As of late the Lord has burdened my heart with the current condition and state of our Nation more then ever. It has only been in times of earnest prayer that I have been able to gain a healthy perspective on this matter. The darkness of our nation is a dangerous place for the believer lacking worldview. Without an intimate abiding and communion in the Light, this present darkness will overpower all else. But it is in times of fellowship, abiding and prayer that we gain the perspective needed. It is there we receive a glimpse of light. It is there when the things of this world begin to fade away, and all of sudden the things that once seemed impossible now seem possible in the presence of the Almighty. I am taken back by the overwhelming revelation of the one who is “mighty to save” (Isaiah 63:1). Who could stop all mankind in their tracks in this very moment, and bring upon all creation a keen awareness of the Spirit of Christ, drawing all to a place of being sold out for Jesus. Leaving behind all they know and following the one who knows all.
The Lord has been speaking to me on this matter, through the life of Daniel. The character of Daniel is one that still cries out relevant today. Daniels life of burden, due to his many visions, was counteracted by a life of prayer. His burden would fuel his prayers. The burden kept him dependent upon God, for without insight, perspective and understanding it would seem to much to bear. What we must not fail to mention, and what I believe is our “ah-ha” moment, is Daniels devotion to his prayer life. For sake of illustration your in a prayer meeting and Daniel is in your midst. He spouts out a well balanced, beautifully piercing to the heart, masterpiece of a prayer. If you would have asked Daniel, “How long did it take you to prepare for that prayer?” His response would have been, “A lifetime.”
We are told of Daniel right before the Lions den; “He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously” (Daniel 6:10). He did not beautifully compose his latter prayer in the ninth chapter at random, this was not his first time praying. He was not following some formula or trying for the first time something he heard at last weekends seminar or pastors conference. That prayer was one cultivated over many years of devotion, heart-felt, Savior directed, bearing a sign of authenticity, humility and dependence. There is only one way to learn how to pray like that, and that is to abide in prayer all the days of your life. Not just the days when you are in the den, and a pack of lions are surrounding you. Or when that radical vision comes and your heart caves in. But everyday; through the good, the bad and the ugly. Then will it be said of you as was said of Daniel; “Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humbled yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words” (Daniel 10:12). Oh that you might long for this to read…“Fear not, (Dear Reader), for from the first day that you…”
My prayer for you is that the Lord might revive in you a spirit of prayer. One that comes with a heavy burden, that you might be fueled into a deeper communion and dependence upon the Savior of this world. That it would be because of your prayers we see the God of this universe shine in all His glory upon this desolate nation.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Are you Living Like an Orphan?
John 14:18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you (ESV)
Oh that we would not mistake this statement for that of the second coming. Believer…Jesus is back! He has left us and come again in the form of His promised Spirit. Are you living like an Orphan? Awaiting the second coming and numb to the present indwelling Spirit of Christ. He left us that he might come to make His home in us. “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:23). Jesus has not left His children, for He is with us now! To the world, they no longer see him, for their perception is that of the physical realm. But for us believers, we live not by sight but by faith. A belief that when Jesus said it was to the advantage of His believers He go, that they might receive the Helper (John 16:7), He truly meant it.
I write this in hopes of stirring up your present faith. Jesus has promised us life, and it is through His current state of living that we might find this promise. “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). When you come to Jesus, where do you go looking for Him. Are you guilty of going to the tomb as I have? For we both know there He will not be found. But yet still I approach His throne expecting no encounter, expecting no interaction, fellowship or communion. It is as if I believe He is still in the tomb, yet we are instructed the living will not be found among the dead (Luke 24:5). It is time I get out of the tomb. It is time I quit wandering around aimlessly like an orphan. For I am an adopted child of the Living God. When I come to Him, I have aim. My aim is the fellowship obtainable through the risen Savior. I must expect an encounter, I must expect intimacy, relationship, fellowship and communion. It is only then will I find Christ, when I approach him as that of the living.
