“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 (Philippians 3:10)
a) I want to know Christ
Hebrews 1:3 says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for his sins, he sat at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”
Knowing Christ is equivalent to knowing God and the knowledge of the Holy One means understanding. Jesus is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact representation of God.
I want to know Christ.
I want to make a relationship with Christ.
I forget about everything else and I yearn for the glory of Christ.
I want to be sustained by the powerful word of Christ.
I want to know Christ.
I have a burning desire to know him better
I want a deeper understanding of his glory
Meeting Christ is not enough, you have to have a mutual relationship with him. To grow as a Christian you have to have a better understanding of who he is.
b) I want to know the power of his resurrection
“Since you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God,” (Colossians 3:1). Knowing the power of his resurrection means focusing where he is. He was raised and he went to sit at the right hand of God.
He conquered the world and hence he is the Lord of Glory. Therefore we should set our hearts where is, on the things above, were our treasure is. “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal,” (2 Corinthians 4: 18).
The power of his resurrection is that we were raised with him. “When you were dead in your sins and in the circumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,” (Colossians 2:3).
The power of his resurrection made us to be alive. The power of his resurrection is a fulfillment of the promise that if we believe in him we shall have eternal life. We are born again because we were dead in our sins. The only way to know the power of his resurrection is focusing on the things above.
c) I want to know the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings
Knowing Jesus means building a relationship/friendship with him. A true friend is one who shares even in his suffering, the pains of his friend. “Now, if we are children then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. If indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8: 17).
In the consequent verse Paul says: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. “But rejoice that you participate in the suffering of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you… However, if you suffer as a Christian do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name… So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good,” (1 Peter 4: 13-14, 16, 19).
As a Christian you should not fear when you suffer because Christ also suffered but endured until the end. Fellowship in his sharing in his suffering means staying strong by doing the following:
i) Rejoice
ii) Praise God
iii) Commit to the faithful Creator
iv) Continue to do good
d) Becoming like him in his death
The humility of Jesus Christ was outstanding even in his death such that the people who watched testified that surely he is the son of God. He suffered like any human being but he humbled himself even though he was in the very nature of God.
That is the attitude we need to develop. Even though we may be co-heirs with him that should not be something we boast about and exalt ourselves. Pride should not overrule the way we handle ourselves. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: …and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5, 8).
Conclusion
I WANT TO KNOW CHRIST JESUS AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION, AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SHARING IN HIS SUFFERINGS, BECOMING LIKE HIM IN HIS DEATH
[Know who he is, focus on where he is, appreciate how he felt, and do what he did when he died]
Friday, May 14, 2010
God reveals his secret wisdom through his Spirit
(2 Corinthians 2: 1 – 16)
Delivering God’s Message (Verse 1 – 5)
The world today is invaded by a lot of eloquent speakers who are making money as motivational speakers. They come with inspiring words and methodologies of how you can live a successful life. They come with wise words that remain as quotable quotes (also known as words of wisdom). They have become authorities in the fields they operate in. Some of them are even using such eloquence to teach or preach the word of God.
However, Paul chose not to be caught up in this web:
• He did not use eloquence or superior wisdom to proclaim the mystery of God.
• He decided not to analyze his audience or try to understand the people to whom he was proclaiming the testimony of God and how he can pitch his presentation to be acceptable. All he decided to know was the message of Jesus Christ and his crucifixion.
• He came to the church of Corinth in his low state, lacking self confidence and obviously not fit to stand before a crowd.
“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power so that your faith may not rest in men’s wisdom, but on God’s Power,” (I Corinthians 2:4-5).
There is nothing wrong with eloquence. There is nothing wrong with the words you use to spread the word of God – but it is an issue of motive and the end result. The motive should be to serve the Lord. The end result should be people praising the God rather than you as the messenger of God.
Paul says his message and preaching was with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power. The motive was to demonstrate the power of the Spirit that was leading him and the end result was that people rest their faith on God’s power.
God’s Secret Wisdom (verse 6 -10)
Psalm 25:14 says the Lord confides in those who fear him and Psalm 111:10 says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
God bestows unto us his wisdom once we start to fear him (profound respect). We can only fear him if we have faith in him. Fearing him means we begin to have a friendly relationship with him. He confides in us. You confide in someone that will understand what you are telling him. You confide to someone who is mature enough to comprehend the secret you are sharing and will be mature enough to handle it.
Therefore we need to mature in our relationship with God. Paul (called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God) says, “We do however speak a message of wisdom to the mature… …God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began,” (2 Corinthians 2: 7).
