Philippians 3:11

Philippians 3:11

“…If, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

The longer I do daily IBS’s the more I am convinced that the essence of the simple gospel is the most important thing. I’ve always known it, but complex doctrine definitely interested me a lot more than simply knowing Jesus more. I would do random word studies for fun or read different peoples’ opinions on certain doctrinal issues just to see different sides to things. While there is nothing wrong with knowing these things, it is so easy to get caught up in the details that you forget who they point to. Its almost like using a microscope to look at Van Goh’s “Stary Night (is that how its spelled?)” Yes, you’re going to learn a lot about the tiny little brush strokes and how the paint blends together but you’ll never experience the beauty of the full picture. What a tragedy to never just sit back and enjoy the beauty and splendor of the big picture. In Philippians 3:11 Paul and Timothy are saying that there is no price too high for the sake of following Jesus. Not that there is no price too high for Calvinism, arminianism, old earth theology, or any of the million other things the church divides over. “Any means” is a statement that covers everything. It includes leaving home, your comfort zone, family, friends, job security, etc. “Any means” includes persecution and tribulations. Resurrection from the dead is Christianity’s war cry because if the victory over death has already been won, no other victory is impossible.