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Philippians 3:10-11
I was asked to, during the prayer meeting this past Wednesday as a pastor of Little Redeeming Grace Church, as we were studying the churches in Asia, great study. What would the Lord write to us as Redeeming Grace Church if He were to evaluate us?
And I really do believe with all my heart that I don't know the details He would give, but I do know from the heart of God, from His Word, based upon His Word, that the greatest, highest goal for us as believers at Redeeming Grace Church, or any believer, is to know Christ and to make Him known.
I'd like to speak to you this morning what Paul cried out, that I may know Him, that I may know Him. So, in saying that, please turn with me to the Epistle of Philippians, known as Paul's Epistle of Joy.
It's amazing what God revealed to this man by the Holy Spirit, inspired him to write in a dungeon cell, an Epistle of Joy in a dungeon cell? But that's exactly what it is. That tells us, that speaks volumes to us.
It's not our circumstance that determines who we are in Christ. This man rejoiced in the Lord, and again, he says, I rejoice, and he gave us, through the inspiration of the Spirit of God, four powerful chapters here.
Today, we're going to be looking at chapter 3, two verses. Verse 10, hear the word of the living God. That I may know Him, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.
If by any means I may attain or obtain to the resurrection from the dead. May God bless the reading of His word to our hearts this morning. Please bow with me in a moment of prayer as we continue our worship, and to exalt our living Head, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our Father in heaven, our prayer is, Lord speak, for Thy servant hears. We ask this for Your honor and glory in Jesus' name. Amen. As I read this verse here of Scripture, we come to the supreme emotion, dare I say.
Paul's heart, as the old King James says, bowels of the apostle Paul's life. F .B. Meyer calls it the soul's quest for knowing the personal Christ. The most frequent treatment of this verse, passage, is to spiritualize it.
But by this is meant that sufferings and death and resurrection are not to be taken literally. Rather, they are used to describe certain spiritual experiences, such as mental sufferings, mental dying to self, or mentally living the resurrection life of Christ, and so on.
But let me put a parenthesis here. However, I would like to suggest to you this morning that this passage before us should be taken literally. It's a literal request and prayer inspired by the Spirit of God that the apostle Paul had in his very heart.
One of the greatest missionaries, one of the greatest theologians to ever live, and think of it, he wasn't so eloquent either. He came in weakness, trembling, many times sick, and yet the Lord chose to use this man because he suffered greatly with the Lord.
He was called to suffer. You can look through the epistles that he wrote, and he gave us more of the New Testament than any other apostle. The apostle Paul was a bond slave of our Lord Jesus Christ. And here he's saying he desires and he wants to live as Christ lived.
That should be our desire as well. Philippians 1 .21, what did he say? He says, for to me to live is Christ. Christ. And to die is gain. Did Jesus suffer? What Paul wanted to suffer to. Did Jesus die?
Then Paul wants to die as a martyrdom in his service for Christ as well. Did Jesus rise again among the dead? Then Paul desires to do the same. And it says it here in the text. He realized that the servant is not above his master.
And Jesus spoke of this. Thus he desired above all to follow Jesus Christ, to follow Jesus Christ, to deny himself, to take up his cross all the way to the end until he departs. And he finished well as 2 Timothy 4 says.
He finished well, faithful to the very end. May it be so with us by God's grace. He desired the sufferings of his death, the power of his resurrection of Christ. He does not say that all must adopt his view.
He doesn't say that, but it's really assumed that we are to take this path. And I believe it rightly so. If we would know Christ intimately. Not about Christ, but know Christ. So he desires to take this pathway to know fully of Jesus Christ and his beauty and his glories.
His passion, his desire is to know Jesus Christ. To know Him. Beloved, this is all consuming for the Apostle Paul. And I pray this is all consuming for us here. And if we want to see God do great and mighty things in our midst, then we must know Christ.
Not just about Christ. Yes, we are to be good Bereans. We are to study the Scriptures and study to show ourselves approved unto God and meditate on the Scriptures and to memorize Scripture. But beloved, I'm telling you the most important thing is to know Him.