As you mature in fearing God, the Lord increases your wisdom and you gain access to what God has placed in a safe place for you. There is a wisdom that God has hidden and you can only access it once you grow in his knowledge and understanding. This is the wisdom “that God destined for our glory before time began” (which God decreed before ages for our glorification). God reserved a portion of our glory which we can only attain once we are mature.
God’s secret wisdom cannot be understood by those who do not know him, who do not believe in him and who do not love him. Paul refers to the rulers who crucified Jesus says if they understood God’s wisdom they would not have done so. This was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”
In short, what God has prepared for those who love him remains a secret and inaccessible to ordinary men. However, Paul says, “But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.”
The Spirit of God Reveals God’s Secret Wisdom
We have received the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. The Spirit we are talking about here is different from the spirit of the world. The spirit of the world is something that belongs to the world but we received the Powerful Spirit who (a being) comes from God and this is the spirit that makes us understand God’s secret wisdom that has been prepared for us.
This is the spirit that Jesus promised, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you everything I have said to you, “ (John 14: 26).
If we have the Spirit in us, the Spirit will teach us words to express spiritual truths, in spiritual words, to spiritual people. A message from God’s secret wisdom can only be disseminated to those who are mature. That is why Paul says, “We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature.
Why? It is because men without the Spirit of God cannot accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. The standard is too high for them such that they dismiss such things as foolishness. This is because they “cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned,”
Once you mature, you are able to access God’s secret wisdom; you become led by the Spirit of God; you have the power to make judgment about everything. You also become above reproach, no man can judge you.
In Romans 8:14 the word of God says, “Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” The son of God has the power to make judgment about all things and he is not subject to any man’s judgment.
“Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out ‘Abba’ [Father]. So you are no longer a slave but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir (Galatians 4: 6-7).
When you start to fear the Lord, you become a child of God and you begin to be wise. As you grow and mature you become a son of God and because God has made you an heir, that is when you can access the wealth of God. That’s when you gain access to God’s secret wisdom.
Delivering God’s Message (Verse 1 – 5)
The world today is invaded by a lot of eloquent speakers who are making money as motivational speakers. They come with inspiring words and methodologies of how you can live a successful life. They come with wise words that remain as quotable quotes (also known as words of wisdom). They have become authorities in the fields they operate in. Some of them are even using such eloquence to teach or preach the word of God.
However, Paul chose not to be caught up in this web:
• He did not use eloquence or superior wisdom to proclaim the mystery of God.
• He decided not to analyze his audience or try to understand the people to whom he was proclaiming the testimony of God and how he can pitch his presentation to be acceptable. All he decided to know was the message of Jesus Christ and his crucifixion.
• He came to the church of Corinth in his low state, lacking self confidence and obviously not fit to stand before a crowd.
“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power so that your faith may not rest in men’s wisdom, but on God’s Power,” (I Corinthians 2:4-5).
There is nothing wrong with eloquence. There is nothing wrong with the words you use to spread the word of God – but it is an issue of motive and the end result. The motive should be to serve the Lord. The end result should be people praising the God rather than you as the messenger of God.
Paul says his message and preaching was with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power. The motive was to demonstrate the power of the Spirit that was leading him and the end result was that people rest their faith on God’s power.
God’s Secret Wisdom (verse 6 -10)
Psalm 25:14 says the Lord confides in those who fear him and Psalm 111:10 says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
God bestows unto us his wisdom once we start to fear him (profound respect). We can only fear him if we have faith in him. Fearing him means we begin to have a friendly relationship with him. He confides in us. You confide in someone that will understand what you are telling him. You confide to someone who is mature enough to comprehend the secret you are sharing and will be mature enough to handle it.
Therefore we need to mature in our relationship with God. Paul (called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God) says, “We do however speak a message of wisdom to the mature… …God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began,” (2 Corinthians 2: 7).
As you mature in fearing God, the Lord increases your wisdom and you gain access to what God has placed in a safe place for you. There is a wisdom that God has hidden and you can only access it once you grow in his knowledge and understanding. This is the wisdom “that God destined for our glory before time began” (which God decreed before ages for our glorification). God reserved a portion of our glory which we can only attain once we are mature.
God’s secret wisdom cannot be understood by those who do not know him, who do not believe in him and who do not love him. Paul refers to the rulers who crucified Jesus says if they understood God’s wisdom they would not have done so. This was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.”
In short, what God has prepared for those who love him remains a secret and inaccessible to ordinary men. However, Paul says, “But God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.”
The Spirit of God Reveals God’s Secret Wisdom
We have received the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. The Spirit we are talking about here is different from the spirit of the world. The spirit of the world is something that belongs to the world but we received the Powerful Spirit who (a being) comes from God and this is the spirit that makes us understand God’s secret wisdom that has been prepared for us.
This is the spirit that Jesus promised, “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you everything I have said to you, “ (John 14: 26).
If we have the Spirit in us, the Spirit will teach us words to express spiritual truths, in spiritual words, to spiritual people. A message from God’s secret wisdom can only be disseminated to those who are mature. That is why Paul says, “We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature.
Why? It is because men without the Spirit of God cannot accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. The standard is too high for them such that they dismiss such things as foolishness. This is because they “cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned,”
Once you mature, you are able to access God’s secret wisdom; you become led by the Spirit of God; you have the power to make judgment about everything. You also become above reproach, no man can judge you.
In Romans 8:14 the word of God says, “Because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” The son of God has the power to make judgment about all things and he is not subject to any man’s judgment.
“Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out ‘Abba’ [Father]. So you are no longer a slave but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir (Galatians 4: 6-7).
When you start to fear the Lord, you become a child of God and you begin to be wise. As you grow and mature you become a son of God and because God has made you an heir, that is when you can access the wealth of God. That’s when you gain access to God’s secret wisdom.
In the Presence of the Lord
Nothing is greater than being in the presence of the Lord. I understand David when he says, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7). The presence of the Lord is an awesome experience.
God searches and knows you very well. He knows what you want to say before you say it. He knows your thoughts and he is with you everywhere you go.
The greatest wonder of being in the presence of the Lord is that we gain the confidence to face anything. In the previous post I mentioned that if we have faith in him he hears our prayers and provides whatever we need. The reason is simple, he knows what you need and all you have to do is to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well,” (Matthew 6:33).
When you are in the presence of the Lord there is no need to be worried and afraid. “You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.” (Lamentations 3 :57).
This is the God who said to Moses, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest,” (Exodus 33:14).
This is the God who assured Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go,” (Joshua 1:9).
This is the God who declared to Jeremiah, “I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you,” (Jeremiah 15:20)
This is the God who encouraged Paul in Corinth, “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city,” (Acts 18: 9-10).
This is the God who said to Daniel, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them,” (Daniel 10:12).
God wants us to go on and do his work, what he has sent us to do without fear because he is always with us. Like the good shepherd he is always taking care of us and there is no need to be worried.
Like Daniel, we need to set our minds towards gaining understanding and humble ourselves before God. “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way,” (Psalm 25: 9).
As Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him,” (John 14:23).
God loved us through Jesus Christ so that we shall have eternal life and nothing will separate us from this love. He will never leave us nor forsake us. What more can we ask for other than the presence of the Lord?
The Almighty says, “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve,” (Jeremiah 17:10).
We need to keep our hearts pure all the time to better position ourselves for the blessings from the Lord. We need to keep our minds clear so that we are able to focus on what God wants us to do.
Therefore my prayer just like David is, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting,” (Psalm 139:23-24).
God searches and knows you very well. He knows what you want to say before you say it. He knows your thoughts and he is with you everywhere you go.
The greatest wonder of being in the presence of the Lord is that we gain the confidence to face anything. In the previous post I mentioned that if we have faith in him he hears our prayers and provides whatever we need. The reason is simple, he knows what you need and all you have to do is to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well,” (Matthew 6:33).
When you are in the presence of the Lord there is no need to be worried and afraid. “You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.” (Lamentations 3 :57).
This is the God who said to Moses, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest,” (Exodus 33:14).
This is the God who assured Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go,” (Joshua 1:9).
This is the God who declared to Jeremiah, “I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you,” (Jeremiah 15:20)
This is the God who encouraged Paul in Corinth, “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city,” (Acts 18: 9-10).
This is the God who said to Daniel, “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them,” (Daniel 10:12).
God wants us to go on and do his work, what he has sent us to do without fear because he is always with us. Like the good shepherd he is always taking care of us and there is no need to be worried.
Like Daniel, we need to set our minds towards gaining understanding and humble ourselves before God. “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way,” (Psalm 25: 9).
As Jesus said, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him,” (John 14:23).
God loved us through Jesus Christ so that we shall have eternal life and nothing will separate us from this love. He will never leave us nor forsake us. What more can we ask for other than the presence of the Lord?
The Almighty says, “I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve,” (Jeremiah 17:10).
We need to keep our hearts pure all the time to better position ourselves for the blessings from the Lord. We need to keep our minds clear so that we are able to focus on what God wants us to do.
Therefore my prayer just like David is, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting,” (Psalm 139:23-24).
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