Week 9
Monday: Phil. 3:8
Indeed, I count everything as loss
because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I
have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I
may gain Christ
Do
I count all as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my
Lord? Paul was a man who truly knew what it meant to suffer and he was willing
to endure the harsh beatings and punishment because he knew that he would
become more like Christ through it. This ties into pastor Francisco’s sermon
last night that we should find joy in our sufferings because people will see
the testimony through that but also that we will become more like Christ
through the suffering. (Phil. 1:21) Paul’s entire life could be summarized as
looking more like Christ daily. He truly knew how to die to himself and take up
his cross; he would walk into cities that hated him just so he could preach to
and encourage the believers there. He really counted everything except Christ
as rubbish.
I
don’t think I can honestly say that I count all things as rubbish but I wish I
could. It matters only that Christ is my all and that he means more than all
other things. I haven’t met many people that truly have been able to totally
surrender their every want and desire to Christ. The beauty is that, we in our
own flesh don’t have to do all these things, but when we accept Christ we are a
new creation (2nd Cor. 5:17). So we solely need to pursue Christ and
the Spirit will direct our desires and our actions.
My
Application: To pray for 10 that I will be able to have the mindset of Paul and
desire to only know Christ and Him crucified. (1st Cor. 2:2)
Tuesday: Phil. 3:9
and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my
own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the
righteousness from God that depends on faith—
I
feel like Paul was referring to the Jews and Pharisees when he referred to
righteousness that comes through the law because in that day Judaism was all
about keeping the law that was not the reason God had created it that way but
the Pharisees distorted Gods intended plan. Paul had the liberty to communicate
to this group this way because he used to be one of them.
This
verse seems to be a summation of the Gospel we must be found in Christ because
we are sinners and do not have any righteousness of our own which comes through
the law that. So I can never attain heaven but righteousness comes through
Christ Jesus if I depend on Him through faith. I am supposed to depend on
something or someone that a lot of people will try and tell us doesn’t exist;
but I have a personal relationship with the creator of all things and so I have
no reason to doubt.
Application:
to memorize this verse before tomorrow morning.
Wednesday: Phil. 3:10
that I may know him and the power of his
resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
I
broke this passage up into three sections. Because I am a Christian I should
desire every one of these the same way that Paul strived for these…
The
power of his resurrection- if we are to know Christ in the power of his resurrection
then we will experience the full power of God! We shouldn’t have any issue of
faith if we are experiencing the power of his resurrection.
His
sufferings- I desire to share with Christ in His sufferings. This sounds
ridiculous to the nonbeliever but to someone who knows the Almighty God it is a
comforting thought that the Lord God will sustain each one of us through the
trials that he allows to strengthen us.
His
death- Christ death was more than just a horrible way to die but the fact that
the perfect spotless lamb would be sacrificed as our propitiation or bridge to
the Father is remarkable because Christ never once stepped out of God’s will. I
have plenty of distractions that can draw me away from the Lords will whether
they seem sinful or not I need to repent and turn away from those things in my
own life.
My
Application: tonight I will spend 10-15 minutes in prayer that I will turn from
the sins and distraction that are causing disruption with the Spirit. Also I
will memorize this verse by tomorrow morning.
Thursday: Phil. 3:11
that by any means possible I may attain
the resurrection from the dead.
The
resurrection from the dead- what could Paul have meant by this that we
physically be raised from the dead? Possibly but I feel that Paul refers to the
resurrection as in a spiritual since we were all dead in our trespasses and
sin. Then then we were resurrected when we accepted Jesus Christ that we might
have life in Him. What is necessary to obtain the resurrection from the dead? Do
we all have to suffer in the manor that Christ suffered and be like him in his
death? Once again I feel that this verse is referencing the spiritual aspect of
this question.
Another
question one might pose is to ask well why does Paul need to be resurrected he
is already a believer in Christ? All of us in this program are already
believers in Christ but our actions don’t always demonstrate that so we must crucify
our selves. When I worry where the funding for the rest of this year will come
from I am not crucifying my flesh I am actually giving Satan a foothold of
doubt in the power of God.
What
things in my own life are needed for me to be resurrected not only today but
every day. I need to crucify my flesh and find my identity in Christ.
My
application: in addition to memorizing this verse before tomorrow morning I
will pray that God will give me assurance that I am in his will and where He
guides me He will provide for me.
Friday: Phil. 3:12-13
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. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But
one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies
ahead,
This is an important point in Paul’s letter to
Philippi because he was able to relate to the believers there that weren’t
perfect. They had heard that the Jesus will come to live in you when you
believe on Jesus Christ. But I feel that the people were probably still
struggling with sin.
This
was very true of my own life I had struggled with an addiction to pornography
for almost four years. Then when I was at summer camp in 2009 and was asked
“What is God doing in your life?” I realized God wasn’t doing anything in my
life, but I just need to surrender my life to Him. So that night I prayed and
received Christ. My ideology was that now that I am a Christian, I won’t even
struggle with lust anymore. Boy was I wrong, a few weeks after I found myself
in the same place: convicted about the sin in my life but not willing to make
any changes. It wasn’t until nearly a year after that I was willing to be
honest about the sin in my life that was destroying my relationship with Christ
or so I thought. Well I shared with several of my close Christian brothers of
what I was struggling with and to my surprise nearly every one of them were
struggling with the same thing. I had allowed Satan to isolate me into a corner
that I wasn’t alone in. I can’t say I haven’t ever had a lustful thought since
that summer; but I do know that God has been doing a great work in my life since
that time.
My
Application: to strain forward towards Christ and not allow my inadequacies to
stand in my way.
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