May God burn this and brand this in our hearts this morning. It's literally everything and it was literally everything to Paul. So these verses the Apostle Paul expresses his deep personal desire. Number one, to know Jesus Christ.
Number two, to experience the power of His resurrection. Number three, to share in His sufferings. Number four, to become like Him and being conformed to His death. And number five, and ultimately to obtain the resurrection from the dead.
Literally in the Greek it means to obtain the resurrection of corpse from the dead. So that's going to be my outline this morning. A verse by verse exposition as I've chosen this before we have communion this morning.
Number one, first and foremost, that I may know Him. That I may know Him. That I may know Him.
Him.
Know.
Now as I've already said, Paul isn't talking about mere intellectual knowledge of knowing about Christ. The devil does that and he's still a devil. Tozer put it like this. He's a greater theologian than any of us but he's still a devil.
He knows about God.
He was in heaven.
He could tell us more about heaven and about God than anyone else. But he doesn't love God and he doesn't obey God. And he doesn't worship the Lord. As you know, he's rebelled against God. And he's on a leash from God to serve God's purposes.
So again, Paul isn't talking about mere intellectual knowledge of knowing about Christ. Intellectual ascent. Anybody can have the PhD's pretty much if you study and you got the money to go to school. But we're talking about knowing Jesus.
To know Him. Which implies a deep, relational, experimental intimacy with Christ. And that takes time. And it's through prayer. The means of prayer. The means of grace. Of prayer. And reading the Scriptures.
And studying the Scriptures. And knowing the Word. And knowing Christ in prayer. It must come with sacrifice and we'll look at that later on. But Paul's emphasis here is gaining a deeper knowledge and intimacy with Christ.
Again, not about Christ but taking time to be holy. To know God. Look at it. Verse 7 and 8. Verse 7 and 8 he says, But what things were gained to me, these I've counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.
For whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ. The Greek word here for gain is an accounting term that means profit. Some of you, especially Brother Seth and Ben, know a lot about this.
Because this is your field and domain. I'm not so good. I'm not a good mathematician. Matter of fact, since my dear wife has departed with the Lord, I'm struggling with this. But thank you Ben for being my counselor in these areas.
I don't know where I would be. I would be struggling very much. But this is an accounting term. If you know what I mean by accounting. Profit. The Greek word for loss also is an accounting term that used to describe a business loss.
So Paul the Apostle is using the language of business here to apply this in a spiritual sense. And this text describes the spiritual transaction that occurred by faith in coming to Jesus Christ when he redeemed him.
So what is he saying? And he's using these accounting words. All of his Jewish religion, all of his credentials, all of his PhDs as a Pharisee of Pharisees. That he thought were his profit. Because he thought he was doing God's service.
In this profit column were actually worthless and damning. He was blind to it. He was blinded by his pride in his religion. Until Jesus knocked him down on the road of Damascus. And blinded him physically and opened his eyes spiritually.
Look at the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 18. Go with me to Luke 18 and we see our Lord Jesus Christ. He refers to this. You know, I got a quote here. John Flavel, the Puritan. He says, it's always easier to cry against a thousand sins than to kill one of our own.
Let's keep this in mind when we look at this parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. And this is a great example here. Jesus gave this parable among those he spoke of in verse 9. As he spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves.
That they were righteous and despised others. Notice what he says. They trusted in themselves. They thought well of themselves. They prided themselves. They boasted of themselves. But yet they thought they were righteous and they despised others.
Their fruit showed who they really were. And Jesus gives this parable. Two men went up to the temple to pray. Both of them praying. One a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector.
A very lowly scum of the earth.
A rip-raft. The Pharisee stood and he prayed thus with himself. And I'm going to try to say it as he would. God I thank you that I'm not like other men. Exhorteners, unjust, adulterers. Or even as this tax collector.
This tax collector. I fast twice a week. I give, notice the I's. I give tithes of all that I possess. I, I, I. I must die when we come to Jesus. Verse 13. And the tax collector standing afar off would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven.
But beat his breast. And he said, God be merciful to me a sinner. Cries out to God's mercy. To have compassion upon him. He didn't say one thing about boasting, about fasting, about tithing. He just said, God be merciful to me a sinner.
And Jesus tells us. And we better listen very swiftly to what Jesus says here. In verse 14. I tell you. This man went down to his house justified. Rather than the other. And then Jesus says, why?
Why did he?
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled. And he who humbles himself will be exalted. And that's what happened to the apostle Paul. He exalted himself as a pharisee of pharisees. And he prided himself as a pharisee of pharisees.
Actually it tells us. He tells us that. Verse, verse 4. Though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh. I more so. And he's being sarcastic here.
But he tells of his testimony. Circumcised the eighth day. Of the stock of Israel. Of the tribe of Benjamin. I'm a Hebrew of Hebrews. I'm concerning the law of pharisee. Concerning the law of pharisee.
Concerning zeal. Persecuted the church. Persecuting the church. Concerning the righteousness which is in the law. Blameless. And then he says. But what things were gained to me. Indeed these I've counted.
Lost for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things lost. For the excellence knowledge of the Christ Jesus. My Lord. For whom I've suffered the loss of all things. I count. Notice the accounting word.
I count them as rubbish. As dung. As manure. It stinks. That I may gain Christ. And I found in him. Be found in him. Not having of my own righteousness. Which is from the law. But that which is through faith in Christ.
The righteousness which is from God.
By faith.
You see the two columns. There's only two. Not three.
Two.
So Paul gives the. And describes the benefits. That occurred. To his prophet Column. When he came to Jesus Christ. Gain. And then he comes to that. That one prayer. You could say it's a prayer. You could say it's his passion.
That I may know him. That I may know him. Reminds me of. Genesis 4 .1. Genesis 4 .1. Describes this. This is after the fall. After sin came. And God made. The woman. From the rib of the man. As a help meat.
Two's better than one. And yet. We see here. After they drove man out. In verse 24. In chapter 3. And placed him a cherubim. At the east of the garden of Eden. A flaming sword which turned every way. To the guard the way to the tree of life.
That's what happened. Basically God drove them out. And now. Then Adam.
Knew.
His.
Wife.
Eve.
Knew Eve his wife. Knew Eve. That's intimacy. That's intimacy. Adam knew Eve his wife. She conceived and bore Cain. And said I have acquired a man from the Lord.
They really thought.
She really thought this was.
The Savior.
The Messiah. They didn't know. It would be. Thousands of years in the future.
But.
They were anticipating. The Messiah. Unfortunately Cain. Ended up being.
A murderer. The first murderer.
He was a worshipper by the way. He was very religious by the way. He represents false teachers by the way. Cain. Brought offering of fruit from the ground. To the Lord. I like to think that he was doing it my way.
As the song goes. But he didn't do it God's way. He didn't worship God's way. Abel did. Thus you know the story. But getting back to my point here. Adam knew Eve. He knew Eve. What does this mean? He knew her through sexual intercourse.
Was considered only. In scripture like this. The means by which God himself.
Gave children.
It was intimate.
It was a covenant. Relational.
Intimate thing. To know his wife. This is why fornication is so damnable. It's idolatrous. Because. We only to be true and faithful. To the one and only. In a covenant between God. And men. Scripture says that in Hebrews.
The bed is undefiled. Marriage is honorable. Beds undefiled. But God will judge fornicators and whoremongers. What this verse basically says. In the act of sexual intercourse. There was an intimacy. He was acknowledged by the sovereign giver of all life.
Intimate. Knowing. Jesus prays in John 17. They said that. I've read commentators on this. Most all the Puritans.
Spoke more.
From this text. From John chapter 17. Verse 3. Than any other text in the Bible. You want me to tell you why? Listen to it. And this is eternal life. Or life eternal.
Either way.
