“For his (Christ’s) sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law, rather I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with him depends on faith.” Philippians 3:8-9
Within every human being is an innate desire to want to measure up to a certain standard. However, the Gospel of Jesus Christ reminds us that we could never measure up to God’s righteous standard in our own power and effort. In and of ourselves, we could never come up with the righteousness needed to satisfy the payment that our sin required. And that’s why Jesus died on the Cross–to pay our debt with His perfect life. At the moment we surrendered our lives to Christ in salvation, was the same moment that Jesus’ perfection, His righteousness, was imputed to our account. Now, in Christ, we are righteous as Jesus Himself. Did we earn that? No. Do we deserve that? Not at all. We are declared righteous by God in Christ because of the amazing grace of God! When was the last time you simply stopped and thanked God for all that He accomplished for you in salvation?
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“I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:10-11
Do you long to experience the unmistakable, undeniable power of God in your life? For the most part, Christians would generally affirm their desire to experience God’s power. Who wouldn’t want to, right? But for some of us, why are we not experiencing His power in our everyday lives? In this verse, Paul describes his longing to know the very power of God that raised Jesus from the dead. Perhaps why some aren’t experiencing the power of God is because they don’t expect God to display His power anymore. Where should we expect to see His power? Well, it’s His power that allows us to endure suffering on account of His name. It’s that same power that conforms us to the image of Jesus (Romans 8:29). If you have endured suffering and are more Christ-like today than in years past, you have experienced His all-sufficient power! Do you even expect God to move in power in your life? “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” Philippians 3:12
There is a popular Christian worship song that goes like this: “Oh no, you never let go. Through the calm and through the storm. Oh no, you never let go. Every high and every low. Oh no, you never let go. Lord, you never let go of me.” That reality of the never-ending grip of our Savior comes from Paul’s declaration that he’s been laid hold of by Christ Jesus. And it’s because of Jesus’ grasp of him that Paul presses on to lay hold of Jesus in his own life. This truth gives us peace in the storm. It gives us rest in the unrest and comfort in the chaos. How does Jesus’ grasp of you give you peace in the midst of what you are going through right now? “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
It is God's ultimate goal to be glorified among all the nations of the earth, and He plans to realize that goal. His global mission is to see people of all nations worship Him around the throne (Revelations 5:9-10), but, as the Psalmist alludes, God does not need Jesus followers to accomplish that mission. Nevertheless, God graciously invites believers to participate in seeing that reality come to fruition. A Jesus follower has the amazing blessing of simply being able to rest in the sovereignty of God, watch for His activity, and share in the mission as He leads. How often are you thinking of God's global activity? What are some ways in which He is leading you to share in His global mission? “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10
Sometimes we can struggle with feeling worthless, but nothing is further from the truth. Do you know that you have a gift that helps others live out the life of Christ? You have a special gift from the Holy Spirit to serve others, and to help them experience the power and presence of God. God gives us the ability, in fact, to minister to His children through one another, and, through the Holy Spirit, this ability is truly limitless. How have you been blessed by the service of another Christ-follower? It may have been a check you received that covered your house payment, a note of encouragement, or maybe a prayer for healing. These gifts are from God Himself through members of the body. God is pouring out His grace to you and through you as you use your gifts. What do you believe God has given you to meet the needs of others? Pray that God brings somebody to you this week that needs to receive your gift. |
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June 2018
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