aspirers to Phillippians 3:10-11 beware

"[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [[b]which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death" (Philippians 3:10-11, Amplified Bible)

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3:10-11, NIV)

It doesn't seem that this is the aspiration or prayer of many followers of Jesus these days. "I want to know...the fellowship in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death."

Hmmm.

Not too many of us in that boat. And even fewer actually seeking or desiring that boat, it seems in terms of American believers. So much seems to be about blessing, blessing, blessing in today's American Body.

As I've often said, I am not and do not take anything away from those whose lives are blessed of the Lord. It's just the common deceit that human blessing, worldly blessing, financial blessing is THE goal, or one of the preeminent goals, of the Christian faith.

Contrast the blessing approach with these verses from Philippians 3. I want to know Jesus, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming like Him in death.

For those who want to grow in their faith, those who want to grow beyond the "well, I'm blessed, and I'm saved, and so that's all I'm concerned about in my Christian walk", be aware.

If you seek to become like Jesus as in Philippians, get ready. Or, if the Lord chooses you and says "Okay, I know you are comfortable with where you are with Me, but I am choosing you to move on to new levels of faith and growth in Me", be aware.

Aware of what? Be aware that life as you know it on earth is going to get rocked. Shaken. Uprooted. And quite possibly turned upside down from an earthly, human perspective.

Just as when you decided to follow Jesus, truly follow Him, there were some things that changed in your life. Same thing happens here. When you choose, or He chooses, for you to move onward and stronger in your faith, there are going to be some new changes. These changes will NOT correspond to comfort and ease from an earthly perspective.

What are you talking about, you may ask.

Let's step back in time and look at something.

Let's take a look at what Jesus says:

"If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me." (Luke 9:23)

"For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting]." (Matthew 16:25, Amplified)

Let's look at that a little more. In Jesus' day, death by crucifixion was the most painful death of that time. You suffocated to death. If you weren't dying fast enough they broke your legs, so that you wouldn't be able to push up off your feet to draw breaths easily. This quickened your death, and did so by suffocation.

Death by a cross was not a pretty thing. It was ugly. It was humiliating. It was painful. Very painful.

And yet Jesus said (paraphrased) 'if you want to follow Me, you must be willing to deny yourself, even be willing to die to your self. You must be willing to take up your cross. Yes, take up your cross. No, I didn't stutter. By taking up your cross daily you must be willing to die painfully in order to follow Me. And oh, by the way, if you are determined to save your earthly life, guess what? You're going to lose it. But if on the other hand you forsake (lose) your earthly life of comfort and security for My sake, you'll end up finding eternal life.'

This is the Gospel, folks. This is not teaching that tickles ears or gives warm fuzzies and human comfort. This is the foundation of choosing to follow Jesus.

Why is it difficult to digest this teaching today, in the 21st century? Because nowadays the cross is a beautiful piece of jewelry. The cross is something we sing a pretty little song about while thinking about how good that casserole is going to taste at the potluck lunch after the service is over.

In Jesus' day the cross meant death.

The meaning of the cross has been diluted by the world to where it no longer is seen for what it means: painful death.

To those who embrace the true meaning of the cross, that would be the equivalent today of wearing an electric chair around our necks. It's a symbol of death. "I have been crucified with Jesus, and I no longer live but rather Jesus lives in me" (Galatians 2:20)

Dying to self, dying to our flesh, dying to the comfort and attraction of a smooth and blessed life--ain't easy. It's not comfortable. It's not fun. It's not promised to be rosy life full of fluff. But it's what we're called to...if we wish to follow Jesus.

"but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God." (1 Cor 1:23-24, NIV)

"Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:24)

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

These verses are a clear, blunt statement that the life of following Jesus, striving to become more like Him, is not a life composed of earthly pleasures.

Jesus gave us a powerful, ultimate example of denying self.

He did not want to go to Calvary. He was willing to, and did, but He did not want to.

What did He tell God the Father? (paraphrased) "If there is any other way this can be done, ANY other way, then do it another way and let what's about to happen NOT be what must occur. Yet not my will, but Your will be done." (Matthew 26: 39-42)
How does this translate to our lives as followers of Jesus, and Philippians 3:10-11?

We're called to die to the flesh and simultaneously called to live according to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Our flesh wars against the Holy Spirit and the Spirit wars against the flesh.

And what's the reward for deciding to deny ourselves?

We'll be hated and despised. (Matthew 10:22, Luke 6:22) The passage in Luke goes on to say we will be excluded, insulted and rejected.

Have you been misunderstood? Welcome to being a follower of Jesus. Have your motives and actions been misinterpreted? Welcome to following Jesus. Have you been betrayed by someone close to you? Welcome to being a follower of Jesus. Have you been butchered by circumstances or people while standing for His Truth? Welcome to being a follower of Jesus.

Are you pouring out your life or heart and getting kicked in the teeth as a result? Welcome to what Jesus experienced when He walked the earth. He healed and performed jaw-dropping miracles for three plus years, and what thanks did He get? He was spat on, mocked, beaten beyond recognition (Isaiah 52:14) and killed.

If we hunger to become like Jesus (not for one or two hours on Sunday morning, but in our lives), we're going to be asked to die. Die to ourselves. Die to our flesh.

This taking place means pain. There is no comfortable, warm, blessed way to die to the flesh. The process of dying to self and becoming like Jesus separates us from our earthly flesh. This is the Gospel, and it is not a comfort-based process. Preaching or teaching otherwise is ear-tickling (2 Timothy 4:3).

This painful process can take place one of two ways. We can choose/seek/ask to become like Jesus, or we may be cruising along in our walk with Jesus and we get a wake-up call by Him, offering/asking us to become more like Him.

Jesus has considered you worthy to rise above the elementary salvation level of Christianity. Jesus thinks enough of you that He wants you to become a bigger man or woman of God than to just sit comfortably in an air conditioned, cushioned pew savoring your salvation.

All followers should aspire to become more like Jesus, as in the Philippians 3:10-11 verses. When earthly trials and rejection arise as as result of the growth necessary to become more like Him, don't be surprised.