Being Able to Do All Things in Christ (3)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bible Verses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Phil. 4:12 I know also how to be abased, and I know how to
abound; in everything and in all things I have learned the
secret both to be filled and to hunger, both to abound and to
lack. (13) I am able to do all things in Him who empowers
me.
3: 8 ...that I may gain Christ (9) And be found in Him...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Words of Ministry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(Part 3 of 3)
In 4:13 Paul refers to Christ as the One who "empowers me."
To be so empowered is to be made dynamic inwardly. Christ
dwells in us (Col. 1:27). He empowers us, makes us dynamic,
from within, not from without. By such inward empowering Paul
could do all things in Christ. In 4:13 we find the secret to
which Paul refers in verse 12. Here Paul says that he is in
Christ, in the One who empowers him. In chapter three Paul
testified that he pursued Christ in order to gain Him and be
found in Him. Now in 4:13 Paul says that he is in Him. In
Christ as the One who empowers him Paul could do all things.
He could say, "Christ is my secret of sufficiency. As long as
I have Him and as long as I am in Him, I can do all things in
Him."
To appreciate Paul's word we need to join the phrase "in Him"
in 4:13 to the same phrase in 3:9. In 3:9 Paul aspired to be
found in Him; in 4:13 Paul declared that being in Him he
could do all things in the One who empowered him. This is the
secret.
Our circumstances may change. In certain circumstances we may
abound, and in others we may be abased. But whether we abound
or are abased, the enjoyment of the Lord is the same. Perhaps
he enjoyed more of Christ when he was poor than when he was
rich. This, however, is my understanding. Perhaps Paul would
say, "No, I enjoy Christ equally when I am abased and when I
am abounding. It makes no difference to me whether I am rich
or poor, high or low. The enjoyment of Christ is the same."
Even though the enjoyment might be the same, the taste might
still be different. Whether or not there was any difference
in enjoyment or in taste, it is certain that Paul had learned
the secret.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words
of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of Philippians, pp. 249-250. Both
are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA
Please visit us at www.emanna.com
Comments to: comment@emanna.com.
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Message Date: 05/29/2009
