Ambition: It is a bane and it is a blessing. When it
is ambition for personal advancement, especially where the ‘means justifies the
end,’ then it can be harmful to the ambitious one and others. Yet, when
ambition is directed towards a greater good, everyone benefits. As the adage
says:
When you see someone reaching for authority, avoid him. He will hurt
you.
When you see someone reaching for responsibility, embrace him. He will
bless you.
The latter clearly
applies to the apostle Paul. He was so single-minded in his devotion for God,
sold out to fulfilling his call with joy (Acts 20), fighting the good fight of
faith and winning the prize, that the entire world has been blessed for
centuries because of him.
He is one of the most
influential people who ever lived; a man who changed the world. How did he do
it?
In our first part, we
learned Principle One - Grace: Don’t let your natural gifts get in
the way of God’s grace. Be willing to surrender them all to God in order to
live by grace and truth (John 1:14,17).
Principle Two -
Righteousness: Be found in
Christ having His righteousness, not your own, in your life. Matthew 5:20
is a warning from Jesus you will not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven unless
your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees. Considering they
were very righteous by human standards, this could have disheartening for
Jesus’ hearers. Yet, as we learn in Philippians 3:9, when you have
Christ’s righteousness dwelling in your heart by faith, you can know ‘kingdom
living.’
With these two things
in mind, let’s look at the third principle of have to change the world:
Principle Three - Knowing Christ
The basis of this is
found in Philippians 3:10-11, where Paul writes: That I may know him,
and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being
made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the
resurrection of the dead.
Frankly, this comes
across as a two-edged sword. The notion of ‘knowing Christ’ is indeed
wonderful, yet this same the Son of David, Son of God, Messiah, Saviour and
King, also is One who suffered and did so unspeakably for our sins. To know the
One Who conquered sin, destroyed the works of the devil, triumphed over
principalities and powers, and lives forevermore, is essential for being an
agent of change in the world.
To know Him includes,
among other things:
1.
Understanding
that His yoke is easy and His burden light (Matthew 11:30);
2.
He
has overcome the world (John 16:33);
3.
He
is meek and lowly of heart (Matthew 11:29);
4.
The
alpha and omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last (Revelation
22:13);
5.
He
is high above all principality, power, might, dominion and every name that is
named (Ephesians 1:21);
6.
He
is the king of glory (Psalm 24:8,10);
7.
Ever
gentle: a bruised reed he will not break and a smoking flax he will not quench
(Matthew 12:20);
8.
All
authority is given to Him in heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18).
There is even more than
what is described here. It takes a lifetime, even an eternity, to get to know
the One who saves the soul (John 17:3). Yet within all this is the fellowship
of His sufferings; definitely not a topic you can expect to hear from most
pulpits.
‘Fellowship of His Suffering’
In considering this
Biblical phrase, remember that we are in a fallen world and until Christ
returns, suffering happens to the unrighteous and the righteous. Yet, there is
a silver lining. Suffering brings purity - the psalmist said that before he was
afflicted, he went astray, but now - thanks to affliction - he takes
heed to God’s Word (Psalm 119:67). Suffering helps us identify with Christ and
others; we can be empathetic because we have stood in that place (II
Corinthians 1:4-6).
During one of our holy
land trips my luggage and that of half of the pilgrims was held up and we did
not see them again for 5 days. People were amazingly distraught at being
separated from their possessions, even for a day. It was good that I, too,
awaited my luggage, otherwise I would have been told ‘You don’t understand!’
That fact is I did understand because my bags were held up like the others.
Suffering is also like
growing pains; it shows that we are headed for enlargement. The psalmist says
that God enlarged Him when he was in distress (Psalm 4:1). This suffering that
Paul writes about speaks of being made conformable to Christ’s death. Again,
this is a topic that is avoided, but remember it is fundamental to victorious
Christian living. As Christ died for us, we die in Him (Romans 6). As Christ
rose, we rise in Him. No death, no resurrection power - it is a simple as that.
Power of His Resurrection
This is also a key to
victory and world change. Death represents the ultimate of weakness. I often say
that the weakest living person is mightier than the strongest dead person.
Death means weakness. Resurrection represents the ultimate of power over the
ultimate weakness. It takes power to raise the dead and that power comes from
God. The same Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead will quicken your
mortal body and eventually trade it in for a glorified body that can never ever
die. That’s power in action.
If Philippians
3:9-10 still seems to be a bit much, always remember that you are not
walking this pathway alone - you are walking with God. His grace and truth will
enable, equip, and edify you. You are also walking in the fellowship of the
saints, who are going through the same situation.
So if we are going to
be an agent of world-change, remember that knowing Christ in all His fulness
is an indispensable key. TO BE CONTINUED.
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