That they may know thee. The only true God. And Jesus Christ. Whom you have sent. That they may know thee. The only true God. And Jesus Christ. Know you. Know Christ. What a deep, deep prayer. By our Lord.
And you notice. Jesus says his name there. The only true God. The Heavenly Father. But Jesus Christ. The apostle John. Recorded that. And we also see in 1 John chapter 5. Verse 20 and 21.
Listen to this.
And we know that the Son of God has come. And has given us an understanding. That we may know Him. Who is true. And we are in Him. Who is true. Are you in Him today? And in His Son. Jesus Christ. And this is the true God.
And eternal life. And then he says. And he ends that. Wonderful epistle. 1 John.
First.
By verse 21. Little children. Keep yourselves. From idols.
Amen.
He ends with a. Charge. And admonition. Keep yourselves from idols.
Why?
He's contrasting something folks. He's contrasting. The one true God.
With.
Against idols.
It's one of the two. We talk about.
Having God first in our lives. But do we really have God first? Do we really have God above everything? Do we take time to spend with God?
Do we have.
Over our pleasures. And over our fleshly things. Over anything else in this life. That God has given us. Above our business. Above our family.
Above our sports.
Above all and all.
Is God first.
Jesus said.
Seek ye first the kingdom of God. And His righteousness. And all these other things. Be added to you. In other words. He's saying. Those things that God. That you need. God will take care of. But seek first the kingdom of God.
And His righteousness. Exalt God. Above all things. For our lives are short. Beloved. And all that's going to matter. Is knowing Him. And Him knowing you. In the last days. And for eternity. The simplicity.
Of knowing Jesus. That I may know Him. Just not knowing about Jesus. But knowing Him. In a living. Active. Obedient way. In a personal relationship. Knowing Him. Daily. Walking with Him. Just a closer walk with Eve.
Granted. Jesus is my plea. As the old hymn goes. It's like the difference. Between studying someone. Studying them. And actually. Walking with them daily. You can sit and study all day. And scrutinize.
And critique. But that's not going to do any good. It may mentally make you feel. Bloated in your head. But let me tell you this. You better humble yourself. And come to God. And spend time with Him. The same as you would with your wife.
And wives. The same with your husbands. But even on a higher level. And Jesus even says that. That's why He says. Unless you hate. And He uses that word hate. In comparison. In other words. In comparison.
To your family. Your brothers.
Your sisters.
Your family. Your husbands. Your wives.
Yeah.
Even your own life. Christ must be.
Preeminent.
That I may know Him. Second.
He says.
The power of His resurrection. The power of His resurrection. This refers to. The transforming power. That raised Jesus from the dead. Now many scriptures say. That He raised Himself. From the dead. The Holy Spirit raised Him from the dead.
The Father raised Him from the dead. So the Trinity was actually. Involved in raising Jesus from the dead. But Christ's resurrection. Most graphically demonstrates. The extent of His power. By raising Him.
That He was risen from the dead. Christ displayed His power.
Over both.
Physical and spiritual worlds. By being raised from the dead. You know we celebrated Easter. Morning last week. And we looked at Lazarus. Being raised from the dead. But actually I like to look at it.
And I believe R .C. Sproul said this. Presbyterian theologian.
He said.
Every Sunday. Every Lord's Day. Is resurrection day. Can I get amen.
I mean this is the way. We should look at the Lord's Day. That's why it's called. The Lord's Day.
We.
He triumphed. He's triumphant.
He's victorious. Over death.
Hell and the grave. Praise His name. First Corinthians.
Is the.
Fifteen. Is the resurrection chapter. Let me just read. Just a few verses. From this. Wonderful chapter.
It speaks of. The resurrection. Chapter fifteen. Listen to these great. Wonderful words. The whole chapter is. Powerful.
Let me read.
Verse twenty. But now. Christ is risen from the dead. And He has become the first fruits. Of all those who have fallen asleep. By since by man came death. By man also. Came the resurrection of the dead.
And I love the translators here. They put the man. Jesus Christ. A capital M. He is the man. Capital M. For as in Adam.
