“I want to know Christ and
the power of his resurrection
and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings,
becoming like him in his death.”
Philippians 3:10 (NIV)
“. . . power of his resurrection . . .”
Christianity is the only religion in the world that claims a risen Savior. Our
beliefs stem from Jesus ’ being
resurrected and risen from the grave. This basis of our Christianity influences
those who come to the cross. We serve a risen Savior.
“. . . fellowship of sharing in his sufferings.
. . ” As we get to know Jesus as
our personal Savior, we begin to see things with His eyes. Our perspective
changes from a ‘me’ outlook to more circumspect outlook. We learn to think in
terms of how we model Christ to those around us.
“. . . becoming like him in his death” Jesus displayed obedience to the Father-at Gethsemane , before Pilate , and
by going to the cross. In becoming like Jesus
we learn to develop and exhibit compassion for those who hurt, patience for
those who struggle to find their way, and model obedience to God.
We can only
display godly attributes as we learn of His ways. As we grow closer to God we
will become more like Him in our lives.
I was just reading these passages tonight, Cecelia! Pondering Paul also as the one who counted all loss but for gaining Christ! Powerful!
ReplyDeleteDawn: Thank you for your thought. Every time I read a passage from the Pauline letters, I feel humbled then empowered.
DeleteI like what you said, "We can only display godly attributes as we learn of His ways. As we grow closer to God we will become more like Him in our lives." I need to be reminded of this often...growing closer to God and learning of His ways will help me (us) to be more Christlike. Thank you for that reminder today.
ReplyDeletePam: Thank you for your thought. Because of our humanity, we all need to be reminded that we have to have a vital relationship with God in our lives.For me, I couldn't have weathered the storms of my life without Him.
DeleteBlessings,