mark of maturity. When something out of our control plops itself in our path we have to look at it and decide how important it is, how much energy is deserves, and how long we're going to stand there before walking around it. Keep your eyes on the prize. Paul told the church that every hard and bad thing that had happened to him had happened for the furtherance of the gospel. Prison? Losing friends? Losing his job? Losing his status? Yes. If he focused on any one of these circumstances he would surely have lost his motivation and his zeal for spreading the gospel. Our circumstances can rob out joy if we do not keep a Single Mind about what our life is really all about.
Chapter two was titled "The Submissive Mind" or "People Can Rob Your Joy." If we substitute the word humility for submissive we get a really clear picture of what Paul was teaching here. He had status and reputation and power and fame and all that goes along with it before. Now he had taken on the spread of the gospel as his one ambition in life. Paul no longer sought attention based on his status. He no longer took credit for what his accomplishments. He no longer worked at being the biggest personality in the room. He had humility and a different focus. He had submitted his life to Christ and taken on the purpose of spreading the gospel. Christ was all that mattered to him. He didn't need recognition or praise. He had changed his outlook from being "it's all about me" to "it's all about Christ." If Christ, the Prince of Heaven, loved us so much to give up His throne and power and position in order to become a servant of lowly fishermen turned evangelists, then who was Paul . . . or ANY of us . . . that he should seek any glory for himself? People probably threw his past up into his face all the time. Others probably lauded him and tried to make him a celebrity. He did not let people rob his joy. He had pure joy from keeping Christ in the place of honor and considering himself the lowliest servant.
Chapter three teaches us to have a Spiritual Mind. The opposite of spiritual is earthly. It is not hard to understand that shifting your focus away from the spiritual things will settle them on earthly things. Earthly things break and crumble and disappear. The Jewish people were learning to shift their focus away from the Law and the tedious manner of life they were used to and shift it to Grace where there is freedom. They were so used to being conscious of every little thing in their day to day lives . . . how far they walked on certain days, who they spoke to, which food they ate on certain days. There were over 800 laws that they had to be conscientious of or be GUILTY of the whole Law. The penalties in those days could be as severe as stoning for some offenses! Talk about pressure! Some of these people were old and had lived their entire lives being that tedious in their every action. That must have been hard for them to let go of. But if they did not change their focus and concentrate on the spiritual things, all kinds of earthly things could get them frustrated and discouraged. Just like them we need to keep in the very front of our minds exactly what we are striving for in Christ.
So, we are done with the holidays. We are back on track with our Bible study. It brings joy to my heart to be doing this study and I pray that it encourages you as well!
Friday, November 22, 2013
What are you looking at!
Philippians 3 -- THE SPIRITUAL MIND or THINGS ROB JOY
Philippians 3:13-15 "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind,m and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this to you."
Paul did not consider himself to have arrived at spiritual perfection. He had his battles with the flesh and his memories of his past to remind him that he was not yet glorified. BUT . . . he did not let these things control his intentions. He had to make the choice to turn off the past and center himself in the mission he knew God had given him for the present keeping the future reward ever in his view. When he said "I press toward the mark . . ." he obviously was not just sitting around waiting for Heaven to come. He was diligently working, doing what the Lord had instructed him to do.
Paul had to make the effort to shift his focus away from the past and concentrate his energy in a new and opposite direction. We all have things in our past that can feel like sinking sand or entangling vines holding us back and keeping us stuck. Regrets. Guilt. Hurt. Fear. If I start thinking about the failures in my past, I can become quite discouraged quite quickly. Looking back with this mindset is like falling down the Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole. It takes me to a whole different world where nothing is as it seems and I can get lost wandering around in circles feeling so confused. I have to make a serious effort to stop that kind of thinking as soon as I recognize it is happening! Sometimes it takes great effort over and over to really get my mind back on track with the things it should be thinking about.
I have a goal just like Paul. I intentionally want to live working to be worthy of the high calling of God. We all have this calling. I was a child of Satan and now I have been redeemed by the King of Kings and am His princess daughter! I do not want to live with any of the old characteristics. I do not want to be entangled and held back by the past.
