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Philippians 3:7-11 shows us the stages by which we come to know Christ. In verses 7-8 we see that, if we truly desire to gain Christ, we must first allow the Lord to bring us through many difficult experiences, and suffer the loss of so many things, even of all things, so that we come to the point where we are ready to gain Christ.

But after this, in verse 9, we come to something still more difficult: the loss, not just of things, but of our very self, so that we are found in Christ instead of in who we are. The experiences spoken of above are mainly outward, but here we have the real, inward dealing of the cross being applied to our very being.

Many believers will do so many things for Christ, but few are willing to experience this inward dying to self for the sake of Christ. Yet, only if we allow the Lord to break us in this way can we become a person who is able to impart the divine life to others for the blessing of the saints and of the Body of Christ as a whole.

Thus, we should offer ourselves to the Lord and ask Him to bring us through these difficult experiences, so He can apply the cross to our inner being and make us such ones.

How the church needs such ones today!

Length: 37 minutes.

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RESOURCES

Note
“The Lamb, the Serpent, & the Seed” (1)

Hymns

Watchman Nee: “First the Blood and then the Ointment”

Watchman Nee: “Olives that Have Known No Pressure”

Books

Witness Lee
Purchase the Kindle Edition on Amazon: Further Talks on the Knowledge of Life.

Witness Lee
Purchase the Kindle Edition on Amazon: The Experience of Christ.

Mary N. Garrard
Search Online:Jesse Penn Lewis: A Memoir

Titus Chu
Purchase the Paperback Edition on Amazon: Philippians: “That I May Gain Christ”.

Go to the website: TheStandardVersion.org

Purchase the Paperback Edition on Amazon: The Standard Version of the New Testament

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BIBLE VERSES REFERENCED
IN THIS EPISODE

Philippians 3:7-11: The stages of knowing Christ.
2 Peter 2:1-3: God’s judgment does not linger.
Revelation 20:11-15: The final judgment.
Hebrews 4:12: Dividing soul and spirit.
John 12:24, 26: Dying to give life to others.
Matthew 3:13-15: The baptism of Jesus.
1 Samuel 15:7-11, 22: Sparing the best of the Amalekite’s possessions.
Philippians 1:20-21: Magnifying Christ by living Him.
Psalm 55:17: Complaining to the Lord.
James 1:12: Receiving the crown of life today.

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Recorded…

in Chicago, Illinois on Wednesday, 4 September 2024