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    Where Is My Passion

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    Richard Lancaster-Shanks
    Paul discusses how to press on toward God's goals by following the example of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:7-14. Paul counted the things of the world that were once important to him, like his education and status, as worthless compared to knowing Christ. He found righteousness through being in Christ, rather than in his own works. Paul's great passion was to know Christ more intimately through worship, love for Him, and abiding in Him. He wanted to experience Christ's power in resurrection and fellowship His sufferings. His desire was to fully surrender himself to Christ as Christ did to the Father.

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    Where Is My Passion

    Uploaded by

    Richard Lancaster-Shanks
    57 views3 pages
    Paul discusses how to press on toward God's goals by following the example of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:7-14. Paul counted the things of the world that were once important to him, like his education and status, as worthless compared to knowing Christ. He found righteousness through being in Christ, rather than in his own works. Paul's great passion was to know Christ more intimately through worship, love for Him, and abiding in Him. He wanted to experience Christ's power in resurrection and fellowship His sufferings. His desire was to fully surrender himself to Christ as Christ did to the Father.

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    Where is My Passion

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    Paul discusses how to press on toward God's goals by following the example of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:7-14. Paul counted the things of the world that were once important to him, like his education and status, as worthless compared to knowing Christ. He found righteousness through being in Christ, rather than in his own works. Paul's great passion was to know Christ more intimately through worship, love for Him, and abiding in Him. He wanted to experience Christ's power in resurrection and fellowship His sufferings. His desire was to fully surrender himself to Christ as Christ did to the Father.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    57 views3 pages

    Where Is My Passion

    Uploaded by

    Richard Lancaster-Shanks
    Paul discusses how to press on toward God's goals by following the example of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 3:7-14. Paul counted the things of the world that were once important to him, like his education and status, as worthless compared to knowing Christ. He found righteousness through being in Christ, rather than in his own works. Paul's great passion was to know Christ more intimately through worship, love for Him, and abiding in Him. He wanted to experience Christ's power in resurrection and fellowship His sufferings. His desire was to fully surrender himself to Christ as Christ did to the Father.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 3

    Where Is My Passion?

    Philippians 3:7-14

    By Dr. Edward Watke Jr.

    In Revelation 22:12 we read, “And behold I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to
    give every man according as his work shall be.” Then in II John 3:18 we read, “Look to
    yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a
    full reward.” In the book of Philippians we find in our text how we can press onward
    toward the goals the Lord has for us. If we are to receive the rewards God desires to give
    us, then we will need to heed the testimony of the Apostle Paul as he shared his heart’s
    desire in Philippians 3:7-14.

    How can we press toward the mark of God’s will, power, and direction for a
    New Year? How can we enter into Paul's personal goal “to press toward the mark
    for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” ? (Phil. 3:7-14) For what do we
    have passion? For what do we live?

    By Counting Unworthy -- the Things of the World:


    “But what things were gain to me, those I count loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I
    count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for
    whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but dung, that I may win
    Christ.” 3:7,8

    In verses four through seven, Paul gives a list of the things in which he could boast. It
    is an awesome list for if anyone could boast in his own ability -- what he received
    through heredity, circumstances, training and position -- Paul could. By birth and by
    training he stood head and shoulders above most all of the Jews in leadership in that
    day. Paul had an undaunting resume of achievements that stood him in good stead
    among the spiritual leaders of the Jews. And he had kept the law blamelessly before
    men.

    In the first part of the chapter Paul was warning the believers about the Judaizers.
    These had confidence in the flesh and were constantly rejoicing and boasting in man
    and his attainments, but Paul said he would glory only in the Lord Jesus. (See Gal.
    6:12, 14) Now Paul rejected personal ability, position, etc., and rejected have
    “confidence in the flesh” which prior to his conversion probably was his chief boast.

    Paul counted all the things of this world that had been gain to him -- wisdom, ability,
    position, power, possessions, name, education -- as but refuse, as loss. So often the very
    things that we count gain Paul looked upon as something to be rejected, as dung. We so
    readily rely on the flesh -- our education, knowledge, who we know, what strings we
    can pull to gain our ends, or our wealth, fame or abilities. These things are weights to
    us, for when they become our source from which we draw to serve the Lord -- they are
    traps, impediments, and destructive for we are leaning on the things that bring pride
    and failure. We must be willing to lay aside the world and its charms, its religiosity, its
    offerings, etc. By the flesh Paul was writing about the “old nature” we received at birth.
    God has nothing good to say about the flesh. (Gen. 6:12; Rom. 7:18; John 6:63)

    By Counting Worthy -- My position Of Righteousness In Christ. (3:9)


    When Paul met Jesus Christ on the Damascus Road (Acts 9), he trusted Him and
    became a child of God. It was an instantaneous miracle of the grace of God, the kind
    that still takes place today whenever sinners will admit their need and turn to the
    Savior by faith. Paul met Christ and he realized how futile were his good works and
    how sinful were his personal claims of righteousness that he could claim as listed in
    chapter 3:4-6.

    Now he was “found in Christ.” Having no righteousness of his own, now the
    righteousness of the Lord Jesus was imputed to him. We have no righteousness in
    ourselves, (Rom. 3:9-12, 23; Isa. 64:6; Jer. 17:9) nothing but filthy rags.

    Praise the Lord for a righteousness that is by God’s grace through faith. (Rom. 3:19-
    21; Rom. 10:1-3) In salvation we are indeed made righteous by faith (Phil. 3:9) and
    it is unto all who believe (Rom. 3:19-21). This is ours because Christ is made unto us
    righteousness. In Him we have both a positional and a practical righteousness. (I
    Cor. 1:30). We have literally been “made righteous” through the merits of Christ’s
    death on the Cross as He was made sin for us. (II Cor. 5:21; I Pet. 2:24,25)

    Also many portions of the Word of God lead us to understand the importance of a
    practical righteousness, that is, a righteous walk or life. Consider studying Proverbs
    chapters 10-13 and note all that is given there about a walk in righteousness. Such a
    life can only take place by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, a renewed nature
    through the New Birth, and by our drawing ability, strength, and direction by the
    power of the indwelling Christ. Titus 2:11-14 is my favorite portion of Scripture
    dealing with the practical walk in righteousness. Here --
    1. The grace of God teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts.
    2. That we live soberly, righteousness, and godly in this present world.
    3. As we look for Him to come we also must understand the powerful truth that He
    gave Himself to redeem us, and to purify unto Himself a peculiar (set apart) people,
    zealous of good works.

    By Counting Christ -- Worthy of My Passion. (Phil. 3:10)


    Ah, here we read of Paul’s great passion -- “that he might know Him, and the power
    of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His
    death.” Ministry, Christian living, service, and a godly daily walk must come out of
    this passion as set forth in Paul’s burden. It is too easy for any saint of God to walk in the
    flesh, (Gal. 5:16-17, 24) to not even see the extent to which one leans on personal
    ability and all that goes with it.

    Paul’s desire was to Know HIM: To know Christ is to know the Lord, after our
    salvation, in a very precious, intimate way which would necessitate:
    1. A heart of worship, spending much time at the Savior’s feet. (James 4:6-10;
    II Chron. 7:14)
    2. A n overwhelming love to Christ. (I Cor. 5:14-15; John 14:21-23; Eph. 3:16-21)
    Do we love the world? Its enticements, offerings, goods, recreation, etc., can easily
    become gods to us. Keep yourself from idols, saith the Lord. (I John 5:21)
    3. A life of abiding in Him. (John 15:1-8) To be at home in the Lord, how awesome!

    His desire was also to know the power of Christ’s resurrection.


    1. Paul wrote to the Ephesians believers about this as found in Eph. 1:19-20. The
    very power that brought Christ out of the tomb is at our disposal.
    2. We are to experience what it means to be dead to sin, and alive unto Him by the
    power that belongs to the saint of God and according to the position we have in Him.
    (Rom. 6:1-14; Gal. 2:20)

    Paul desired to enter into the fellowship of His sufferings.


    1. The word fellowship here means a joint participation. Paul is not speaking of
    Christ’s death and sufferings on the cross for our sin, but His suffering for righteousness
    sake while here on the earth. (Col. 1:24)
    2. We need to be willing to go outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
    (Heb. 13:13-16). Moses is a good example of such suffering. (Heb. 11:24-27)

    Then Paul stated his desire to be made conformable unto Christ’s death.
    1. Christ’s death was the result of His self-emptying, of setting aside His glory and
    thus having no will of His own. He came to do the Father’s will, and could say He
    always pleased the Father. (Cf. Phil. 2:5-11; Heb. 5:7-9)
    2. Paul’s concern was that he might enter into this same surrender, dedication and
    death to own will. (II Cor. 5:14-15) Paul could say that he died daily and that his
    ministry was to glorify Christ only. (I Cor. 15:31; 2:1-5)

    Why not memorize these few verses -- Philippians 3:7-10? Then make 3:10
    the motto, the directive for your life!

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