All die.
Even so in Christ.
All shall be made alive.
But each one. Of his own order. Christ the first fruits. Afterward those. Who are Christ. At His coming. Christ. Paul desired to know Christ. And the power of His resurrection. A spiritual renewal in Christ.
A daily righteousness.
His holiness.
All that He is.
In His person. In His beauties. In His glories.
Victory.
Over sin. Strengthened day by day. With a closer walk. With the Lord Jesus Christ. We see this. In Luke.
Ten. As.
We looked at Lazarus. Last Lord's Day. We see the. The sisters.
Here.
The sisters. Mary and Martha. Chapter ten. Now it happened. Verse thirty eight. It happened as they went. To a certain village. And a certain woman named Martha. Welcomed him. Into her house. They were very hospitable.
And she had a sister called Mary. And what did she do? Who also sat at Jesus feet. And heard His word. But Martha was distracted. Then that us. We're distracted too many times. We're distracted by everything in this world.
Keeping us. That keeps us from God. But we need to press on. We need to make sure that we. Are not distracted like Martha here. With much serving. Even with the good things at times. Serving is good.
There are times we serve. But guess what? Out of service comes.
Worship.
Our serving. Our most. Our most grandest times of serving. Is serving the Lord at His feet. Then comes serving.
Others.
Jesus is not going to. If you notice. We'll see in just a minute. But He doesn't rebuke her.
In the sense.
For serving.
We're going to see. What He rebukes her for. So she's much.
She's.
She's distracted.
Encumbered about. With much serving. And she approached Him.
And said Lord.
Do you not care. That my sister has left me. To serve alone. Get her. In other words.
Therefore.
Tell her to help me. Get her in the kitchen. And get her to help me out. Jesus answered. And said to her. Martha. Martha. You're worried about. Troubled. About. Many things. Notice the. The great.
She's demanding.
The Lord.
To get her in there. Get Mary in there. Get her up. She needs to be busy. Who knows. Martha might have been thinking. That Mary was lazy. I don't know.
She. She.
But she was doing. Something important.
Folks.
She was knowing. Christ. And Jesus said it. In verse 42. But one thing. Is needed.
One thing.
And Mary. Has chosen. That's an important word. We must choose.
Day by day.
To fall at the feet. Of Jesus. Folks. And to know Him. My question today. To myself.
And you.
Is.
And I say this graciously.
How.
Much.
Desire.
Do you have.
In your heart. To know Jesus. Mary. Has chosen.
That. Good. Part.
Which will not be taken. Away from her. He basically said.
Look.
Martha.
That's not going to happen.
She chose. The best part. The best. The good part. And it's not going to be taken.
Away from her.
The Lord. Had the final say. Nothing else. Was said. After that. Paul. Desired. To experience. The resurrection. Life. And present life.
Just not.
The eternal future. And that's how.
Glorious.
It was to him. And it's glorious to us. If we would. Ask the Lord. To help us. To know. His resurrection power.
Jesus.
Be Jesus.
In me.
As the song goes. No longer me. But thee. Resurrection power. Fill me. This hour.
30.
Desired. To have the fellowship. Of his sufferings.
And folks.
I got to looking at some of these words.
And.
And these verses. And breaking it down. And I'm telling you.
This is a. This is a.
Deep.
Part.
I want to just spend.
Just a little bit. Of time here. And go to some references.
The fellowship of his sufferings. This refers to the partnership.
Of.
Or the participation. Of the sufferings of Christ. With the very sufferings of Christ. This is one of the most. Challenging parts. I think. For all of us.
Isn't it?
Is to suffer. For Christ. A deep communion. Of suffering. That every believer.
Shares.
With Jesus Christ. Who's able to comfort. Suffering Christians. Because. He has already experienced. The same suffering. And infinitely more. Jesus has experienced. He is the sufferer. As many scriptures. I have here.
But let me give you. Just a few.
Hebrews 2.
