What is My Story
We talked yesterday about the issue of where our identity is found. But who are we really? Does our life show that we are actually in Christ, or is it saying that we are found outside of Him? For this session, I really want you to think about your testimony, your story. Part of discovering where you are in your walk with Christ is simply taking an account of your life’s story. So, what is it? What markers do you have in your life that show Christ’s imprint? Do you have a life that has been altered by Him?
We found out yesterday that our lives without Christ are really not “lives” at all. We are dead in our trespasses before God. What does that mean for us though? We can do nothing apart from God calling us to be reconciled to Him. A dead thing doesn’t do all that much right? Just kind of sits there, lifeless, probably smelling pretty badly too. That is a pretty stark picture isn’t it?
So, what were you like before you knew Christ? What is your story? When I was younger I struggled with a spirit of anger. Not just a little bit either. It was pretty bad. Coupled with that was this perfectionist attitude. Those two things together make for a pretty volatile mix! If I didn’t do as well as I wanted to in school, or didn’t get something accomplished perfectly, I would throw a fit. I was pretty much a terror. I was dead in my sins.
What did that scripture say yesterday though? That we are made alive in Christ. There should be a significant change in our hearts and minds once we have come to Christ shouldn’t there be? If you just think about the analogy, we are dead things, lifeless and without hope, but all the sudden life is breathed into us! Our dead, decaying bodies are healed and we stand up. We are actually made alive because of what Christ has done in our lives!
Once I gave my life over to Christ, the most immediate significant change was that I was no longer the angry child that I once was. There was a tangible difference in my life because of Christ. Peace replaced my anger. Christ replaced my attitude.
What’s in it for me?
*Philippians 3:7–14 7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.
We need to evaluate our lives even further than just what can be seen on the outside. As Americans, we put a LOT of emphasis on our outward appearance don’t we? But our appearance does not always mean that we have truly been altered on the inside. We put on faces through Facebook or how we act at school.
Let’s evaluate our heart. Our very motives for doing the things that we do. Paul says in Philippians 3 that whatever he had gained in life, he counted it a loss, rubbish, so that he could gain Christ. His attitude is that everything in this life can be chalked up to one thing. Junk. Is that your attitude? Probably not. My attitude is that I like my flatscreen TV. I like my time. I like our new car. I like a lot of things in this life that I don’t chalk up to a loss. You have stuff too don’t you? Your cool phone, your ipod, or whatever it is. Or do you count it as a loss because it distracts you from your relationship with Christ?
It is easy to put on an act. It is simple to trick people into thinking that you are a Christian. But your heart tells the true story and you know it. My heart tells a true story because it knows my thoughts and what is important to me.
Why did Paul count all that he had ever gained as a loss? As rubbish? In order that I may gain Christ and be found IN him. Paul is saying that he would rather throw everything away, whether it is money, popularity, an easy life, just so that he could know Christ and be found in Him. To be rooted in Christ.
This speaks volumes about Paul’s commitment to Christ. If he were living in America right now, what would it look like? Would he be coined as a fanatic? Or would you wish that you were like him because of his love for God.
In Philippians 3:10 Paul goes on. Not only does he not give credence to the things that he has gained here on earth, but he would rather share in Christ’s sufferings, become like Him in His death, so that by all means possible he might receive the resurrection from the dead. Paul doesn’t make this sound like an easy thing to do does He? To give up all that he has to suffer with Christ? Paul’s passion for following God had no boundaries. By any means possible He would fight to follow Christ. He would fight to remember that the things on this earth are not of any eternal significance.
Why is it that our attitude is so often, “What is in it for me?” If you are in Christ your attitude should reflect a change of heart that asks, “What is in it for God?” Are we here right now because we thought this weekend would be fun? Or because we truly wanted to grow in our relationship with God. Because a weekend studying His word is more important to us than anything else in this world?
What is your attitude towards God? Let’s just get real for a while. Are sports more important? Is having your relaxation after school or work more important? Is entertainment more important? What is your heart really telling God?
Given a New Story:
If you are a Christian your worth is now found in knowing Christ. With that idea, do you count everything a loss so that you can gain Christ? What have you given up for Him this week? Today? Will you throw aside anything that tries to take God’s place in your life?
You may be thinking, “Whoa, that is a little more than what I signed up for!” If you are, then you may want to re-evaluate your commitment to Christ.
*Luke 9:57–62 57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” 61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
God doesn’t ask for what you “think” you can give Him. He is not satisfied with our petty offerings and weak minded attempts to please Him. Christ has changed my focus. Now I am in Him and my attitude should be that everything else I count as loss. Everything that I work for that is not kingdom minded and focused will ultimately be worthless in the long run.
My New Story: Christ has made me His own.
*Philippians 3:12 12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Did Paul consider Himself to have “Made it” as a Christian? Not according to this verse. He still struggled with sin. But what did he say about it? Paul says that he forgets what lies behind him. All the mistakes and failures are swallowed up in forgiveness by Christ. That is another awesome benefit to being in Christ.
Paul was pressing on toward the goal of his calling. Are you? We know it is going to be hard, but are you actively pressing forward towards Christ? To be found in Christ means that we strive towards the goal of knowing Him.
What does that look like? I strain towards Christ. My soul and strength are poured out in fighting for Him. I push, shove and punch through anything that pulls me aside from Christ.
So what makes you… you?
Christ Jesus has made you His own, by nothing you did, only by everything He has already done. The price has been paid for you to be able to forget your past. Right now, at this point in time, you are able to turn to Christ and say, “I want you to identify my life, I want to be in Christ.”
Let’s go back to the original question. What makes you, you? Is your life a reflection of who you really are? Or are you busy trying to build an image that covers up your true heart? Do you have things in your past that haunt you? Things that you wish you had forgiveness for? Are those what define your life?
If you are in Christ, your identity is no longer any of those things. You are a new creation and your heart has been changed. Whether you know it or not, you can give your past to Christ and He can help you forget it. But the next step is important. That you begin pursuing Him the same way that Paul lines it out for us. Pressing forward to know Him more, to be identified with Christ so that you can gain life in Him.
How should that impact my life? You should be completely different. If not, you need to ask God to make you completely different. Be altered.
Is it Christ in you? Or is it just you?
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