All for Christ

In Philippians 3:10 the apostle Paul tells us that as a result of being saved by Christ he now has an overwhelming desire to know Him.  The things Paul had valued the most in life he now  considers rubbish in order that he “may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”  What an interesting way of describing his new relationship with the Lord!  Do we think of knowing our Savior in this way?  To do so we need to first understand exactly what the apostle is referring to in this verse.  For instance, what does Paul mean when he says that he wants to know “the fellowship of His (Christ’s) sufferings?”  Certainly this tells us that sufferings are going to be a major part of a Christian’s relationship with the Lord.  The knowledge that Paul refers to here is knowledge that is gained by experience in life.  So the apostle wants more than an intellectual understanding of suffering in relation to Christ.

To encounter sufferings as our God intends for us, to go through them in a way that brings honor and glory to Him, we must have new life in Christ and be excited about the hope of future glory with Him.  This hope is the only thing that can give a person the unique Christian perspective on suffering.  The result is patience and endurance.  The Bible has a great deal to teach us on these things.  To continually explore, discover, and experience the reality that suffering for Christ can bring us comfort and joy, is more valuable than anything the world can give.  This is one aspect of his relationship to Christ that Paul cherished.  (More tomorrow)