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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Philippians 3:11, #16
I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4)
The hundredfold sit on thrones and govern the works of God's hands. They were "beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God" and did not bow down to and serve the economic world system of Antichrist (Revelation 20:4).
That they were "beheaded" signifies they have set aside their own thinking and put on the mind, the head, of Christ. The hundredfold cast off their own life, their own crown, under the supervision of the Spirit of God. They are transformed by the renewing of their mind. Every day they put on the mind of Christ and obey the Word of God, both written and revealed personally to them. They surrender to God the plans, imaginations, desires, and ambitions of their mind.
They do not remain part of the present world system. They come out of the world and live unto the Lord. They are foolishness to the world and the world is foolishness to them. They are crucified to the world and the world is crucified to them.
They are God's hundredfold. They arrive at the first resurrection from the dead by laying aside their life and entering the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, let us examine the context of Philippians 3:11 and see if we have adhered to the thinking of the Apostle as we are attempting to interpret this extraordinary verse.
Paul begins the third chapter of the Book of Philippians by speaking of his accomplishments in the religion of Judaism. Paul was blameless in terms of the Law and ordinances of Moses.
Then Paul says:
But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. (Philippians 3:7)
The "things" that were gain were his attainments in Judaism, and Paul now was viewing these attainments as nothing more than a hindrance to His pursuit of Christ.
Next, Paul expands the discarding of his accomplishments to include "all things."
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win [gain] Christ, (Philippians 3:8)
The "knowledge of Christ" is not knowledge about the historical Jesus, or even the knowledge of who or what Jesus is in Heaven. Rather, the knowledge for which Paul traded all else is the knowledge that comes through entering Christ and Christ entering us. It is the deepest kind of personal knowledge. It is the knowledge that is perfect, complete union. It is oneness with Him who is God.
Paul was seeking to "win Christ." Christ must be won. Christ must be gained by laying aside all else so we may adhere in every respect to what Christ presents to us each day. It is an abiding in Him who continually presents a different challenge to the one who would keep on abiding in Him. It is a moment by moment interaction with the living Jesus—an interaction that results in union, in oneness of life, oneness of will, oneness of purpose, oneness of joy, oneness of all personality and behavior.
To be continued.