Join the Company of the Committed

 June 4, 2024

Tuesday

I have a life goal. I want to know Christ. That is not something that I can say that I have accomplished. No one can say that in any relationship. Knowing Christ is more than simply knowing about Christ. It is knowing Him by experience. Paul gave this as something that he sought when he said in Philippians 3:10:

Philippians 3:10 (NASB 2020) ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

The key statements in knowing Christ was that he would also know the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. The power of Christ's resurrection is to revive the dead. Paul wasn't seeking to make dead people alive. He was seeking to have the sanctification sent into his heart by the risen Christ filled to capacity. It changed Paul from one who persecuted the church to one who proclaimed Christ and planted churches. It changed who he was completely so that he sought the One he had so despised. He walked with the One he would previously had nothing to do with. He wanted that change to continue to grow within his life.

The word for fellowship is also translated contribution in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 9:13). I believe that we should see fellowship as a contribution. The connection that people make when they make such a contribution is much deeper than those who simply share a meal together. When a team sweats together they have a closer relationship than one who simply meets. In other words, the ones working so that each contributes to a goal will grow closer than those who simply talk about what should be done. Our fellowship with Christ's sufferings is one of contribution. We make such a commitment to Christ that those who see it from the outside recognize it as suffering. Paul would have a number of things that would happen to him because of the work he was doing with Christ. He would be stoned, beaten, shipwrecked and work tirelessly as he served Christ. All of this was done with Christ. He could do all things through Christ who strengthened him.

The words that say Paul wanted to be conformed to Christ death are put in the passive voice. Paul wanted to be conformed to Christ's death not to conform himself. That is the result of knowing Christ so deeply that he would know the power of Christ's resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.

Honestly, do you want to know Christ in this way? Do you want to know Him experientially because you have been changed beyond what you would be on your own as the resurrection takes ahold of you? Do you want to join Christ by serving with such fervor that sufferings will result? Do you want to be changed so that you will be conformed to the life Christ has called you to? If so, you will put away the world so that it no longer drags you back from following Christ. You will take up your cross that kills the flesh to walk in the Spirit. You will not be able to be casual about your faith any more. 

Come join the company of the committed.