18. And most of these. Would be from Hebrews.
18. For in that. He himself. Speaking of Jesus. Has suffered. Has suffered. Being tempted. He is able. To aid.
Those.
Who are tempted.
Hebrews 4.
14. Through 16. Seeing then. That we have. A great high. Priest. Who has passed.
Through the heavens.
The son of God.
Let us.
Hold.
Fast. Our confession. For we. Do not have.
A high.
Priest.
Who cannot.
Sympathize.
With our.
Weaknesses.
Was in all. Points. Tempted. As we are.
Yet.
Without sin.
Come boldly. To the throne.
Of grace.
That we. May obtain.
Mercy.
And find grace. To help. In time.
Of need.
And how we.
Do that.
We spend.
Time.
At the feet.
Of Jesus.
In prayer. We come.
To the throne.
And help. In time.
Because. God. Is a very.
Very.
Present.
Help.
In time.
Of trouble.
Praise.
Name.
Hebrews.
12. Very.
Familiar.
Verse.
That we.
All know.
But. May this.
Be branded.
In us.
Looking.
Into Jesus.
To.
The author.
And finish.
Of our faith.
For. Who. For the joy.
That was set.
Before him. And endured.
The cross.
There is.
The suffering. Despising. The shame.
The suffering. Sat down. At the right hand. Of the throne.
Of God.
The exaltation. For consider him.
Who endured.
Such hostility. From sinners. Against himself.
Least.
You become weary. And discouraged. In your own souls.
Peter.
Chapter.
Listen.
19.
Through.
Twenty.
Five.
For. This.
Commendable. If.
The.
Calls. Of conscience.
Toward.
God. One.
Endures.
Grief.
Suffering.
Wrongfully.
But. What.
Credit.
It when you.
Are.
Beaten.
For your faults.
He's.
Speaking to. To Christians that are being beaten and suffering for Christ's sake. If you take it patiently, take it patiently. And basically, what credit is it? Then he tells them, but when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.
For to this you were called. Listen to that.
You were called for this.
Because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example that you should follow in his steps. Who committed no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth. Who, when he was reviled, he did not revile in return.
When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. Who himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree. That we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness.
For by whose stripes you were healed. And then he says this,. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the shepherd and overseers of your souls. Isn't that wonderful? Jesus set us the example.
Now folks, we cannot even touch that in our Christian life. But when we are suffering for Christ's sake, we need to remember that. And what Peter is leaning on is everything that Jesus spoke on the Sermon on the Mount.
When he begins in chapter 5, and he says this in verse 11 and verse 12. Blessed are you, this is our Lord, when they revile you and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake.
Rejoice and be exceedingly glad. Great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Notice what Jesus says. See, on this earth, you're not going to be liked. You're going to be hated for his name's sake, folks.
But get this, you're going to be adored and loved by God. And great will be your reward in heaven. By the way, I was listening to Tozer this morning while he was talking about victory. And he was talking about some of the martyrs of the early church.
And how he read, he probably got the facts from the Fox's Book of Martyrs. But he was talking about one martyr in that time period desired to suffer a martyrdom's debt so much. And he says, if I am in that ring, and if I'm going to be torn apart by animals, do not try to save me.
I want to die for my Lord and win a crown for Him. And I think, look at the apostles. They were beaten, they rejoiced. They left rejoicing because they suffered. You know the way they looked at it? They had the heavenly perspective, folks.
And I don't know about you, that convicts me to the core. We're too worldly minded. We need to have a heavenly perspective that when we are suffering for Christ's sake, and that does not even come near martyrdom, but it takes grace to live both, doesn't it?
We should desire what God, what pleases God. Those martyrs, that's why they gladly burned to death and were eaten by animals. And you think, how did they endure it? But they looked to the reward, the joy that was set before them.
Because they knew Christ. They knew Christ.
Hallelujah.
Elizabeth Elliot said, I remember hearing this years ago, and it floored me as a new Christian. My wife and I used to listen to her all the time. And Warren Worsby as well, both with the Lord now, but Elizabeth Elliot said, Christian, I remember her saying it just like this, Christian, you might as well get this resolved and understand that it's your mind and just face it.