What confidence we should have as children to approach His throne in boldness, and yet what fear we should walk in knowing that we don’t deserve such an invitation. What reverence we should have for the Holy One who has made it all possible. What joy this should fill us with, “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” (Psalm 32:11).
Spit...Mud...Go?
John 9:7 and said to him, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing (ESV)
Lets imagine for a minute, you have come before the Lord in supplication, making your request known before him. For the sake of illustration, your asking the Lord what you ought to do with your life. It is then the Lord speaks to you, and tells you He’s sending you to a foreign land, where He has prepared a work for you to walk in. You begin rejoicing over the promise and direction you have just received, but it isn’t long before your rejoicing turns into doubt. Upon giving you this promise the Lord also tells you that you will blindfolded during your travels. All of a sudden the direction given doesn’t seem so clear. You begin to question the Lord, asking him if you cant see, then how will you ever make it there? Due to your finite reasoning, you have forgotten the promise that He just made with you.
Now, we need look no further then the healing of the blind man to see this very illustration played out before us. Only what we will see is the faith of a blind man, not limiting the word of God by his finite reasoning, but believing in the God of the impossible (Luke 1:37). As I was reading this chapter, I started asking the Lord, why would he cover this mans eyes with mud. Wouldn’t this mud make it harder for him to see. But the Lord quickly responded with an answer, that’s right, it would make it harder for him to see. But it will also require him to have a greater faith in my word, ultimately bringing glory to my name as I work through what man has deemed impossible (vs3).
The blind man did not count the further limiting of the mud against the works of the Lord. Rather in faith, he went to the pool, the pool which means sent. I’m sure the word “Go,” was ringing so clear in his ear, empowering him as he walked not by sight but by faith. Standing firmly on the promise that he had been sent on mission with an anointing from Jesus of Nazareth. To no surprise the man went, washed and came back seeing! The Lord is forever sending out the message to his saints to GO (Matthew 28:18-20). Only it may be with that commissioning things begin to look a little muddy. We need not worry, for Jesus is sending us out with an anointing. The anointing is found in the washing of our spiritual eyes with the word of God. The eternal pool, the only pool that holds the authority of a sure promise (Psalm 33:11). As we immerse ourselves in the pool of Gods word, the things once muddy will look so clear, the things of this world will begin to take on their proper perspective. We to will share in this testimony, “though I was blind, now I see.”
Been Entrusted with Much?
John 4:42 It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the savior of the world (ESV)
Entrusted with Much? Yeah, Its something every follower of Jesus has, it’s a daily occurrence and in the English language we refer to it as a testimony, although its much more then a word. We pick verse 42 up in the midst of a progression, the story begins in verse seven when we first see the women at the well introduced. It’s a story of an unrepentant sinner filled with the guilt and shame of her hidden adulterous lifestyle, and a beautiful testimony of how Jesus met her right where she was at. Proceeding her encounter with Jesus, we pick up in verse 28 and it tells that’s same day she, “left her water jar and went away into town and said to the people, ‘Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?’” A simple testimony, no more then a few words, and yet…Jesus used it? So I ask myself…how so simple, but yet so fruitful? Doesn’t it take the Billy Grahams of the day to accomplish such a task? Clearly that is not the case here, we a see a forgiven sinner, a new convert at that, and the Lord using her to further His kingdom.
We are told in verse 39, it was this woman’s testimony (of only eight words) that would lead many Samaritans to come to believe in Christ. How could it be? We have all been entrusted with a testimony, but with an entrustment comes great responsibility. Believer, I wonder have you taken for granted what the Lord is doing in and through your life. Paul would instruct Timothy in regards to his testimony, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began” (2 Timothy 1:8-9). Paul would say we have been entrusted with this message of salvation not for our own sake but for the sake, purpose, praise and glory of the Lord.
Has your testimony been a vehicle in the hand of God that he has made his appeal through? Don’t miss the doors that were opened through the sharing of the adulterous woman’s testimony. It lead people to Christ, and upon coming to Him, many more came to believe because of His word. Your testimony is a vehicle, and when offered up as a sacrifice it will burn, creating the sweet smelling aroma of Jesus’ divine grace. It is that aroma that will awaken the spiritual senses of the dead soul. It will no longer be your testimony ringing in their ears, but it will be the very words of Christ welling up inside of them. Her testimony was but a catalyst, that they too might know for themselves and believe through an encounter with their risen Savior. “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.” A great entrustment indeed!
