Phil. 3:7-11
7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
In the US we have become so materialistic that it seems that those who have nothing amount to nothing. Paul is saying that all we gather amounts to nothing in light of Christ and his sacrifice. How do we get this mindset, though? How are we supposed to move away from the capitalist realm of thought and move to the Christian thought? Paul’s answer: faith.
Paul realized that our righteousness amounts to literally nothing. We can do absolutely nothing to gain our way into heaven. This is stated over and over again throughout Scripture. All we can do is turn our life over to Christ and let him be the master of everything. Communication is the key to starting and maintaining a relationship, especially with Christ.
The “power of Christ’s resurrection” is something we all need to desire. The power is confidence in knowing that no matter what we do, we can never escape God’s love. God will never turn away from us, and He will never forsake us. Beyond that, we understand that God’s power is with us at all times. We have complete confidence that He will keep us joyful no matter what happens.
However, why would we want to share in the sufferings of Christ? Isn’t God’s promise that we won’t suffer? No. We are called to be like Christ. Christ didn’t exactly have the easiest life. However, His life was full of joy because His work was for God.
Christ gained resurrection from the dead through His relationship with God. This is our goal: to be so close to God that nothing the world offers is the least bit enticing. This can only happen through prayer, Scripture reading, and constant communication with God and fellow believers.
Stephen Rhea
Prayer:
God, I thank You for loving me enough to sacrifice Your life for me. Help me to be like Paul and strive to know the power of Your resurrection. Father, help me to have complete confidence in You, and see that nothing the world offers is good. Turn everything to rubbish in my eyes. Continue to move in the world and to reveal Your life. It’s all for You. Amen.
