“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. I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me” (Phil 3:10-12 NLT)!
What do you want most out of life? What life experiences do you value most so far? What gets you up every morning to face another day? Many would say they want happiness, a meaningful career, a healthy family and so on in this life. Many would want to experience adventure, joy and fulfillment, love and romance, fun and friendship. These are all wonderful gifts of God and worth praying for and pursuing with your life. Yet, Paul’s all-consuming passion and desires have a way of making our lives seem…well…shall we say less faith-filled and Christ-centered?
This realization should not shame us but rather to inspire us to desire a life that is even more saturated with the life, death and resurrection power of Christ. Let’s listen in on a short interview I had with Paul the other day as he answers the above questions.
JEREMY: Paul, what do you want above all in this life?
PAUL: That’s an easy one. I want to really know Christ.
JEREMY: Of course. We all want to have a relationship with Christ. Don’t we?
PAUL: Well, sort of. Many say they want to know Christ personally, but they are usually talking about the kind of knowledge that secures you salvation when you die. They want to know about Christ. That’s not how I want to know Christ.
JEREMY: Oh, so you want to really know Christ’s love and acceptance and to have a relationship with him that brings joy to your life now and salvation in the life to come? Read the rest of this entry »
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PHILIPPIANS 26: My Interview with Apostle Paul (3:10-12)
Posted by Jeremy Berg in Commentary, Devotional, Philippians on September 28, 2009
What do you want most out of life? What life experiences do you value most so far? What gets you up every morning to face another day? Many would say they want happiness, a meaningful career, a healthy family and so on in this life. Many would want to experience adventure, joy and fulfillment, love and romance, fun and friendship. These are all wonderful gifts of God and worth praying for and pursuing with your life. Yet, Paul’s all-consuming passion and desires have a way of making our lives seem…well…shall we say less faith-filled and Christ-centered?
This realization should not shame us but rather to inspire us to desire a life that is even more saturated with the life, death and resurrection power of Christ. Let’s listen in on a short interview I had with Paul the other day as he answers the above questions.
JEREMY: Paul, what do you want above all in this life?
PAUL: That’s an easy one. I want to really know Christ.
JEREMY: Of course. We all want to have a relationship with Christ. Don’t we?
PAUL: Well, sort of. Many say they want to know Christ personally, but they are usually talking about the kind of knowledge that secures you salvation when you die. They want to know about Christ. That’s not how I want to know Christ.
JEREMY: Oh, so you want to really know Christ’s love and acceptance and to have a relationship with him that brings joy to your life now and salvation in the life to come? Read the rest of this entry »
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experiencing resurrection power, interview with Apostle Paul, Philippians 3:10-12, press on, sharing in Christ's suffering
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