Cause for Living

"Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. For me to write the same things to you is not tedious, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.  Philippians 3:1-11 NKJV

Christ is everything and I am nothing. Everything is coming from God, nothing coming from me. I am possessed by Him. I am not my own; I were bought at the price of the blood of the Lord. I am totally bankrupt in spirit to earn the righteousness of God. In entirety, I am under His grace and mercy. He draws me in the Spirit and I humbly and thankfully respond to His unfailing love by faith and receive Him in fullness.

Just as I am His possession, so also He is mine, all His resources like the power of resurrection. So true is His promise that anyone who thirsts just comes unto Him and out of the rivers of living water within he would drink. Christ lives in me, the hope of glory. Whenever and wherever I thirst, I run into the inner sanctuary and drink Jesus my Lord out of the rivers of living water. I live in Jesus the Lord by faith in full now and forevermore.

Just as I have the sure assurance of hope that I inherit everything what Jesus Christ is, so also I have fellowship of His sufferings. So, I delight and welcome the time of pressure and stress like humiliation and shame and despair and guilt not because it is enjoyable but because I know that it produces perseverance, and perseverance, character, and charter, hope (Romans 5:3-4). All the sufferings happening in my life are working for me a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17).

I do not forget that my God knows what He is doing and He cares every child of His day and night. He is my Shield and Reward and Refuge and Shelter. I delight in the hope to know Him and the power of His resurrection, and at the same time the fellowship of His sufferings. That hope never makes me ashamed of because the love of God has been poured out in my heart by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).