How Hard Can It Be?
John 1:46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” (ESV)
I see a progression in this section of scripture that is worthy of notice. Philip first appears in verse 43, when Jesus calls him in saying, “Follow me.” The only thing we are told about Philip is where he is from. Then directly after his call, Philip finds a man named Nathanael, he goes on to tell him about Jesus of Nazareth. Then Philip challenges Nathanael to “come and see” Jesus for himself. I see a threefold procession taking place; one that I believe is the Jesus style of disciple making. First we receive the call, second we find another person, tell them about Jesus, and third we give them the same invitation to come and follow. To look even deeper into this procession we need go no further then the great commission Jesus gave to His disciples Himself. I find it no coincidence we see the same procession in the great commission. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). We see the call to go, the invitation extended to another to enter into the triune community of the godhead, and the telling them of Jesus, or as worded here teaching them to observe all that Jesus has commanded us believers.
Believer we must not stop there for the most vital piece of this methodology has yet been discussed. In the great commission we see one vital component throughout the whole, that is Jesus. As his disciples we are to go in his authority and have received the promise he is to be eternally with us as we go. What a promise! As we give the invite, “come and see”, we need not fear for He is with us. I rejoice in this beautiful illustration found in the gospel of John. We must note that Jesus knew of Nathanael before Philip ever came into contact with him. “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree I saw you.” It was not Philips responsibility to get the job done, for Jesus knew of this man before the foundation of time. Philip was just the messenger in this scene, but Jesus knew the work he had for Nathanael to walk in long before Philip ever gave him the invitation (Ephesians 2:10). Jesus is faithful to complete the good work began (Philippians 1:6), we simply must be willing and yielded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, that he might make his appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Application:
My prayer today is to be more yielded to the leading, guiding and directing of the Holy Spirit. Trusting and believing as I am lead to give the invitation, “come and see,” Jesus already knows the one I’m giving it to, and is obligated by promise to be with me as I fulfill His great commission.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
The Great Commending
Acts 20:32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified (ESV)
Paul knew his time had come. In his final address to the Ephesian elders he tells them they will never see his face again. This strikes them with much weeping and sorrow, but Paul held it together and did what he does best, admonished them to the end. We can learn much from the ministry of Paul, but this verse stood out to me more so then the others in this address. Paul could confidently tell of his departure because he knew he was leaving these elders in the hands of the Helper. The same Helper Jesus told his disciples about before he departed from them. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7). Paul knew that he was but a vessel that the Lord was using, he himself said it is God who gives the growth. He understood that his role was to plant and water seeds but that ultimately regeneration and sanctification belong to the Lord.
I could only imagine the peace that filled Paul in this time. To know that as he left, he was placing these elders before God and his word. To commend means to literally place alongside or present; to entrust, set before or commit to ones charge. Paul knew that these were never his, they had been entrusted to him for a time and he was know to entrust them back into the care and leadership of the Lord. Trusting and believing they were safe in his hands. Paul had done all he could do, for he tells us that for three years he did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. Paul’s tears were a manifestation of his burden to preach the whole counsel of God. He was in anguish, his heart was broken and he was deeply pained, knowing the bondage the Jews were in, for he was one. He would tell us in Romans 10, “Brothers my hearts desire and prayer to God for them (Jews) is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” Paul wished to see the good news preached among the Jews and gentiles. He wished to see the captives set free, that they too might walk in freedom. This desire so pressed in on him day and night it brought him to tears as he stood before the people. He was a man who could truly say; “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” He would follow the Spirit to his own death for the sake of the gospel. Today through one mans obedience, Christians are still being sanctified by Paul’s inspired words penned during his imprisonment. Talk about walking in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.
