The words of Paul inPhilippians 3:10,11 got my attention last week. "I want to know the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, somehow to attain to the resurrection of the dead".
At a cursory glance, as a believer, it would seem almost blasphemous to say anything less than "I want to know Christ" but Paul takes it to a whole new dimension employing the practical and personal elements of knowing something--practical in the sense of experiencing what we say we know and putting it into practice, and personal, in the sense of deeply connecting with someone and knowing them intimately.
Paul further defines what he means by suggesting that to know Christ means we know the power of His resurrection, something decribed in Ephesians 1 as the "same power that raised Jesus from the dead". It i easy to stand in line and await the infusion of that power into our lives as believers, defined in II Peter 1 as "divine power that gives us everything we need for life and goldiness..." This is what God promsies a believer who is walking with Him.
Signing up for the second part of the "knowing Christ" program may be more tenuous and make us pause to reconsider--"the fellowship of sharing in His suffering". The apostles counted it a privilge to suffer for Christ and Paul suggests in II Corinthians that God's strength operates at peak efficiency when we sense our weakness. The promise, "My grace is sufficient for you", can take us through the veil of suffering and brings us to spiritua growth and maturity on the other side.
Knowing Christ is a combination of the power and the pain we experience in our daily walk with Christ. If we want to participate in the fullness of Christ, we can only do so when we willingly submit to both. I do want to know Christ.
1 comment:
The bhudist talk about how "life is suffering"
I think they (Bhudhist), along with the ignorance of wrapping eastern philosophy up with humility and suffering as being unique to their ideas, ofeten mistake the messge of christ and western thought as lacking that.
I think it's important to remember and profound to point out the real story of Christ.
The media perception of the Wealthy evangelist is but one aspect of Christianity. I am not here to judge those who have had fiscal success even though some of them deserve some criticism not all who succeed are evil.. But all are sinners who have been given grace etc.
I appreciate that you point out and challenge that to know Christ is far more than the pearly gates and happiness story that is often presented.
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