In the Christian life, suffering will be normal. Will be normal. And that's what the Word says. 1 Peter 3, 17 and 18. For it is better, it is better, if it is the will of God to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
For Christ also suffered once and for all, for our sins, for the just, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit.
Suffering for Christ.
Paul desired that above everything. Next, being conformed to His death, being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, folks, that is God's.
Goal for us,.
That we may be conformed to the image of Christ. And by the way, if you love the Lord this morning, He will do everything in His hand to make you like Jesus. To make you holy. To make you special. If we believe we are God's elect, then you will be persecuted for righteousness sake.
So Paul's desire was that, to endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, be conformed to the image of Christ. Paul desired to become like Jesus in His very death, to be conformed into His image.
This would include dying to self, dying to our pride, dying to our ego. And that's not easy. That's why it must be mortified. The flesh must be, the deeds of the flesh must be mortified by the power of the Spirit.
And our sinful desires as well. Listen to Romans chapter 6. Verse 5 to verse 14. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection.
Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin, for he who has died has been freed from sin. Now, if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him.
Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more, but death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all.
But the life that He lives,.
He lives to God. Likewise. Now He's talking to us. Now He's going to apply it to us, folks. Listen to what He says. Likewise, you also reckon. There's another word right there, a counting word. Count it.
Done.
Yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in its lust, its desires. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead as your members as instruments as righteousness to God.
For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law, but under grace. That's the power of the grace of God, folks. Doesn't that fit right close together? In Romans 12, in what He says, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship, your reasonable service.
This is how we get to know Him, is taking time to be holy. There's a living sacrifice, holy, set apart, acceptable, pleasing to God. And then He says in verse 2, do not be conformed. Now He tells us here what not to be conformed to.
Do not be conformed to this world. We're not to love this world.
By the way, the scripture says,.
Commands us not to love the world. Love not the world, neither the things in the world.
If any man love the world,.
The love of the Father is not in him. That's a powerful command, isn't it? Pricks me to my heart, but I'm saying, we cannot, Jesus says you cannot love God and man, and you cannot love what He's saying.
There's only two ways. He draws a line of demarcation. Is this your God, or God is God? Just like Elijah did on Mount Carmel, at that challenge with them false prophets and idolaters. Be transformed. Don't be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is good.
That is good and acceptable, the perfect will of God. And then He talks about conformity.
What are we to conform to?
Jesus Christ, to be like Jesus. And notice this, in Romans 8, 28, we know this one well. We know, do you know this, that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who love God, to those who are called.
There's the effectual calling according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew,.
He also predestined to be what?
Conformed.
Conformed to who? To the image.
Of His Son.
Folks, this is the way we're going to look like, or we should look like when we enter heaven. We have His robes of righteousness, we should look like.
And it begins here, folks.
Eternal life here and now. To the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Morrow, here's the golden chain of redemption.
Moreover, whom He.
Predestined, these He also called. There's the effectual calling again, as Brother Keith was talking about this morning. Whom He called, these He also justified. There's justification by faith alone. And whom He justified, these He also.
Glorified.
Now, I always think, why didn't He put sanctification in there? Well, He did. It's the conformity to Christ's likeness. In other words, it's going to happen. It's going to happen. Being conformed to His image.
This would include dying to self, dying to our ego, like I said. Fifth and final, that He says that any means.
I may obtain.
The resurrection from the dead, Paul's expressing humble perseverance. Perseverance of the saints. Paul didn't care how God brought it about and how He brought it to pass. As long as anybody long.
For death, for the.
Fulfillment of salvation in His resurrection body. I ask you these questions this morning. Do you seek to know Christ or just know about Him this morning?
There's.
A big difference.
How do you respond to suffering of your faith in Christ? What does dying to self look like in your daily.
Life? Are you living.
