Reaching the Goal
Philippians 3:10-12 All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him from death. I want to share in his sufferings and be like him even in his death. Then there is hope that I myself will somehow be raised from death. I don’t mean that I am exactly what God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal. But I continue trying to reach it and make it mine. That’s what Christ Jesus wants me to do. It is the reason he made me his.
One of the greatest deceptions that the devil has perpetrated amongst God’s people is that we can be saved, that we can have the free gift of eternal life, without changing the way we live.
Now if you know anything about the Good News of Jesus, you might be thinking … hang on, what are you saying; that I have to work myself into God’s favour? Not at all! Just yesterday we saw the Apostle Paul put it like this:
Philippians 3:9 … my being right does not come from following the law. It comes from God through faith. God uses my faith in Christ to make me right with him.
That’s the Good News, but unless we live out that faith, then we haven’t truly accepted the gift of grace offered to us in Christ. Here it is:
Philippians 3:10-12 All I want is to know Christ and the power that raised him from death. I want to share in his sufferings and be like him even in his death. Then there is hope that I myself will somehow be raised from death. I don’t mean that I am exactly what God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal. But I continue trying to reach it and make it mine. That’s what Christ Jesus wants me to do. It is the reason he made me his.
The very reason that Christ’s made you His own is to transform your life, and that happens as we share in His sufferings. You and I, we’re not yet all that He wants us to be. But we’re on that journey of transformation – at least … we should be.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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