Paul’s says he leaves them with the word of grace; which is able to build them up and usher them into the inheritance of all those who are sanctified. Believer do you hold this same view of the word today. Have you forgotten God is not served by human hands, as though he need anything from us, since life and breath and everything come from him. Why have we taken upon ourselves the duty of defending the gospel? We are only standing in the way, limiting the power waiting to be unleashed. We must come back to a right standing before the Lord. We must find ourselves knelt down in prayer as Paul did in the end of this address. For he knew that’s were the sanctification took place. In communion with the Lord; guided and directed by his word of grace. Let us get back to the basics. Need I tell you of the power of the resurrection? Spurgeon states it best. “Defend the gospel? The gospel is like a caged lion. It does not need to be defended, it just needs to be let out of its cage.” Christian, it is time we stop limiting the power of the gospel. We must move from out the front of the cage and open the door. This will require death to self. This will require walking in the freedom of Christ. For do you not know, it is for freedom you have been set free! We must lay aside our fleshly opinions and believe in the whole counsel of God, as Paul so zealously admonished.
This verse reminds me back to my time in Kenya. Our six months was coming to an end and it was time to say goodbye to my students. Now I knew they were not mine, God had entrusted them into my leadership for the time being but it was now time to commit them back to Him. This was a process that brought much sorrow to my students. No surprise we read in this scene the Ephesian elders were filled with sorrow, just as Jesus disciples has been when he foretold of his departure. But in this time there was a peace that ruled my heart, I was sad to leave them, but I knew I was leaving them in good hands. I left them with a knowledge of the Helper, and Gods word of grace, trusting and believing that sanctification is His. As Paul would say the good work began will be carried out to completion in the day of Christ Jesus.
We should never fear a time of departure. Actually I see Gods working in the time of departure, knowing that it will force for them to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. Paul knew there came a point when man was only capable of accomplishing so much. We have to give the rest to God. Finding ourselves in prayer, persistently pleading that God would sanctify believers in the truth; for His word is truth.
Application:
Daily as we depart from the ministry placed before us on that given day; we should commend or commit all those works before the Lord, trusting and believing we did our part and God will do the rest. As we boldly proclaim the truth in love, point believers to observe the whole counsel of God, we can be assured that the Lord will continue to work through the sanctifying process of His Holy Spirit.
Paul knew his time had come. In his final address to the Ephesian elders he tells them they will never see his face again. This strikes them with much weeping and sorrow, but Paul held it together and did what he does best, admonished them to the end. We can learn much from the ministry of Paul, but this verse stood out to me more so then the others in this address. Paul could confidently tell of his departure because he knew he was leaving these elders in the hands of the Helper. The same Helper Jesus told his disciples about before he departed from them. “Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7). Paul knew that he was but a vessel that the Lord was using, he himself said it is God who gives the growth. He understood that his role was to plant and water seeds but that ultimately regeneration and sanctification belong to the Lord.
I could only imagine the peace that filled Paul in this time. To know that as he left, he was placing these elders before God and his word. To commend means to literally place alongside or present; to entrust, set before or commit to ones charge. Paul knew that these were never his, they had been entrusted to him for a time and he was know to entrust them back into the care and leadership of the Lord. Trusting and believing they were safe in his hands. Paul had done all he could do, for he tells us that for three years he did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears. Paul’s tears were a manifestation of his burden to preach the whole counsel of God. He was in anguish, his heart was broken and he was deeply pained, knowing the bondage the Jews were in, for he was one. He would tell us in Romans 10, “Brothers my hearts desire and prayer to God for them (Jews) is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” Paul wished to see the good news preached among the Jews and gentiles. He wished to see the captives set free, that they too might walk in freedom. This desire so pressed in on him day and night it brought him to tears as he stood before the people. He was a man who could truly say; “I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” He would follow the Spirit to his own death for the sake of the gospel. Today through one mans obedience, Christians are still being sanctified by Paul’s inspired words penned during his imprisonment. Talk about walking in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called.
Paul’s says he leaves them with the word of grace; which is able to build them up and usher them into the inheritance of all those who are sanctified. Believer do you hold this same view of the word today. Have you forgotten God is not served by human hands, as though he need anything from us, since life and breath and everything come from him. Why have we taken upon ourselves the duty of defending the gospel? We are only standing in the way, limiting the power waiting to be unleashed. We must come back to a right standing before the Lord. We must find ourselves knelt down in prayer as Paul did in the end of this address. For he knew that’s were the sanctification took place. In communion with the Lord; guided and directed by his word of grace. Let us get back to the basics. Need I tell you of the power of the resurrection? Spurgeon states it best. “Defend the gospel? The gospel is like a caged lion. It does not need to be defended, it just needs to be let out of its cage.” Christian, it is time we stop limiting the power of the gospel. We must move from out the front of the cage and open the door. This will require death to self. This will require walking in the freedom of Christ. For do you not know, it is for freedom you have been set free! We must lay aside our fleshly opinions and believe in the whole counsel of God, as Paul so zealously admonished.
This verse reminds me back to my time in Kenya. Our six months was coming to an end and it was time to say goodbye to my students. Now I knew they were not mine, God had entrusted them into my leadership for the time being but it was now time to commit them back to Him. This was a process that brought much sorrow to my students. No surprise we read in this scene the Ephesian elders were filled with sorrow, just as Jesus disciples has been when he foretold of his departure. But in this time there was a peace that ruled my heart, I was sad to leave them, but I knew I was leaving them in good hands. I left them with a knowledge of the Helper, and Gods word of grace, trusting and believing that sanctification is His. As Paul would say the good work began will be carried out to completion in the day of Christ Jesus.
We should never fear a time of departure. Actually I see Gods working in the time of departure, knowing that it will force for them to work out their own salvation with fear and trembling. Paul knew there came a point when man was only capable of accomplishing so much. We have to give the rest to God. Finding ourselves in prayer, persistently pleading that God would sanctify believers in the truth; for His word is truth.
Application:
Daily as we depart from the ministry placed before us on that given day; we should commend or commit all those works before the Lord, trusting and believing we did our part and God will do the rest. As we boldly proclaim the truth in love, point believers to observe the whole counsel of God, we can be assured that the Lord will continue to work through the sanctifying process of His Holy Spirit.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Do You really Believe?
Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own (ESV)
The first thing standing out to me in this verse is this; “not that I have already obtained this.” And I stop there and ask, obtained what? Without the context of this verse we miss the heart behind Paul’s address. He’s referring to being found in Christ, “not having a righteousness of” his “own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that which depends on faith-that” he “may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in death, that by any means possible” he “may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:9-11). There is much that is coming to mind as I meditate upon this address “to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons.” The first thing is this, one thing remains, that is righteousness. Whether under the law or in Christ, the absence of righteousness is non-existent. The difference is this, one is established upon righteousness of the flesh, while the other is found through faith in Christ. I want to camp out on this thought for a while. I will go as far to say what Paul has said, “faith without works is dead” (James 1:20). If our righteousness in Christ depends upon the faith, then that faith must produce something in our life. It must produce the works, otherwise it is a dead faith. In order to better understand this we look at the definition of faith. A belief or trust: belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof.
Although we must understand this one thing, our faith in Christ Jesus is not a blind-faith. We are not required to commit intellectual suicide by believing in Christ Jesus as Lord. Think about these three verses; “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). So here is the thing, we have been given the truth, the word of God, and we have been given the mind, or intellectual capacity, so that through the empowerment of the Spirit, we have the ability to know God. For me it works something like this. I fill my mind with the truth, the truth then sparks my spirit, and my heart generates an energy and desire to continue filling my mind with the truth. My heart, soul and mind are working in perfect harmony and without a proper balance, or one of the three to an extreme it could be dangerous. This proverb comes to mind, “Desire without knowledge is not good, whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way” (Proverbs 19:2). Or heart without mind. When we are given a desire we need to weigh it against the truth, to see if it is in Gods will. Gods will is not a lighting bolt that hits us in the fiery feeling of warm fuzzy tingling, its 66 books full of truth and commandments, the designed and intended way of living. God, omniscient and omnipotent and all wise has poured out through loving channels (I.e. Christ) all his creation would need for an eternity through the power of his word. “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3).
Braking this verse down problematically there are two more things to note. I cant help but love the person of Paul, maybe its Christ within him that I am attracted to, but regardless his words are inspired by the Spirit and profound none the less. He says, “I press on to make it my own.” Clearly through scripture we have been informed that we have the ability to make it our own. If eternal life comes through knowing God (John 17:3), then you had better believe that he has created us with the ability to know him. If we truly believe in Christ, we should see an outward manifestation of righteous action due to an inward transformation of the heart and mind through the power of the Holy Spirit. In John 3:16, one of the most commonly memorized and quoted scriptures of the Christian faith, says that we find eternal life through believing in Christ. It does not say who ever believed, but whoever believes. This word believes, in the Greek, is in the present tense, an on going continuous action.
Believing is an ongoing condition of the heart, not just a one time act. If you believe in an ongoing way then you don’t perish. “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). This verse sums up the purpose of the gospel. The first word believe, in the Greek is a tense that describes coming to believe. The event of starting to believe. The second word believe is the present tense of ongoing action. In paraphrased form, this gospel was written, and the events of Jesus are recorded, and preserved, so that at a point in time you might come to believe, and by believing for the rest of your life get and experience eternal life. In other words, don’t think back to the encounter you had with God 10 years ago, at the point of you Christian life, when you were saved. What saves is not a point in time, but do you believe right now? This very moment. Ill put it like this, “You believe, that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe-and shudder!” (James 2:19). If the demons believe, yet have not received eternal life, we should note there must be more to the belief of a Christian. It should be a belief that is so true, a belief that Jesus Christ is enough, that the desires of this world would be no more. If you truly believe Jesus is enough, your actions will reflect that belief, when tempted with the lusts of this world, you will without struggle pick the love of God.
This is where it becomes personal, this is where we should strive to make it our own. The faith of my neighbor is not going to earn me the righteousness of Christ. It’s personal, Christ died for all, but that means he died for you and me both. So as he made me his own, we should make our faith our own. We are in danger unless we understand this one truth, we will receive empowerment to be holy as he was holy. Paul was trying to attain something, we have failed to mention up to this point, but this is the climax, this is the punch line, this is the resurrection from the dead. Now we need to know the power of Christ’s resurrection. Without the resurrection there is no power in the cross. But because Christ resurrected, he conquered death, and through the cross, through the resurrection, through Christ do we find eternal life. But within the eternal life we have obtained the ability to share in that power. We are to die in a spiritual sense, upon the death to self (the flesh), we receive a rebirth of the Spirit. We are not longer dying but we enter into eternal life, death has lost its power through the resurrection of Christ. This is what we are to make our own, we are to share in his sufferings, share his death, that we might know him and share in the power of his resurrection. The power of the cross, the heal and bind the broken hearted, the power to liberate, to power to restore, the power to set the captives free this is the power of the cross. So daily wake up, pick up that power and make it personal.
The first thing standing out to me in this verse is this; “not that I have already obtained this.” And I stop there and ask, obtained what? Without the context of this verse we miss the heart behind Paul’s address. He’s referring to being found in Christ, “not having a righteousness of” his “own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that which depends on faith-that” he “may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in death, that by any means possible” he “may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:9-11). There is much that is coming to mind as I meditate upon this address “to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons.” The first thing is this, one thing remains, that is righteousness. Whether under the law or in Christ, the absence of righteousness is non-existent. The difference is this, one is established upon righteousness of the flesh, while the other is found through faith in Christ. I want to camp out on this thought for a while. I will go as far to say what Paul has said, “faith without works is dead” (James 1:20). If our righteousness in Christ depends upon the faith, then that faith must produce something in our life. It must produce the works, otherwise it is a dead faith. In order to better understand this we look at the definition of faith. A belief or trust: belief in, devotion to, or trust in somebody or something, especially without logical proof.