Paul then states that all of us that are perfect should have this lifestyle. Unsaved people are not going to be interested in pleasing King Jesus. Brand new Christians may not have a complete understanding of God's freeing power. Young people are not always able to look down the road very far or understand what they can accomplish for God. But those of us that are "perfect" or mature need to be "thus minded." We need to all have this goal in common, the goal of leaving the past behind us and pressing forward.
The Christian life is not a passive existence. We are not supposed to just float along on the river of life and see what happens and react to each new circumstance as it comes along. We are to be very PROactive! It takes work to shift our focus away from the past. It involves effort to "press" toward the prize. It takes intention to realize where we are supposed to be headed and actually head there. The Christian life is a life of action!
Take, for example, spreading the gospel. Little children don't quite have the language skills to engage an adult in a conversation to share the gospel with them. But even a little six year-old boy can hand out tracts to people he sees in the grocery store. The child may not be mature in his mental growth or physical growth, but he is mature enough in his spiritual mind to take action at a level appropriate for his physical age. A person without work or transportation may not get out of the house much, but they can pray for the visitation and 365 Club programs. An invalid may not encounter anyone but the people who care for them, but they can be an encouragement with their words and show the joy of the Lord despite illness. Every. Single. One. of us can have a vital part in the ministry of spreading the gospel.
Keep your mind on the spiritual perspective of every little thing that comes to you today. When you encounter the grumpy sales clerk, choose words that let her know YOU have joy in your heart no matter what is happening. When you get stuck in traffic, take the time to say a prayer for those in the church that you know are hurting.
And if you don't have your mind working this way, ask God to change you and show you what you can do. That's what verse 15 is saying. Ask God to help you shift your mind to the spiritual focus and the "things of this earth will grow strangely dim." If you are looking at Christ and are focused on Him you will no longer see the things around you that discourage and hold you back! You will have the joy of the Lord as your strength!
Philippians 3:13-15 "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended; but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind,m and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this to you."
Paul did not consider himself to have arrived at spiritual perfection. He had his battles with the flesh and his memories of his past to remind him that he was not yet glorified. BUT . . . he did not let these things control his intentions. He had to make the choice to turn off the past and center himself in the mission he knew God had given him for the present keeping the future reward ever in his view. When he said "I press toward the mark . . ." he obviously was not just sitting around waiting for Heaven to come. He was diligently working, doing what the Lord had instructed him to do.
Paul had to make the effort to shift his focus away from the past and concentrate his energy in a new and opposite direction. We all have things in our past that can feel like sinking sand or entangling vines holding us back and keeping us stuck. Regrets. Guilt. Hurt. Fear. If I start thinking about the failures in my past, I can become quite discouraged quite quickly. Looking back with this mindset is like falling down the Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole. It takes me to a whole different world where nothing is as it seems and I can get lost wandering around in circles feeling so confused. I have to make a serious effort to stop that kind of thinking as soon as I recognize it is happening! Sometimes it takes great effort over and over to really get my mind back on track with the things it should be thinking about.
I have a goal just like Paul. I intentionally want to live working to be worthy of the high calling of God. We all have this calling. I was a child of Satan and now I have been redeemed by the King of Kings and am His princess daughter! I do not want to live with any of the old characteristics. I do not want to be entangled and held back by the past.
Paul then states that all of us that are perfect should have this lifestyle. Unsaved people are not going to be interested in pleasing King Jesus. Brand new Christians may not have a complete understanding of God's freeing power. Young people are not always able to look down the road very far or understand what they can accomplish for God. But those of us that are "perfect" or mature need to be "thus minded." We need to all have this goal in common, the goal of leaving the past behind us and pressing forward.
The Christian life is not a passive existence. We are not supposed to just float along on the river of life and see what happens and react to each new circumstance as it comes along. We are to be very PROactive! It takes work to shift our focus away from the past. It involves effort to "press" toward the prize. It takes intention to realize where we are supposed to be headed and actually head there. The Christian life is a life of action!
Take, for example, spreading the gospel. Little children don't quite have the language skills to engage an adult in a conversation to share the gospel with them. But even a little six year-old boy can hand out tracts to people he sees in the grocery store. The child may not be mature in his mental growth or physical growth, but he is mature enough in his spiritual mind to take action at a level appropriate for his physical age. A person without work or transportation may not get out of the house much, but they can pray for the visitation and 365 Club programs. An invalid may not encounter anyone but the people who care for them, but they can be an encouragement with their words and show the joy of the Lord despite illness. Every. Single. One. of us can have a vital part in the ministry of spreading the gospel.
Keep your mind on the spiritual perspective of every little thing that comes to you today. When you encounter the grumpy sales clerk, choose words that let her know YOU have joy in your heart no matter what is happening. When you get stuck in traffic, take the time to say a prayer for those in the church that you know are hurting.
And if you don't have your mind working this way, ask God to change you and show you what you can do. That's what verse 15 is saying. Ask God to help you shift your mind to the spiritual focus and the "things of this earth will grow strangely dim." If you are looking at Christ and are focused on Him you will no longer see the things around you that discourage and hold you back! You will have the joy of the Lord as your strength!
Friday, November 15, 2013
Forget about it . . .
PHILIPPIANS 3 -- THE SPIRITUAL MIND or THINGS CAN ROB JOY
Philippians 3:12-14
"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
Paul makes it very clear in verse 12 that he does not consider himself to have "arrived." He had not conquered all of his weaknesses or shortcomings. He still had struggles and came up short of what he wanted to do for Christ. The "great and mighty" Paul knew in his heart that he was nothing special in his own right.
The word perfect means mature. We look at a piece of fruit and call it "perfect" to eat. Of course it still has flaws but we mean that it is ripe and ready to be eaten. We can be perfect in Christ even with our faults and failures. Paul was converted as an adult who had studied the Law and was very well educated. He had the book knowledge already down pat. Once he understood his need of salvation and accepted Christ as his personal Savior, he had a huge head start. God took him aside and worked in his heart based on the knowledge he already had in his head. I was saved at age four. I had to grow mentally and emotionally before I could appreciate some of the truths of Scripture. I had to learn to read! Paul already had passages memorized.
But Paul had his focus on a goal. He "followed after" meaning he pursued something. He was working on his spiritual development. He was trying to become just as much like Christ as he possibly could so that he could be as much like Christ as possible. It's a bit of circular reasoning trying to be more like Christ because Christ is wanting to change you. There is a goal, but we will never reach it.
The Apostle Paul had so much going his way, but he also had a memory. He had witnessed and participated in some very awful things in his persecution of the church. The memories of what we have done before salvation are not wiped away. Emotions and intentions are not easily forgotten. Our memory can see or smell or hear something completely innocent but make a connection to something from our past and pull up all kinds of memories that we thought we gone forever. Paul, like us, had no control over what his memory did to him. I imagine that he relived certain scenes in his mind over and over again. Smell is the strongest memory trigger of our senses. You cannot control what you smell and you cannot control what memories those smells pull out of the dark corners of your mind.
Paul could be paralyzed by guilt. The people who recognized him and became afraid of him probably had heard some things about him. He remembered so many more things that he had done. The Christians had probably heard embellished accounts of his reputation. Paul knew every detail of what he had done and said and thought. These memories could shackle him and hold him back in so many different ways. But he had to put them aside. It is not easy to brush away the memory of something we regret. It takes great discipline and a deep rooted conviction that things are not as they used to be.
God had taken Paul out to the wilderness after his conversion. I imagine that it took a while for Paul's human heart to accept the whole realm of forgiveness that Christ offered him. It probably took some very intense conversations with God when Paul would start to be overtaken by remorse. The things that I regret in the deep corners of my heart have a much greater impact on my actions than the things that others know about and keep bringing up to me. God had to equip Paul with the tools and the skills to forgive the past in himself so that he could have a testimony going forward.
Paul's past had been shaped around the Law. He had to shift his thinking away from that and focus on his relationship with Christ. He had to forget the things he had done. He had to forget the things he had been committed to. He had to give up his loyalties. He had to allow Christ to forgive him and he had to forgive himself. He had to shift his focus to the spiritual things of God in order to lose the influence of his past. Having a spiritual mind allowed him to have power over the things (memories, emotions, etc.) of the past that could hold him back from full service.
