Philipians 3- forgeting, suffering

Philippians 3

The Priceless Value of Knowing Christ

¹ Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters,^[a] rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.

² Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. ³ For we who worship by the Spirit of God^[b] are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, ⁴ though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!

⁵ I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. ⁶ I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

⁷ I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. ⁸ Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ ⁹ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ.^[c] For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. ¹⁰ 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, ¹¹ so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

Pressing toward the Goal

¹² 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. ¹³ No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it,^[d] but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

¹⁵ Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. ¹⁶ But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.

¹⁷ Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. ¹⁸ For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. ²⁰ But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. ²¹ He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control.

i have put myself on a heavy restriction these few days. actually starting from today. not to play any game or watch any drama videos... etc... - except music videos or sermons.

so i ask God what can i do in my free time when i makan?

He said very nicely... "why not read the bible :) ?"

*groan*

haha honestly... that isn't one of my option in leisure time. i have a time set aside for quiet time already.... yea so bible reading isn't part of my plan! but it sure is His plan for me...

I have been reading philipians 1,2,3... these few days... skipping between proverbs and psalms... and i just cant move on until i get something out of it.

Pastor Phil previously touched on a part of this verse. It speaks to me because these very few days i have been thinking again and again on the same things.

"I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. ⁸ Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ"

there is something about this verse that strikes a note. every time a thought lingers about my secondary school, or when i see my secondary school friend in church. i feel kinda ashame. In my secondary school days... i really do very well in my exams. i am a straight A-student in my core subjects... (except chinese and english... pretty bad at language) .. By the grace of God... a near demotion to EM3 made me worked real hard.. and i was transfered to the top class in my school. there are high hopes then. but... every thing change when i was in JC. i was a slacker... my results plummeted. and the friends that i grew up with now have their own certs and are in their own respectable firms.

ever since my a's i felt i am terribly stupid person.

But the word says that everything that i have seen as valuable- i shall consider them as worthless. The thing that i hold so pridely... i got to let it go.

knowing that someone who touched my soul and gave me a new life is the real important thing.

"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, ¹¹ so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!"

honestly... this is something i dont think any christian can easily confess... and mean every word he say. suffer with him... sharing in his death...? how do we do that? in real life... i see more christians running to the next holiday...... watch TV everyday... or get stuck with the next iphone game of the day... suffering in Christ is lost in our local context. honestly i myself am much more enthusiastic on getting married with my dear one... soon if God and our family allows...

before i even move to verse 12.. i think want to be clear about this. what is suffering for Christ? sharing his death ?

different translations:

"¹⁰[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [^[b]which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]

¹¹That if possible I may attain to the [^[c]spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body]."- amplified

^10-11I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it. - the message

i realise somethin. i think in one way or another.. suffering in Christ doesn't come directly. God doesn't want us to suffer :)

It is part of knowing God.

For my determined purpose is that I may know Him..

..and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing

..and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed

..be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself.

This relationship we have with God... is risky. Pastor Kong once said... it will cost you something. but in all that the power of God is there... the grace of God is there. He is there.

Knowing more about you..... fellowship with the things you went through.

I know i am not perfect. But i want to know the power of God that lies deep within all. What i am now.. where i am going .. the people i am facing.. the exams i am about to take... it all has to work and point towards something. God help me realise. i am willing to endure the cross. But please walk through this with me.