In this one sentence, Paul states the purpose of His life. Of course, there are shelves and shelves of books written about each of these subjects, but this is Paul’s definition of destiny and of living life with purpose.
Knowing God isn’t simply “knowing about” Him, it implies experiential knowledge. I know my wife, and thankfully it is much more than head knowledge about her. I know her small sighs, her glances, her areas of vulnerability, and what is sure to make her laugh when she needs something to ease her day. I know what she loves, what she dislikes, and what she longs for. And she can say the same of me. This is the kind of knowledge Paul says he is pressing toward with the Living God.
The power of His resurrection is the life that overcame death. It is the life that brings “joy unspeakable” in the midst of life and its challenges. The power of His rising is the living hope of a future with Him, one free from sickness and death, a life that is eternal and the fulfillment of the His purposes in Christ. The power of His rising is the enabling grace that sustains me and the anointing that breaks demonic strangleholds in hearts. It is the Kingdom come now on earth as it is in heaven. Paul says I want to know the power of His rising in this life here and now.
The fellowship of His sufferings is harder to understand and less commonly embraced. They are the cost of following in this life, entering through the narrow gate and walking the narrow path. To fellowship is to share something in common. Paul says I want to have in common with the Lord Jesus the suffering He experienced for the sake of others, the price that I must pay to have fellowship with the Redeemer King. It’s not a depressing, miserable existence. There is joy unspeakable in the fellowship, but it is an uncommon life and attitude, one that will set me apart from the masses, even those who claim Christian as their name.
Conformity to His death is the result. Less of the self-life, more of His life. Conformity implies that the intrinsic nature is the same. His heart becomes my heart, His desires, my desires, only His will be done. Conformity to His death results in His life being revealed through this clay pot. The power and life of God revealed through a vessel that has been made ready for the glory of God to be seen.
Paul says to the church, “This is my purpose and my destiny.” Now that’s a mission statement for life. May we understand and embrace the same heart. Amen
By Rick Martinez
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment