Bible Studies

---

Philippians 3:10 – “I want to know Him. I want to have the same power in my life that raised Jesus from the dead. I want to understand and have a share in His sufferings and be like Christ in His death.”

Thesaurus Fun

Understand – appreciate, value, realize, comprehend, grasp, take in,
Like – similar to, resembling, analogous, alike

Like Him in His Death

God has revealed Himself through creation, in His word, in our hearts, and most clearly in the person of Jesus Christ – all this that we might know Him. Not simply so that we might intellectually know facts about Him like some grand historical figure, but God wants us to truly know Him – intimately and personally. And this is possible through the inward work of the Holy Spirit who opens the Scriptures to us and manifests God’s love in our hearts, changing us to be like Christ. It is nothing less than the all-mighty power of God that works in you, if you have received the Holy Spirit. This same power by which Jesus performed miracles and through which He was raised from the dead is the same power that gives life to your soul and works in you the miracle of a transformed life and surrender to God’s will. It is only through God’s power that we can become “like Christ in His death.” Through His death, the brilliant facets of the character of Jesus Christ shine forth with glory. Jesus was selfless and self-giving – willing to suffer excruciating pain (physically, mentally, spiritually) and shame through His “trials” before human authorities and on the cross. For not only was He beaten, mocked, and crucified, but He also became our sin bearer. As Scripture says, “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.( 2 Corinthians 5:21)” He suffered all of this so that we could be redeemed and be brought back as the children of God to the glory of God. It is this same passion that He would set fire to in us – heart for the lost, a voice that spreads the gospel no matter the varying ways that we might suffer for it in this life.

With His death, Christ affirmed what had been true all of His life – that He was completely, consistently, and irrevocably obedient to the will of the Father. As He said in Gethsemane just before being arrested, “…nevertheless, not my will but Yours be done. (Matthew 26:39)” It is this kind of total surrender to God and consistent obedience to His will that is to be the progression of and end result for every follower of Christ. This is what it means to be “Christ like”, to be conformed to His image, to be holy. To be holy simply means to be set apart exclusively for the will of God – literally it means “set apart”. If we could be this set apart – this surrendered and consecrated to God – we could finally be like Christ and we would affect the world like He did.

Point to Ponder

The first and most important question is this: do you know God? Not just intellectually for, “even the demons believe that and tremble (James 2:19 )”, but do you have a living and growing relationship with Him personally? Second, do you allow God’s power to be at work in your life? If you do have a relationship with Him, then He has given you His Holy Spirit through whom the power of God works in you. Have you allowed Him to do His powerful and miraculous work in you? Are you ready, with God’s help, to daily live in complete surrender to His will so that you might be like Christ in His death, that you might ever know Him better?

Together we pray, “Oh great God, we stand amazed at the vastness, intricacy, beauty, and glory of Your creation. You have revealed Yourself in creation (Psalm 19:1), but more than that, You have revealed Yourself to us in You inspired Word and most clearly, wondrously, and humbly in the incarnation of Your Son. Thank You for revealing Yourself thus unto us that we might experience a growing relationship with You. We admit that in ourselves we are fallen sinners in need of Your grace and forgiveness. We receive Your forgiveness, mercy, and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and we open our hearts and lives to You to receive that gift of the Holy Spirit. Set to work in our lives, oh God, and may we be set apart for You. Help us to daily surrender ourselves totally to You that by Your infinite and all-mighty power You would conform us into the image of Christ. Help us to love what You love, hate what You hate, to be passionate as You are passionate that we might in some measure share in Your sufferings and so also share in Your glory as it is revealed in us. We pray all these things in the wonderful name of Him who saved us for this very reason – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.”

See these songs: I Long for You, Surrender to Your Love

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE