Breakfast:: Knowing Christ

Praise

Let's start our morning with a prayer of praise. Adam's insurance company has approved his treatment at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston!

Philippians 3:2-11

   2Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. 3For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— 4though I myself have reasons for such confidence.

  If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

  7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Rather harsh words from Paul! It appears that Paul uses "dogs" to describe false teachers — those legalists who rejected the grace of God in favor of rituals and properly following Jewish laws and customs. Paul points out his own résumé qualifies him as a "righteous legalist" — a faultless one at that! Having become a follower of Jesus, Paul counted all of his past as loss compared to knowing Christ.

I read two books during the past year that led me to examine my own Pharisaical tendencies, and helped nurture my appreciation for grace. I highly recommend both — 12 Steps for the Recovering Pharisee (like me) and What's So Amazing About Grace?. Be prepared to be challenged!

Some of you question why I write this blog. If I had an easy answer, I could quit asking the same question, myself! I felt called by God to start it, but I had no idea back in May that I would still be writing in September. Verse 10 reminds me that "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings."

I am not theologian, nor a pastor, nor an elder. Shoot, I am not even a Sunday School teacher — a role filled quite well by my teenage daughter! So, I might say some things that would not be approved by the religious establishment. Having said that, I do believe that Christ is still suffering. I believe that He suffers when His followers suffer. So, if Christ is suffering over Adam's condition, and He is suffering over the hurt of his family, this blog is one way that I share in His sufferings.

Yes, I know that Paul was referring specifically to Jesus' crucifixion. Like I said, my beliefs and yours may differ on this one. It is simply my opinion that Christ still suffers when bad things happen in this world. Sharing in it is why I write. It is why I pray. It is why I fast.

My hope and prayer, this morning, whether you agree or disagree with my belief, is that you would count all things as loss compared to knowing Christ. And, if you have not already, read the two books I mentioned above.

Today is our day to spend extra time with God. Set aside time to meet with Him.



Yes, we want to lift up Adam and his family in our prayers, but we can also pray for others in need of healing. We can also spend some meditating on God's grace, and pray that we can extend grace to others.