Paul’s consuming desire(Final Part)

“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

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 of the law, but that 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.”
(Philippians 3:7-11)
********
Yesterday we discussed the reasons why the Apostle Paul, after his conversion, abandoned his worldly accomplishments under the heading: “PAUL’S CONSUMING DESIRE”. We will look at the final part today.

I would like to make it clear that the things Paul counted as loss for Christ’s sake were not his failures, weaknesses, or unprofitable things. They were positive and enviable accomplishments, unparalleled position, privilege and reputation. However, when Christ apprehended him on the road to Damascus on his mission to persecute the Christians in that city, his perspective of life changed completely. He evaluated what he had before he was saved and what Christ had in store for him after his salvation. He came to the conclusion that what he had in Christ was far better, richer, superior and permanent, and was therefore willing to count all he had before, as nothing. He put the world behind him and put Christ and His Cross before him. This should be the attitude of every Christian.

Let us observe the rest of Paul’s desire that moved him to declare his worldly accomplishments as loss for Christ’s sake.

1. HE DESIRED TO KNOW THE RESURRECTION POWER – Philippians 3:10 “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection..” The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the heartbeat of Christianity, and the central message of the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). His resurrection is the affirmation or evidence that He rose from the dead. The only way to know or experience the resurrection power is first of all, knowing Christ as your personal Saviour and Lord. Paul said: “That I may know him, and the power of His resurrection”. Paul’s desire was to know what it was like to live a resurrected life. A life no longer lived in bondage to the flesh, but to have victory over sin. Knowing Christ and the power of his resurrection means living a resurrected life. It is a victorious life of Christ lived in and through us.

Philippians 1:21 Paul says: “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain”.

Galatians 2:20 explains better the resurrected life:

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

Oh, that we would desire to know Him, and know the power of His resurrection, to help us live the resurrected life!

2. HE DESIRED TO SHARE IN THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST – Philippians 3:10 “….and the fellowship of his suffering…” Paul desired to share or participate in the sufferings of Christ. He was willing to identify with Christ even in suffering. Are you willing to do the same? Indeed, when Christ apprehended Paul on the road to Damascus, the Lord Jesus told Ananias that Paul was His chosen vessel, and that he would suffer great things for His sake. (Acts 9:15-16). Paul referred to suffering for Christ as a fellowship. Scripture abundantly shows that Paul suffered the most among all the Apostles. He rejoiced in the marks he bore in his body and referred to it as “the marks of the Lord Jesus”. (Galatians 6:17). May the Lord give us grace enough to be ready to share in His sufferings as we seek to live for His glory and in our service to Him.

3. HE DESIRED TO BE CONFORMED UNTO HIS DEATH – Philippians 3:10
“….being made conformable unto his death”. The word ‘conformed’ means to take on the same form. It means to make like. This does not mean to die on the cross as Christ died. The thrust of the message is to have the same attitude Jesus had to the shame and went to the cross in our stead. We must be ready, not only to share in His sufferings, but also to die for His cause. When we understand what He went through to lay down His life for our sins, then nothing in life can ever cause us to choose comfort over service to the Lord. May we, like Paul, be willing to be made comfortable to His death in our service to Him.

4. HE DESIRED TO ATTAIN UNTO THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD – Philippians 3:11 “If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead”. Paul was not only focused on suffering and death in the Christian life. Of course, he saw suffering and death as a necessary way to the goal of resurrection life here and now and ultimate resurrection from the dead. When Paul said: “That I may attain…” he was not expressing doubts about his salvation. The resurrection of the dead was something he longed for, for the completion of the work God had begun in him. As he faced execution, he longed for the resurrection of his body which he had not attained yet. He longed to be in the presence of his Lord, for whom he had suffered all things, and had counted them loss or dung for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. He says in Philippians 1:21-23:

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better”

Beloved, let us remember that the quality of life from God’s viewpoint is how well we have come to know God through Jesus Christ and conformed to His image. May we have a holy, burning and consuming desire for the things of God, for they are valuable, satisfying and enduring. Shalom.

OUR PRAYER
Lord when you gave to me, you gave me your all and your best. Help me give back my all on the altar, for the building of your kingdom. Amen.