Run Day 15 Run For The Treasure: Digging Deeper
Discover the original intent of Scripture. Make good application to our everyday lives.
Become equipped to correctly handle the Word of Truth!
Philippians 3:7-12
12 Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.
The Original Intent
1) Paul had an absolute confidence in his relationship with Jesus Christ….WHY? (verses 7-8)
Paul used his past to emphasize the magnitude of God’s grace in his life, and he started by pointing to what, from a human standpoint, made him appear to be the best of the best. His snapshot of his past achievements pointed to his prestigious Jewish birth, his education, his training as a Pharisee of the strictest sect, and his zeal for God’s Law. (Acts 22:1-5)
Paul’s zeal as a Pharisee led him to relentlessly persecute the Jesus-movement known as “The Way”. His burning zeal for God consumed him, but when Paul met Christ, he wrote off all his attributes as nothing but bad debt. Radical!
The very things he believed to be his glory were totally useless in his new life of following Jesus. Paul, formerly Saul, went from breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples to belonging to this same Lord! His former way of living life was meaningless in comparison.
Saul was persecuting Jesus’ followers (and thereby Jesus Himself) because he believed he was right. He was firmly persuaded that Jesus could not be the Messiah sent to rescue God’s people. But for all his confidence and zeal, Saul was sincerely wrong.
Radically, when Paul understood the truth and his blinded eyes were open to Jesus’ identity as the True Son of God, he shirked everything he had once claimed so confidently as his righteousness. Now, Paul staked his entire eternity on Christ alone. (1 Corinthians 2:2)
The Lord chose Saul to be His instrument to proclaim this gospel truth to all people. Saul was moved from darkness to light, and when he found solid footing, he understood how meaningless his life was without Christ. In Jesus, Paul found joy, peace, purpose, and a new identity rooted in the merciful grace of God in Jesus Christ.
The Everyday Application
1) Paul had an absolute confidence in his relationship with Jesus Christ….WHY? (verses 7-8)
Shame and honor are central concepts in many cultures today, even leading families to kill or disown those who shame the family. No one likes to be shamed and lose face with others.
Paul was a faithful, zealous servant of the Lord Jesus, who used his zeal in a way that honored Christ and his new identity as a Christ-follower. We too can learn much about living to please Jesus by studying his example and the source of his confidence. While no one wants to bear shame, we do desire to be confident.
In spite of much suffering for sharing the gospel, Paul remained devoted to Jesus after his transformation. So radical was the shift, Paul’s new identity grew dramatically in confidence. So great was the love of God to rescue him, a rebellious sinner, that he was unashamed to preach boldly that Christ was the only true Savior.
Paul wrote, “I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed…”. (2 Timothy 1:12) Despite all he had learned from boyhood, and was so confidently defending before he met Jesus, Paul now knew Jesus Himself. Knowing Jesus changed everything about Paul. He had not been convinced he was previously wrong through a scholarly debate, rather, Paul had simply come to know Christ. This confidence is why he preached Christ with every chance he had, despite persecution.
If Paul was not ashamed to suffer for Jesus, neither should we be ashamed in our walk with Christ today. If we find ourselves wavering in confidence, it should signal to us that we need to better know our Savior through His word and in community with other believers.
Authentic faith is not revealed in intellect of biblical doctrine alone, but in a true love for God Himself as revealed through His Word!
The Original Intent
2) Are there spiritual benefits for all who live in an authentic relationship with Jesus? (verse 9)
Paul’s conversion to Christ brought him suffering, pain, and eventually death, still, Paul faithfully lived out the call of Jesus even though it cost him everything. Paul was obedient to the cause of Christ because he had come to understand that Christ was worth all.
It was impossible for Paul to consider turning back to the worthless way he had once lived and try again to win the prize for which he had once fought so relentlessly. In fact, he called all these things dung compared to Christ!
“I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:8)
To be convinced of discarding all he had worked a lifetime to acquire and live in a different direction, while being persecuted and threatened with death, the return on his investment must be immense! And so it is!
Once receiving Christ as our Savior by acknowledging our sinful nature and realizing we can do nothing without Him, the benefits the Lord gives are eternal. (Ephesians 1:3)
We are assured of eternal salvation, which is impossible to lose. (John 10:28-30)
We are free to enjoy Gods unconditional, eternal love for God chose us, loves us, and adopts us His children. (Ephesians 1:4-5)
We have a new life as a new creation, which will be enjoyed forever. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
We have the privilege of prayer, an all-access door to God. We can confidently and freely talk to our Father about anything. (Philippians 4:6-7)
Paul experienced all of these and so much more. Though trials of this earthly life abound, the Lord God is near, only a prayer away.
