(Philippians 3:8-12 KJV) "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, {9} And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: {10} That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; {11} If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. {12} Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus."

We all have a tendency to grow accustomed to the things which we have, the things which we own. When we first buy a new car we are ever so careful to keep it clean. The slightest dust on the dashboard, the slightest track on the carpet, and we clean it as fast as we can. It is new, and with the newness we carefully guard it lest it be spoiled with misuse. The same is true of anything new - equipment, experience, or friendship. When it is new we guard it - but in time we begin to take it for granted. The car that we cared for when it was new, now we allow a little dust to accumulate. The new friend we made, as we become more familiar with him we begin to take certain things for granted - we are less careful of how we use our tongue. The new marriage, we were so careful at the start to not offend the mate, but now - as we become more familiar - we take for granted their kindnesses and benefits.

And so, many have done with their relationship with God. At the moment of salvation they felt the great rush of relief as all burdens were lifted. No longer do I have to worry about my life - I have a Father who oversees it all. No longer do I have to drag around that burden, but the Spirit - my Blessed Partner - carries the burden for me. No longer do I worry about death and the life to come, for I have committed my eternity into the hands of the Son, Jesus Christ my Lord. But, in time, do we become familiar - too familiar - with that which we have in Jesus? Do we become familiar in our place of belonging, and begin to take our loving God for granted?

The Apostle Paul avoided this "take God for granted" attitude by focusing on the "Power of His Resurrection". Let's focus on that today for just a few minutes.

1. The Power of His Resurrection Overcomes Temporal Loss

(Philippians 3:8 KJV) "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ ..."

What have you lost that Christ cannot return? What did Christ lose that the Father did not return? Consider our Lord as He walked this earth, going about doing good. Jesus healed the leper, gave sight to the blind, enabled the cripple to walk. Jesus was followed by vast crowds of disciples. He had twelve who claimed to be His closest companions. He never did an evil thing in His entire life. Yet He was dragged off to an unfair trial, falsely accused of doing evil. He was tortured, beaten repeatedly, though none could find evil in Him. Pilate himself said "I find no evil in this man", then washed his hands of the whole affair. Herod played with Him as if he were a common criminal before sending Him to an unjust death.

My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?

Jesus counted all things - His life, His friendships, the things that He could have owned - all things as dung so that He could make the ultimate sacrifice for us. He went to the Cross for us, suffering death for us. But it did not end here. Those things which Christ lost in this life for us and for the Father, Christ regained through the power of the Resurrection. He was falsely judged, but after the Resurrection all judgment was committed to Him. People stood and pointed at Him as if He were nothing while He hung on the Cross, but after the Resurrection every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord. He was abandoned by the Father while our sins were placed on Him, so much so that He cried out:

(Mark 15:34 KJV) "... Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"

Yet now, because of the power of the Resurrection, Christ has become the firstborn among many brethren :

(Romans 8:29 KJV) "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."

The power of Christ's Resurrection overcomes loss in this life. We share in Christ's resurrection by faith when we accept Jesus to be our personal Savior.

The Apostle Paul lost much in his lifetime. He was a Jew among the Jews, a high ranking member of the ruling Council of Israel. Paul was well respected by both Jewish and Roman authorities, and was taught by the greatest teacher of Israel, the Rabbi Gamaliel. Paul was well to do, and would lack for nothing while he followed the crowd.

Paul lost it all when he met Jesus. He lost his place on the Ruling Council of Israel. His family disowned him - he became the shame, the black sheep, of the family. Those who were once his friends became his enemies. He lost his riches, and had to make tents for a living. If ever a man should have been in despair, that man should have been Paul. Yet he said:

(Philippians 3:8 KJV) "... I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ ..."

The same Power that resurrected Jesus is the same Power that gives life to those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. Our Almighty God and Savior has promised:

(Mark 10:29-30 KJV) "And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, {30} But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life."

Did you catch that? If we have forsaken home, or our various relationships, or even valuable property for Jesus and His Gospel, then we shall "receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life". Paul knew that what he lost for Christ would be returned many times over by the Power of the Resurrection. The things that he lost, relationships that were destroyed, health that slipped away - the power of the Resurrection would restore it all. The famous name, now recognized as traitor by his friends in Jewish government, would be restored in the power of the Resurrection. He counted the temporary things around him as dung - garbage - for he knew that Jesus Christ would bring something better into his life.

2. The Power of His Resurrection Overcomes My Limitations

(Philippians 3:9-10 KJV) "And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: {10} That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death"

Praise God that the power of Christ's Resurrection overcomes my limitations! The Cross of Christ paid for our sins, as the Scripture says:

(Colossians 2:13-15 KJV) "And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; {14} Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; {15} And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it."

For years man tried to work his way to God. Man tried to be good enough to enter into Heaven on his own, tried to be righteous enough. God created a system of works for Israel called the Law, and every Jew tried in his own power to live according to the precepts of that Law. Year after year though, on the first month of the year every Jew took a sacrifice to the Temple on the Day of Atonement. They took the sacrifice because their limitations, their failures, their inability to meet the righteousness of God demanded that they sacrifice. As the writer of Hebrews said:

(Hebrews 10:1-9 KJV) "For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. {2} For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. {3} But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. {4} For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. {5} Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: {6} In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. {7} Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. {8} Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; {9} Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second."

If man had the ability to be good enough for Heaven, then someone would have fulfilled the Law. Someone would have lived their life perfectly, would have not had to sacrifice animals anymore. Yet year after year the followers of the Law made sacrifice for sin. They failed to keep the Law, and thus animals were made to pay the penalty in their stead. Then one day One came who said, "Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me". Our Lord Jesus came, laying down His life for us who believe. By His sacrifice he took all of the ordinances that we had broken and nailed them to the Cross. If He had stopped here that would not be enough, for we would still need an Intercessor, we would still need a Savior, even after salvation.

(Hebrews 7:25 KJV) "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."

The power of His resurrection insures that we have a place reserved for us in Heaven. The power of His resurrection means that Christ now sits on the right hand of God the Father actively speaking for us. When the Accuser, that old devil comes, our Lord speaks for us. When we allow the trials of life to weigh us down, our Lord speaks for us. When we slip we do not fall, for our Lord speaks for us, for we have accepted Him as Savior.

3. The Power of His Resurrection Guarantees My Resurrection

(Philippians 3:11-12 KJV) "If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. {12} Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus."

(Revelation 20:6 KJV) "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years."

I recently read an article where it was said that today's preachers do not preach on hell, or on the dire consequences of rejecting Christ as Savior. I do not know if this is true or not. However, I will make sure that you understand that the promises of God belong to those who have accepted Christ as Savior as well as to those who have rejected Him as Savior. The Lord has made it very plain in Scripture that each and every one of us have a choice to make. We can choose Christ, and share in the Power of His resurrection. Oh, what a beautiful choice that is to make, and such an easy choice. Not relying on my own righteousness, but believing in Jesus, accepting what He did for me, and knowing that the Second Death of hellfire has no power over me. Because He lives, I will be a priest of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him when He reigns during the Millennium.

Because hell is not often mentioned by this generation of ministers, do not believe for one moment that there is no hell. Our Lord Jesus warned of hell more than any other preacher, so I need to warn - to sound the trumpet of warning - lest you consider it but a fantasy. Our Lord Jesus suffered, died, and resurrected so that we, calling on His name, can be saved from the awful consequence of hell.

There is a hell, a Lake of Fire, and it is every bit as real as God is real. Yet you need not spend one moment there. God so loved You that He gave His Only Son for You. And if You believe in Him you will never perish, but have Eternal Life. Believe, call on the name of Jesus, and you shall be saved.

CLOSURE