“I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” Philippians 3:8-11 (KJV)
God doesn’t need our credentials. He needs our commitment. The great Apostle gives believers everywhere a prime example of commitment to Christ. The knowledge of Christ is superior to all other knowledge. The committed will sacrifice everything to know him.
The righteousness of God through faith in Christ is superior to any moral code devised by humans. The committed will sacrifice everything to receive his righteousness. The knowledge of Christ, the resurrection power of Christ, the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings, and conformation to the death of Christ are goals of the committed.
“If by any means,” in the Greek, corresponds to the 21st century “whatever it takes.” That is the commitment of one who desires to achieve the resurrection of the dead.
For most American believers, no one ever told us that following Jesus required this level of commitment. I was raised in a pastor’s home. Going to church was what we did without question. We didn’t face any lions. We didn’t face any persecution. In the 20th century, in Bible Belt, USA; Christianity was easy. But it did not take any less commitment to Christ than any other place on earth.
O, “that I might know him, and the power of his resurrection.” What has happened to our commitment?
Dear Father, thank you for your commitment to us. Forgive us our failure to be faithful in our commitment to your Son, Jesus Christ. Deliver us from apathy and complacency. Empower us with vision, passion, and energy to fulfill our responsibilities as believers. This I pray in Jesus’ name. AMEN
Let us praise God for his commitment of Christ and live to his glory,