6) Phil 3:7 "Be willing to suffer loss for Christ": Here lies one of the greatest challenges of walking with Christ and yet, one of the single most important determining factors in being able to stand firm in our walk with Christ in the 21st century. Are you willing to suffer loss for the cause of Christ? Yes, it's an easy question to ask, but a much more difficult reality to experience. Unfortunately, many believers have been taught that becoming a Christian is equal to winning the lottery or hitting it big with heaven's jackpot. They feel that if you are believer you should expect only continual blessing, material advantage, prosperity, ease, and happiness. The only problem with this message is that it is not the Gospel. Jesus doesn't come to make our lives a living utopia on this side of eternity. Please don't misunderstand, I fully believe that there are many blessings in walking with Christ. And He does supply our needs- in His way and His timetable. He is faithful and kind. A gracious God abounding in goodness. There is no question about this. And there are incredible benefits in serving Jesus- joy, peace, righteousness, forgiveness of sins, a relationship with God, answered prayer, deliverance, freedom, etc... Yet, to live as if you will never have to go through a tough time or never have to make any kind of sacrifice is ridiculous. It simply doesn't line up with the Word of God. Most of the great stories of the Bible that inspire us as believers such as Daniel and the lions Den, David & Goliath, Joshua and the walls of Jericho are so outstanding because of the opposition and difficulty our favorite Bible characters were going through at the time.
I have found that believers who have never developed a theology of suffering--that believers will and indeed, must go through tough times on this side of eternity, are the first to collapse and lose their firm position the moment that tough times come their way. Write it down: you will go through tough times, but Jesus is will never leave you or forsake you. And in these tough times He will reveal Himself to you in ways you never thought possible deepening and enhancing your relationship with Him. And He will use these tough times of testing to produce great fruit in your life as He develops your character. Paul tells the believers that He has realized a secret: Christ is worth it all. In other words, no matter the pain or sorrow of giving something up or walking through a tough time of rejection or being misunderstood for your faith, Christ will make Himself more real and more precious in your life than you could ever have thought possible.
The end result is that to give things up for the sake of Christ ultimately produces much gain. If you can keep your eyes on this truth you will be able to stand in the face of tough times and not surrender your firm position. I have personally walked through some of the most difficult and trying times of my life the past 36 months. This followed some of the most difficult times of my life for a period of two years which followed one of the most difficult periods of two years. In each season I have grown to love and value Jesus like I never thought possible. My life has been transformed. My character refined and purified. And my influence for Christ greatly increased. What am I saying? Tough times are a part of every believers life, but God is faithful to us in each season and will make the season have eternal significance. I look back and wouldn't wish some of the things I've had to walk through on my worst enemy and yet I would trade it for the world. I know that sounds weird, but I promise you Jesus will walk with you and if you will trust Him, He will make even your darkest season a source of great gain in your life.
7) Phil 3:8 "Grow in the knowledge of Christ"--The surpassing worth of the knowledge of Christ. This is the key to all spiritual endurance, Christian maturity, increasing intimacy, and holy passion for God. What will keep you standing firm in the 21st century more than anything else? Growing in the surpassing worth of the knowledge of Christ. This knowledge isn't a head knowledge of memorizing a few facts about Jesus i.e. He was born of a virgin and died on a cross. This is an experiential, personal revelation of Christ to our souls. This is knowledge of the heart that comes by faith through the indwelling presence of Holy Spirit actively revealing the nature and character of Jesus to our souls. I love how the Amplified version reads of this verse, "the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly. That is so powerful. So precious. And so profound.
Are you growing in your knowledge of Christ?
Are you learning to share His heart?
Are you growing in His Word?
Are you more deeply in love with Him now than you were when you first believed?
Are you growing in obedience? Are you listening for His voice? Are you spending consistent and concerted time in His presence?
These are the questions that will determine whether your knowledge of Christ is deepening. I have never met a believer who backslid who was growing in their personal knowledge of Christ. It's quite impossible. Such people are standing firm in the face of whatever the enemy is trying to throw against them. The 21st century is going to become an increasingly hostile and difficult place for believers. Yet, those who know their God shall be mighty and do great exploits to demonstrate the all-surpassing greatness and glory of walking with Jesus (Dan 11:32). You are called to be one of them.
8) Phil 3:9 "Walk in true righteousness"- Here is probably one of the greatest verses in the New Testament. Martin Luther led a reformation in the church based on one verse: "the just shall live by faith." His contention was that righteousness couldn't be earned by doing good works or by human striving to attain God's perfection. Rather, he declared that righteousness is by faith in the merits of Jesus Christ the perfect Son of God. Where in the world did he get this idea? From Paul. Paul had tried to earn his righteousness before God. Righteousness means right standing before God. He had obeyed the laws, kept the commandments, studied the specialized teachings on implementing the law of Moses, sat under one of the most prominent spiritual mentors of the day, strived, tried, and came up with a net result of ZERO. His righteousness was worthless. He admits it freely. He realized that man's effort, even at our very best is considered as filthy rags (Is. 64:6). It's worthless, meaningless, and a vain hope for this life as well as the one to come. This breaks down two ways.
First, there are the legalists among us. I have struggled with this issue on many occasions in my life. Did I spend enough time in prayer? Did I read the Word enough? Legalism is such a bondage and turns the joy of knowing God and walking in His ways into a heavy burden and bondage that saps the joy right out of us. Oh the joy of discovering that I didn't have to earn righteousness on my own standing, my own accomplishments, and my own abilities. The simplicity of trusting in Jesus to impute His righteousness into my soul that I now stand before my heavenly Father clothed in the perfection of His Son. It's too good to be true and yet, it is perfectly true. I am now considered righteousness. Do I still struggle with sin and temptations right and left? You better believe it. Yet, the more that I walk in my true identity of righteousness as a son sharing the righteousness of the Son, the more I find grace and strength to overcome my old nature. If you are struggling with legalism, it is because your faith has never understood the perfection of what Christ has already done for you. Spend time in Word asking Holy Spirit for insight into what Christ really accomplished at the cross by His blood. It will produce a new understanding in your heart that will be expressed with fresh faith to trust Him for true righteousness.
Second, there are those who lean more towards licentiousness. These are the people who have no trouble with sin- over and over and over and over again. It's like a broken record. They pray a quick prayer for forgiveness with no intention of ever changing. Their argument is that they believe in God so things will be good no matter how they live their lives. News flash: even the devil and his demons believe in God and have an eternal destiny in the fires of hell to look forward to. Belief is never enough. Faith is far different from a mere belief. Faith is active. As such it produces a corresponding transformation in our lives. This comes through the imparted work of Christ's righteousness in our lives. In other words, a person who has truly believed and received the righteousness of Christ is a person who is progressively being conformed to His image. I didn't say they were perfect. None of us are or ever will be on this side of eternity. They are, however, increasingly being transformed to look and act like Jesus Christ the righteous one. His righteousness is continually coming to the fore. When they make mistakes they are quick to return to His open arms precisely because they realize who they represent; His righteousness in their lives produces the beauty of His personality in them. They have right standing with God and have no desire to ever leave this secure place of standing firm.
Through faith in Jesus we are considered righteous-- partakers of Christ's righteousness. What a glorious thought! We stand firm because He stands firm.
No comments:
Post a Comment