Although we must understand this one thing, our faith in Christ Jesus is not a blind-faith. We are not required to commit intellectual suicide by believing in Christ Jesus as Lord. Think about these three verses; “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). So here is the thing, we have been given the truth, the word of God, and we have been given the mind, or intellectual capacity, so that through the empowerment of the Spirit, we have the ability to know God. For me it works something like this. I fill my mind with the truth, the truth then sparks my spirit, and my heart generates an energy and desire to continue filling my mind with the truth. My heart, soul and mind are working in perfect harmony and without a proper balance, or one of the three to an extreme it could be dangerous. This proverb comes to mind, “Desire without knowledge is not good, whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way” (Proverbs 19:2). Or heart without mind. When we are given a desire we need to weigh it against the truth, to see if it is in Gods will. Gods will is not a lighting bolt that hits us in the fiery feeling of warm fuzzy tingling, its 66 books full of truth and commandments, the designed and intended way of living. God, omniscient and omnipotent and all wise has poured out through loving channels (I.e. Christ) all his creation would need for an eternity through the power of his word. “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3).
Braking this verse down problematically there are two more things to note. I cant help but love the person of Paul, maybe its Christ within him that I am attracted to, but regardless his words are inspired by the Spirit and profound none the less. He says, “I press on to make it my own.” Clearly through scripture we have been informed that we have the ability to make it our own. If eternal life comes through knowing God (John 17:3), then you had better believe that he has created us with the ability to know him. If we truly believe in Christ, we should see an outward manifestation of righteous action due to an inward transformation of the heart and mind through the power of the Holy Spirit. In John 3:16, one of the most commonly memorized and quoted scriptures of the Christian faith, says that we find eternal life through believing in Christ. It does not say who ever believed, but whoever believes. This word believes, in the Greek, is in the present tense, an on going continuous action.
Believing is an ongoing condition of the heart, not just a one time act. If you believe in an ongoing way then you don’t perish. “But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31). This verse sums up the purpose of the gospel. The first word believe, in the Greek is a tense that describes coming to believe. The event of starting to believe. The second word believe is the present tense of ongoing action. In paraphrased form, this gospel was written, and the events of Jesus are recorded, and preserved, so that at a point in time you might come to believe, and by believing for the rest of your life get and experience eternal life. In other words, don’t think back to the encounter you had with God 10 years ago, at the point of you Christian life, when you were saved. What saves is not a point in time, but do you believe right now? This very moment. Ill put it like this, “You believe, that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe-and shudder!” (James 2:19). If the demons believe, yet have not received eternal life, we should note there must be more to the belief of a Christian. It should be a belief that is so true, a belief that Jesus Christ is enough, that the desires of this world would be no more. If you truly believe Jesus is enough, your actions will reflect that belief, when tempted with the lusts of this world, you will without struggle pick the love of God.
This is where it becomes personal, this is where we should strive to make it our own. The faith of my neighbor is not going to earn me the righteousness of Christ. It’s personal, Christ died for all, but that means he died for you and me both. So as he made me his own, we should make our faith our own. We are in danger unless we understand this one truth, we will receive empowerment to be holy as he was holy. Paul was trying to attain something, we have failed to mention up to this point, but this is the climax, this is the punch line, this is the resurrection from the dead. Now we need to know the power of Christ’s resurrection. Without the resurrection there is no power in the cross. But because Christ resurrected, he conquered death, and through the cross, through the resurrection, through Christ do we find eternal life. But within the eternal life we have obtained the ability to share in that power. We are to die in a spiritual sense, upon the death to self (the flesh), we receive a rebirth of the Spirit. We are not longer dying but we enter into eternal life, death has lost its power through the resurrection of Christ. This is what we are to make our own, we are to share in his sufferings, share his death, that we might know him and share in the power of his resurrection. The power of the cross, the heal and bind the broken hearted, the power to liberate, to power to restore, the power to set the captives free this is the power of the cross. So daily wake up, pick up that power and make it personal.
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