The Everyday Application
2) Are there spiritual benefits for all who live in an authentic relationship with Jesus? (verse 9)
Peter once asked Jesus, “See, we have left everything and followed You. So what will there be for us?”. (Matthew 19:27) Today, we may say, “We’ve given up a lot to be Christians, is it worth it?!”
Maybe we’ve given up, careers, relationships, jobs, status, pride, or “pet sins”. Surrender can feel heavy, and it’s reasonable to wonder, “Is there a reward? If so, is it worth this sacrifice?”.
When we run into doubts and discouragement, rather than allow the enemy feed us lies, we can run to truth in Scripture. (Psalm 25:4-5) God’s Word assures us our labors for the Lord are not in vain. Our efforts will be rewarded if our motive was right when sacrificing for Jesus. (1 Corinthians 15:58)
Jesus responded to Peter that everyone who has sacrificed for Him will inherit more. (Matthew 19:29) When you choose to reject gossip, when you give generously, when you love with patience, when you set yourself aside as Jesus did, you are sacrificing for Christ and not one bit is lost on Jesus. He sees it all and He will reward it all with more.
Those rewards, along with innumerable more we can’t begin to imagine, are yet to come in Glory (1 Corinthians 2:9), but He also provides spiritual benefits in this life. Peace, forgiveness, and constant access to God through prayer are only a few.
In Philippians 4:19, Paul encourages, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
Having our needs met by God may not look as we’d imagine, but remember, God’s ways are higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:8-9) Step out boldly and share the gospel, following Jesus is worth everything!
Yes, the road is guaranteed to be difficult (John 16:33), but it can be faced with the all-surpassing peace of Christ! (Philippians 4:7)
The Original Intent
3) What is the ultimate treasure, the driving desire, to run the “race” set before us? (verses 10-12)
It wasn’t Paul’s aim to know about Christ, but rather to personally know Him as Savior, Lord, King, and Friend. To know Christ is to know the power of His resurrection that brings eternal life. (John 17:3)
Exploring the resurrection of Christ profoundly impacts at least three vital aspects of how we view life, death, and eternity:
First, because Christ rose from the dead with a physical body, and He intends to raise up our physical bodies, we understand the importance of our physical bodies now as God’s temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) where He sanctifies us, and that we will have perfected physical bodies in Glory. (1 Corinthians 15:35-40)
Second, Christ’s resurrection is the “firstfruit proof” that we, who die in Jesus by trusting Him for spiritual life while we physically live, will be raised to eternal life just as Christ was. (1 Corinthians 15:20, Romans 8:11) Because He lives, we shall live also. His victory is our victory. (1 Corinthians 15:51-55)
Third, Christ’s resurrection is the evidence of our living Hope. Our safety in life or death is that the Author of Life is our Sovereign Lord. (Romans 14:7-9) Christ is our only hope, but He is also our Living Hope, providing us with the everlasting, constant presence of the Risen Savior for those who place their trust in Christ Jesus. (1 Peter 1:3-4) All who trust Jesus are held safe and secure with incorruptible Hope because Christ proved His power and authority over the grave once and for all!
The resurrection of Christ is the guarantee that this life is worth the living, death is NOT the end of life, and there is a world beyond; nothing in life or in death can separate us from Him. (Romans 8:31-39)
The Everyday Application
3) What is the ultimate treasure, the driving desire, to run the “race” set before us? (verses 10-12)
Just as Paul’s love and passion for Jesus Christ would carry him through earthly trials, sufferings, pain, persecution and death, we must follow his example of truly knowing Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Just as knowing Christ means knowing the power of His resurrection, Scripture also tells us that the gateway of knowing Christ is knowing the “fellowship of His sufferings”. (verse 10)
Paul declares that when a Christian suffers, he is sharing in the suffering of Christ. To suffer for Jesus is not a penalty, but rather a privilege! When we suffer, we are dying to ourselves and the old way of living. When we put to death our old patterns, we are waking up to resurrection life!
We share the way He walked when we love and follow Him. (John 14:15) We share the cross He bore when we daily commit to slaying the desires of the flesh and putting on Christ instead, even if that means suffering. (Colossians 3:5-10) We share the life He lives forevermore when, one day, our mortality will be exchanged for immortality and we will never die again! (1 Corinthians 15:53-54)
Jesus gave His life for us; Paul was willing to give his life for Jesus and others, so we, as those who wear Christ’s name, must do the same.
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, if anyone wants to follow after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matthew 16:24)
When saying yes to Jesus, we partner with Him, sharing God’s word to reach the lost. It truly is WORTH IT ALL. So, RUN ON, Sister, towards the goal of Christ that we may win the prize which God has called us to in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14)
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This Week's Lock Screen
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