TO KNOW HIM

In our last session we looked at the difference in following a religion verses having a relationship. today we will look at the joy of living in a relationship with Jesus.

In Philippians 3:9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness,  which is from the law but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.

The law could never declare one to be righteous it could only reveal our inability to be truly righteous before a holy God. It pointed to the promised One that would be able to fulfill the law in all areas, and exchanging our unrighteousness for His righteousness,  as we surrender to His finished work on the cross. Let's look at a few scriptures that support this.

2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Matthew 5:17 Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

Galatians 2:21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law then Christ died in vain.

Galatians 3:23-24 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

So what do we do with the law once we are saved? Isaiah 51:7 tells us the His law is in our heart. But one more and moving on.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

The heart we once had was hardened by stubbornness,  selfish desires, strong will; but through the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit our hearts now become fallow ground, pliable to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Now because of the Holy Spirit our desire is no longer to please ourselves but to please God, no longer seeking our way following our desires, but seeking His way and following His desire for us. His law is no longer a requirement to justify ourselves before God but it has become placed in our heart as part of who we are in Christ.

Philippians 3:10-11 that I might know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

There again is the word "know" speaking of an intimate relationship, and "the power of His resurrection",  John 2:19 says that Jesus will raise Himself up, Acts 2:24 says God raised up Jesus from the dead and Romans 8:11 says the Holy Spirit raised Him up. So what does this mean? It took the unity of the Godhead, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit to raise our beloved Savior and that Resurrection Power lives in us. (Look at Acts 1:8) It is the power to walk in victory, to walk by faith, to keep pressing forward and upward in this journey we call life. "Fellowship of His sufferings" we are in a partnership with Jesus and the kingdom of God and because we are not of the world, we will be mocked, ridiculed,  and persecuted. Jesus said in the world we will have tribulation but to be of good cheer, for He has overcome the world. (John 16:33) And because He has overcome trough the power within us we can overcome also. Before our salvation we are told in Ephesians 2:1 that we were dead in our sins but we were made ALIVE by the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit. How are we "conformed" to His death?  It means that as we were told in Philippians 2:8 Jesus both humbled Himself and became obedient to His death on the cross. Here He is Deity, God in the flesh and He was willing to be obedient to the Father and die for mankind. That we might be reconciled to God and be restored in fellowship with God as God desired it to be in the beginning. He did this by allowing the wrath of God for sin to be poured on Jesus Christ. So does God expect us to die also? Yes!! 

Matthew 10:38-39 And he who does not take His cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

To take up my cross is a daily act of complete surrender, to say Lord I want Your will for me, I want Your way for me, I want to walk as You desire for me to walk. I humble myself by letting go of my life and saying the old Linda is dead, Christ lives in me, I am guided not by my desires but by His desires for me. I allow His Holy Spirit in me to teach me and guide me. I seek His word to light my way, that I might know the will of God for me and to learn more of His character.  I surrender myself to prayer that I might speak with my Father and listen for when He speaks to me. I worship Him for who He is both privately and corporately. When Paul said "I may attain" he was not speaking in doubt but of humility and striving to pick up his personal cross daily. Some scriptures you may want to read privately: Romans 6:1-23. I had hoped to get further into looking at our citizenship but that is for session 8.