Going Over the Books
Philippians 3. In chapter two we saw Paul's appeal to have the mind of Christ. Today, Paul's appeal is for us to have the knowledge of Christ. This may be the most beloved chapter of the letter. It unveils Paul's personal goal to know Christ and to serve Him in joy. A key word in this chapter is 'count' (v.7-8,13). It's an accounting term; to go over the books...to evaluate and access. And just as Paul went over the books of his life, he realized that all he worked for, as a Pharisee of Pharisees, was in vain, 'counted as dung'. Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." Yet so few people ever sit down and go over the books of their lives and see what they really value. When Paul did this evaluation of his own life he said that the things he was living for were good things, but those things would not get him in heaven.
So this chapter is about profit and loss. It's about losses and gains. And what Paul gained far exceeds that which he lost. The verses I want to focus on are v.9-11. Here we see that Paul 1) Gains a Knowledge of Christ; 2) Gained the Righteousness of Christ. And 3) Gained the Fellowship of Christ.
When Paul became a Christian, it was not the end for Paul, rather it was the beginning. His experience with Christ transformed his life. It was a four-fold experience:
1) Personal Experience: "that I may know Him..." When Paul lived under the Law, all he had was a set of rules. Now he has a Friend, a Master, a constant Companion. Thus, number two, it was...
2) Powerful Experience: "and the power of His resurrection.." And it was a...
3) Painful Experience: "fellowship of His sufferings." Paul knew that it was a privilege to suffer for Christ (Phil.1:29-30). In fact suffering had been part of his calling (see Acts 9:15-16). Paul wants us to understand that suffering for Christ is not a penalty but a privilege.
4) Prophetical Experience: (v.11) "the resurrection" in the original language is a compound word used only here in the NT. It means the 'out-resurrection' from among the dead. Most likely this is a reference to the rapture that Paul was so looking forward to.
Yes, Paul gained far more than he lost. In fact, it was no comparison. No wonder he had such joy. His life didn't depend on the cheap things of this world but on the eternal values found in Christ. Paul had a spiritual mind and kept his eyes on heavenly things. People who live for earthly things are never really happy. Maybe it's a good time for you and me to go over the books of our lives and see where our values and priorities lie.
So this chapter is about profit and loss. It's about losses and gains. And what Paul gained far exceeds that which he lost. The verses I want to focus on are v.9-11. Here we see that Paul 1) Gains a Knowledge of Christ; 2) Gained the Righteousness of Christ. And 3) Gained the Fellowship of Christ.
When Paul became a Christian, it was not the end for Paul, rather it was the beginning. His experience with Christ transformed his life. It was a four-fold experience:
1) Personal Experience: "that I may know Him..." When Paul lived under the Law, all he had was a set of rules. Now he has a Friend, a Master, a constant Companion. Thus, number two, it was...
2) Powerful Experience: "and the power of His resurrection.." And it was a...
3) Painful Experience: "fellowship of His sufferings." Paul knew that it was a privilege to suffer for Christ (Phil.1:29-30). In fact suffering had been part of his calling (see Acts 9:15-16). Paul wants us to understand that suffering for Christ is not a penalty but a privilege.
4) Prophetical Experience: (v.11) "the resurrection" in the original language is a compound word used only here in the NT. It means the 'out-resurrection' from among the dead. Most likely this is a reference to the rapture that Paul was so looking forward to.
Yes, Paul gained far more than he lost. In fact, it was no comparison. No wonder he had such joy. His life didn't depend on the cheap things of this world but on the eternal values found in Christ. Paul had a spiritual mind and kept his eyes on heavenly things. People who live for earthly things are never really happy. Maybe it's a good time for you and me to go over the books of our lives and see where our values and priorities lie.
posted by Royce Hendry at
4:58 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home