With eternity in view? With one eye, as one commentator said that Apostle Paul had such a desire to know God and to make Him known, to make Christ known. He says as he had one eye on the judgment seat, the Bema seat, because he knew he was going to be judged.
By the works.
And the deeds he did in the body because the Bible says that we all will give an account on the day of judgment. In other words, we were just listening, Brother Zach and I were just listening and my daughter, Elizabeth told her message on the voice of God's judgment.
He talks about, yes we're justified, but you're on probation. You're justified, but you're on trial. We're going to give an account. So don't waste your days. Don't waste your minutes.
Don't waste your seconds.
Make it count.
For Jesus. Spend it.
At His feet.
And I promise you it'll pay off on the judgment seat. He had one eye on the judgment seat and another eye on lost souls. Let me close with a wonderful a wonderful true story about a pastor and an actor.
I first heard this from John MacArthur's.
First sermon. He preached.
To Grace Community Church how to play church.
And this is the way it goes.
There was an actor in the drawing room function who was asked to recite certain recitations from Macbeth and this is what I heard anyway from certain, he was so eloquent in his speech and his orientation.
He stood up and wanted to graciously ask the audience so he said I can recite anything to you, you'd like me to recite.
Anything.
So no one suggested anything at that time. So an old preacher happened to be there. Some say priest, I don't know a priest or a pastor regardless but it's a true story. He was sitting in the back row, the very back.
I don't know how he got there but he probably crashed the party. And normally preachers don't get invited to drawing room functions on a high society level, right? But he was there he happened to be there and he stood up and he said I'd like to hear you recite the 23rd Psalm, sir.
Well.
The actor in his eloquence was a little, he was a little shocked at that but he said he had to, he'd thrown himself open so he had to do what the man asked him to do at least to be embarrassed.
He happened.
To know it by memory he did know the Psalm and he said okay, alright, I'll do that. I'll do what you say. So they made an agreement and then he says after I recite the Psalm I'd like for you to as well, sir.
They agreed. So the eloquent actor. So he repeated the 23rd Psalm with complete perfect eloquence.
Masterfully.
Articulated every word perfectly the diction was perfect, the beautiful his words were just.
Incredibly good.
He spoke with, again, with articulation and when he was done there was spontaneous applause and throughout the entire room there was a lot of people there and everybody stood up and applauded. This actor figuring he'd get back at the old preacher and say oh wow he's going to really humiliate this guy.
And he said now sir I'd like to hear you recite this. He was proud of himself that he did it so well and then the old preacher had been bargained for that. He said well because of his love for Christ.
He stood up and he he was broken. He repeated it, his voice was cracked and worn out wasn't very beautiful it wasn't very eloquent.
And the.
Interpretation wasn't really good I mean he stammered he didn't. When he got done there was no applause whatsoever but.
Folks you can.
Hear a pin drop. After this old pastor, this old preacher quoted Psalm 23. The actor sensing his own emotions stood up and said you know ladies and gentlemen I reached your eyes and your ears this old preacher.
Reached your heart.
And he said the difference is this.
I know the.
Psalm but he knows the shepherd.
The point.
Is what really matters.
Is knowing the shepherd, the good shepherd the chief shepherd the great shepherd.
Of the sheep.
Do you know him today. Do you know him today. That I.
May know him in the power of his resurrection conforming to his death. As Paul says I've been crucified with Christ nevertheless it is no longer that I live but Christ that lives in me in the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.
Let's pray father in heaven our lord. Thank you lord for the privilege.
Of hearing your word today.
Lord I pray that this is driven home to each and every one of us that we would redeem the time for the days are evil that we would number our days and we may apply our hearts to wisdom and not waste our days but spend it at your feet as.
Mary chose what was good.
And the best and that was not taken away from her and that is to sit at your feet and worship you lord enlarge our hearts today. I pray lord that we may know you that we may know you in the power of your resurrection and the fellowship of your sufferings and to know Jesus and to know him personally and to make him.
Known until he comes.
Again and I ask this for your honor and glory in Jesus name.