He did not look back. We can't get to the end of the book if we keep re-reading the chapters we've already been through. No doubt people flaunted his reputation at him to weaken him. No doubt he had flaws that others took great pleasure in pointing out to him. But he kept pressing toward his goal. His motivation was to be worthy of what Christ had done for him. Would he ever be worthy? No, of course not. But the pursuit of it was the exercise of faith that conquered his past.
There is a high calling for each of us in God through Christ Jesus. We must daily evaluate if we are pressing forward or slipping backward. It is a high goal to be "like Christ" but the important part is the true pursuit. Don't let your memory of what is past dictate how much you will be like Christ today!
Philippians 3:12-14
"Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."
Paul makes it very clear in verse 12 that he does not consider himself to have "arrived." He had not conquered all of his weaknesses or shortcomings. He still had struggles and came up short of what he wanted to do for Christ. The "great and mighty" Paul knew in his heart that he was nothing special in his own right.
The word perfect means mature. We look at a piece of fruit and call it "perfect" to eat. Of course it still has flaws but we mean that it is ripe and ready to be eaten. We can be perfect in Christ even with our faults and failures. Paul was converted as an adult who had studied the Law and was very well educated. He had the book knowledge already down pat. Once he understood his need of salvation and accepted Christ as his personal Savior, he had a huge head start. God took him aside and worked in his heart based on the knowledge he already had in his head. I was saved at age four. I had to grow mentally and emotionally before I could appreciate some of the truths of Scripture. I had to learn to read! Paul already had passages memorized.
But Paul had his focus on a goal. He "followed after" meaning he pursued something. He was working on his spiritual development. He was trying to become just as much like Christ as he possibly could so that he could be as much like Christ as possible. It's a bit of circular reasoning trying to be more like Christ because Christ is wanting to change you. There is a goal, but we will never reach it.
The Apostle Paul had so much going his way, but he also had a memory. He had witnessed and participated in some very awful things in his persecution of the church. The memories of what we have done before salvation are not wiped away. Emotions and intentions are not easily forgotten. Our memory can see or smell or hear something completely innocent but make a connection to something from our past and pull up all kinds of memories that we thought we gone forever. Paul, like us, had no control over what his memory did to him. I imagine that he relived certain scenes in his mind over and over again. Smell is the strongest memory trigger of our senses. You cannot control what you smell and you cannot control what memories those smells pull out of the dark corners of your mind.
Paul could be paralyzed by guilt. The people who recognized him and became afraid of him probably had heard some things about him. He remembered so many more things that he had done. The Christians had probably heard embellished accounts of his reputation. Paul knew every detail of what he had done and said and thought. These memories could shackle him and hold him back in so many different ways. But he had to put them aside. It is not easy to brush away the memory of something we regret. It takes great discipline and a deep rooted conviction that things are not as they used to be.
God had taken Paul out to the wilderness after his conversion. I imagine that it took a while for Paul's human heart to accept the whole realm of forgiveness that Christ offered him. It probably took some very intense conversations with God when Paul would start to be overtaken by remorse. The things that I regret in the deep corners of my heart have a much greater impact on my actions than the things that others know about and keep bringing up to me. God had to equip Paul with the tools and the skills to forgive the past in himself so that he could have a testimony going forward.
Paul's past had been shaped around the Law. He had to shift his thinking away from that and focus on his relationship with Christ. He had to forget the things he had done. He had to forget the things he had been committed to. He had to give up his loyalties. He had to allow Christ to forgive him and he had to forgive himself. He had to shift his focus to the spiritual things of God in order to lose the influence of his past. Having a spiritual mind allowed him to have power over the things (memories, emotions, etc.) of the past that could hold him back from full service.
He did not look back. We can't get to the end of the book if we keep re-reading the chapters we've already been through. No doubt people flaunted his reputation at him to weaken him. No doubt he had flaws that others took great pleasure in pointing out to him. But he kept pressing toward his goal. His motivation was to be worthy of what Christ had done for him. Would he ever be worthy? No, of course not. But the pursuit of it was the exercise of faith that conquered his past.
