Fellowship of His Sufferings

Paul said he counted all things as loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ (Php 3:8) Exactly what was he referring to in "knowing Christ"? He doesn't leave us to guess.

...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Php 3:10-11)

Wow! Didn't see that coming, did you?

Most of us would like to know Christ. We'd like to know that "laughing Jesus." We'd like to know that humble Christ. We'd really like to know that "friend of sinners," seeing that we are just that. We love to know the "He who is without sin cast the first stone" Jesus. Apparently Paul had a different version in mind. Well, perhaps not different as much as ... more. Paul wanted to know the power of His resurrection, and I can certainly understand that. I can use that resurrection power in my life. But Paul also wanted to know the fellowship of His sufferings. Now, I have to be honest; that's not high on my list. I don't long to know what it's like to be beaten, scorned, abused, crucified, hated, abandoned by friends ... for starters. But Paul did. And so should we. And, of course, that "being conformed to His death" sticks in most of our throats. Face it. Most of us have not arrived at "To live is Christ and to die is gain" (Php 1:21). Oh, we can quote it, but most of us are a long way from grasping it with both hands. Not Paul. He wanted to be conformed to His death. Of course, there is a very real sense in which we are. Believers become saved by being baptized into Christ (not the symbol of baptism, but immersion into) and, therefore, are baptized into His death (Rom 6:3). The Christian life is death. Death to self. Death to sin. Death to the world. But the Christian life is not just death. Paul wanted to know Christ in this way so that He could attain the resurrection from the dead. Paul believed that the closer he conformed to Christ in death, the closer he got to resurrection. Like Christ.

Sometimes the Christian worldview seems turned on its head. If you want to be served, become the servant of all. If you want to save your life, lose it. If you suffer, rejoice. If you want to know new life, die to self. But if you think about it, it makes sense. The world in which we live is at odds with God -- hostile to God (Rom 8:7; Php 3:18). As such, it would stand to reason that the world's perspectives would be in direct opposition to God's version. So, really, you have to ask yourself. Which one will you pursue? God's death to self that leads to life, or the world's "live for yourself" that leads to death? It is your choice.