The Key Being the Experience of Christ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Phil. 1:7 ...since both in my bonds and in the defense and
confirmation of the gospel you are all fellow partakers with
me of grace. (8) For God is my witness how I long after you
all in the inward parts of Christ Jesus. (9) And this I
pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in full
knowledge and all discernment, (11) Being filled with the
fruit of righteousness, which is through Jesus Christ, to the
glory and praise of God.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In 1:7-11 Paul uses a number of important terms. He speaks of
the defense of the gospel, the confirmation of the gospel,
full knowledge, all discernment, proving by testing, and the
fruit of righteousness. In verse 8 he even refers to the
"inward parts of Christ Jesus." The key to understanding
these verses and all the terms and expressions they contain
is the experience of Christ. The experience of Christ is the
master key which opens the door to the book of Philippians.
It is proper to say that the defense of the gospel, the
confirmation of the gospel, knowledge, discernment, proving
by testing, purity, and the fruit of righteousness are all
Christ Himself. Yes, even the defense of the gospel is
Christ. If we do not have Christ, there is no way for us to
defend the gospel. We can defend it only by Christ, not by
eloquence. It is possible to preach the gospel and even to
mention Christ quite often without having the reality of
Christ in our speaking. In such a preaching of the gospel,
there is no ministry of Christ to others. The way to defend
the gospel is to minister Christ. Christ is also the genuine
confirmation of the gospel, for He is the centrality, the
focal point, of the gospel. Apart from Him, there is no
confirmation of the gospel.
True knowledge and discernment are also Christ Himself. If we
experience Christ day by day, we shall be filled with
knowledge and discernment. We shall discern matters not by
our natural cleverness, but by the Christ who lives within
us. Our experience of Christ will make us wise and tactful.
The indwelling Christ is our perceptive power. Although I was
a true seeker after the Lord when I was young, I did not know
that Christ could be my discernment, my tact, and my
perception. But through the years I have come to see that He
is the very ability by which I can see into the nature of
things. The indwelling Christ is my perception.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(c) Living Stream Ministry. Bible verses are taken from the Recovery
Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study
of Philippians, pp. 31-32. Both are published by Living Stream
Ministry, Anaheim, CA.
Please visit us at www.emanna.com
Comments to: comment@emanna.com.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe ultimate.philippine.travel.blog@blogger.com from the mailing list, simply click on the link below:
http://mail.emanna.com/smpro/s.pl?r=1&l=2&e=ultimate.philippine.travel.blog=:blogger.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Email: ultimate.philippine.travel.blog@blogger.com
ID: 14715
Time Completed: 11:09 PM
Language: English
List: 2.list
Email type: plain
Message Date: 01/20/2009