There is a high calling for each of us in God through Christ Jesus. We must daily evaluate if we are pressing forward or slipping backward. It is a high goal to be "like Christ" but the important part is the true pursuit. Don't let your memory of what is past dictate how much you will be like Christ today!
Friday, November 1, 2013
Whatever It Takes
Philippians 3 -- THE SPIRITUAL MIND or THINGS ROB YOUR JOY
Philippians 3:8-11 "Yea 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, And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."
Sometimes it is hard to relate to the people of the Bible because we don't know much about their day to day lives. We spent some time in the last lesson pondering some of the things that Paul may have lost for the sake of Christ. We don't know what kind of house or bank account he had . . . but it is safe to presume he lost whatever he had. We don't know many details about his parents or if he had a wife . . . but we talked about some relationships he might have lost. We can relate to these issues in our lives. The bottom line is that Paul really did lose everything. But . . . Christ did not leave him empty!
In verse 8 Paul says "Yea doubtless" which could be restated in our language as "Yes, but don't get the wrong idea!" He did not pine for those things he had lost. He had given them up willingly. He knew there was something far more precious to be won.
John 17:3 "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou has sent." As Christ was facing the cross He talked with His Father and acknowledged that the cross was necessary for us to know the only true God. And He was willing to submit to that horrible death because He knew the real purpose of it was to show the world the only true God. Paul did not value the things he had lost when he compared them to the "excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus (his) Lord." As worthless as he knew his possessions and relationships were (and remember he called them dung), he valued the knowledge of Christ as excellent. We have all had losses or trials in our lives that seemed meaningless. But we have also had losses and trials that had some sort of outcome that we felt made the situation "worth it."
Paul describes the lifestyle he had led before as the righteousness which is of the law and called it "his." It was dependent on what he did or did not do. He determined how righteous his life was. Now he wanted the righteousness that came from faith in Christ. No more religion but the ultimate relationship.
"That I may know Him and the POWER of His resurrection . . ." Jesus Christ is part of the Trinity. He did not have to rely on God the Father to raise Him from the dead. He actually had that power within Himself. His God-ness had unlimited power when His man-ness was dead. Talk about some super power!
And Paul wanted to know the "fellowship" of His sufferings. Fellowship is having things in common. What Christ suffered physically is beyond our comprehension. The movie "The Passion" was one man's attempt to portray some of what that crucifixion was like. While I know that Hollywood could never capture the full scope of Christ's physical suffering, that movie gave me a mental picture that was much clearer than my imagination would allow me to create on my own. I've heard pastors and evangelists try to describe the sheer agony of that day. I have a very vivid imagination. But I had nothing in my life to compare it to, so my mental picture was always very bland. Paul knew what crucifixion was. He had undoubtedly witnessed a few of them. And he wanted to have the relationship with Christ that comes from having that suffering in common. He wanted to be "conformable unto His death." Whether Paul was saying he was willing to suffer everything that Christ did or if he was saying he wanted to have a heart that was willing to love and care for sinners enough to die for them, he wanted to be conformed to Christ's death. Conformed has the idea of changing something from what it is into a copy of something else.
"If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." Whatever it takes. Whatever it takes to be able to pass through death into new life. Whatever it takes.
The challenge from these verses can be found in the song "Whatever It Takes" by Lanny Wolfe.
Whatever It Takes
There's a voice calling me, from an old rugged tree
And He whispers draw closer to me
Leave this world far behind,
There are new heights to climb
And a new place in Me you will find
And whatever it takes, to draw closer to You Lord
That's what I'd be wiling to do
And whatever it takes, to be more like you
That's what I'd be willing to do
Take my houses and lands,
Take my dreams and my plans.
I place my who life in Your hands.
And if you call me someday,
To a land far away,
Lord, I'll go and Your will obey.
And whatever it takes to draw closer to You, Lord,
That's what I'll be willing to do.
And whatever it takes for my will to break,
That's what I'll be willing to do.
Take the dearest things to me, if that's how it must be
To draw closer to Thee
Let the disappointments come, lonely days without the sun
If through sorrow more like You I'll become.
I'll trade sunshine for rain, comfort for pain,
That's what I'd be willing to do.
For whatever it takes to be more like you,
That's what I'd be willing to do.
Is there ANYTHING that you will not give up to be more like Christ?
Philippians 3:8-11 "Yea 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, And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead."
Sometimes it is hard to relate to the people of the Bible because we don't know much about their day to day lives. We spent some time in the last lesson pondering some of the things that Paul may have lost for the sake of Christ. We don't know what kind of house or bank account he had . . . but it is safe to presume he lost whatever he had. We don't know many details about his parents or if he had a wife . . . but we talked about some relationships he might have lost. We can relate to these issues in our lives. The bottom line is that Paul really did lose everything. But . . . Christ did not leave him empty!
In verse 8 Paul says "Yea doubtless" which could be restated in our language as "Yes, but don't get the wrong idea!" He did not pine for those things he had lost. He had given them up willingly. He knew there was something far more precious to be won.
John 17:3 "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou has sent." As Christ was facing the cross He talked with His Father and acknowledged that the cross was necessary for us to know the only true God. And He was willing to submit to that horrible death because He knew the real purpose of it was to show the world the only true God. Paul did not value the things he had lost when he compared them to the "excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus (his) Lord." As worthless as he knew his possessions and relationships were (and remember he called them dung), he valued the knowledge of Christ as excellent. We have all had losses or trials in our lives that seemed meaningless. But we have also had losses and trials that had some sort of outcome that we felt made the situation "worth it."
Paul describes the lifestyle he had led before as the righteousness which is of the law and called it "his." It was dependent on what he did or did not do. He determined how righteous his life was. Now he wanted the righteousness that came from faith in Christ. No more religion but the ultimate relationship.
"That I may know Him and the POWER of His resurrection . . ." Jesus Christ is part of the Trinity. He did not have to rely on God the Father to raise Him from the dead. He actually had that power within Himself. His God-ness had unlimited power when His man-ness was dead. Talk about some super power!
And Paul wanted to know the "fellowship" of His sufferings. Fellowship is having things in common. What Christ suffered physically is beyond our comprehension. The movie "The Passion" was one man's attempt to portray some of what that crucifixion was like. While I know that Hollywood could never capture the full scope of Christ's physical suffering, that movie gave me a mental picture that was much clearer than my imagination would allow me to create on my own. I've heard pastors and evangelists try to describe the sheer agony of that day. I have a very vivid imagination. But I had nothing in my life to compare it to, so my mental picture was always very bland. Paul knew what crucifixion was. He had undoubtedly witnessed a few of them. And he wanted to have the relationship with Christ that comes from having that suffering in common. He wanted to be "conformable unto His death." Whether Paul was saying he was willing to suffer everything that Christ did or if he was saying he wanted to have a heart that was willing to love and care for sinners enough to die for them, he wanted to be conformed to Christ's death. Conformed has the idea of changing something from what it is into a copy of something else.
"If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." Whatever it takes. Whatever it takes to be able to pass through death into new life. Whatever it takes.
The challenge from these verses can be found in the song "Whatever It Takes" by Lanny Wolfe.
Whatever It Takes
There's a voice calling me, from an old rugged tree
And He whispers draw closer to me
Leave this world far behind,
There are new heights to climb
And a new place in Me you will find
And whatever it takes, to draw closer to You Lord
That's what I'd be wiling to do
And whatever it takes, to be more like you
That's what I'd be willing to do
Take my houses and lands,
Take my dreams and my plans.
I place my who life in Your hands.
And if you call me someday,
To a land far away,
Lord, I'll go and Your will obey.
And whatever it takes to draw closer to You, Lord,
That's what I'll be willing to do.
And whatever it takes for my will to break,
That's what I'll be willing to do.
Take the dearest things to me, if that's how it must be
To draw closer to Thee
Let the disappointments come, lonely days without the sun
If through sorrow more like You I'll become.
I'll trade sunshine for rain, comfort for pain,
That's what I'd be willing to do.
For whatever it takes to be more like you,
That's what I'd be willing to do.
Is there ANYTHING that you will not give up to be more like Christ?
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