THE CHRISTIAN'S ONE PASSION
Philippians 3:7-12 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 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 9 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; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
INTRODUCTION
When we speak of the Christian's one passion we are referring to what should be the passion of the believer according to the NT. We should adjust our views and attitudes to the NT.
What would you say is the one passion of a Christian according to the NT? Possible suggestions:
Evangelism?
Prayer?
Reading and studying the Word?
Many other things suggested by Christians and ministries.
No, the answer is WORSHIP!
Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
The aim of our website (
Our one aim is to bring believers in Jesus Christ to the place where they will share the passion of Paul to know Christ.
Only this single-minded focus can bring Christians back fromthe many 'things' in Christianity that distract from Christ. In no other way can the issues concerning sanctification, assembly, ministry, evangelism, apologetics, eschatology, or any other relevant topic be addressed scripturally. Because of this lack of passion many Christians have been drawn into the world and its fleeting pleasures.
The scriptures ultimately want to lead us to a crystal-clear seeing of Christ in us as our life and our all (John. 5:39; Gal. 2:20; 1 Cor. 1:30; Col. 3:4).
This 'seeing'leads to the recognition of our uninterrupted union with Him, which spontaneously blossoms into that ONE PASSION!
This is the true focus of our church. Without this one passion church life becomes something very different from what the NT reveals.
I. WHAT DID PAUL MEAN WHEN HE SAID 'THAT I MAY KNOW HIM'?
Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
‘know’
Not simply intellectual knowledge, but experiential and personal knowledge (ginosko).
John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
‘the power of His resurrection’
Ephesians 1:19-20 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
Paul wanted to experience this power in his daily life.
‘the fellowship of His sufferings’
The power of His resurrection comes first so that we may bear the suffering.
“He was not contented to share the triumph of Olivet; He wanted to feel something of the pang and chill and loneliness of Gethsemane.’ Jowett
‘being conformed to His death’
Identified with His death to experience freedom from sin, the flesh, the world and the devil, but also to be willing to lose your life for the gospel (Phil. 1:21).
Paul was willing to give up everything for this knowledge:
PHILIPPIANS 3 VERSES 7 TO 12 - AMPLIFIED VERSION
7 But whatever former things I had that might have been gains to me, I have come to consider as [[z]one combined] loss for Christ's sake.
8Yes, furthermore, I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege (the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage) of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly]. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish (refuse, dregs), in order that I may win (gain) Christ (the Anointed One),
9And that I may [actually] be found and known as in Him, not having any [self-achieved] righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Law's demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with God thus acquired), but possessing that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the [truly] right standing with God, which comes from God by [saving] faith.
10[For my determined purpose is] that I may know Him [that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and more clearly], and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection [[aa]which it exerts over believers], and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed [in spirit into His likeness even] to His death, [in the hope]
11That if possible I may attain to the [[ab]spiritual and moral] resurrection [that lifts me] out from among the dead [even while in the body].
12Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own.
II. WHY WAS THIS HIS ONE PASSION?
Was he special in that way? No, he tried to draw everyone into this one passion.
2 Corinthians 11:2-3 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
Road to Damascus. He saw the beauty of the Lord and nothing could compare.
The strict discipleship terms in the gospels have to do with a love that gives up all and is willing to sacrifice even its own life.
Luke 14:26 "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. (See Luke 10:27b)
John 6:54-55 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.
Psalms 34:8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Such a great love could demand no less from those who received it:
1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.
Luk 10:27 So he answered and said, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND,' and 'YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'"
Paul understood the demand of the divine love and we have to understand His one passion in the light of this revelation:
Philippians 3:10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
III. CAN NORMAL PEOPLE WITH BUSY LIVES HAVE THIS PASSION?
Paul led a very busy life.
Objection: but he was busy with the Lord’s matters, not with secular work.
Answer: It is very possible to be in ministry and to not have this passion. The things of God, instead of the God of the things.
Let us take a look at his life:
2 Corinthians 6:4-10 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.
2 Corinthians 11:23-28 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.
The issue is your heart, not your program or itinerary, or whether your are in ministry or have a secular job:
Luke 10:38-42 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." 41 And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."
Are you a Martha Christian or a Mary Christian?
IV. HOW DO I GET TO THIS PLACE OF SINGULAR PASSION?
You need to desire it. Do you? If you don’t you need to take the medicine of godly repentance (2 Cor. 7 & Jam. 4) and then when you have a little appetite, feed it with the Word, worship, prayer and Christian fellowship until it consumes your life and living.
1Pe 2:2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
1Th 5:17 pray without ceasing,
Ephesians 5:18-19 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
V. THE EFFECTS OF THIS PASSION
evangelistic zeal
2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died;
hard work
1Co 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Colossians 1:28-29 Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. 29 To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily.
passionate and consistent prayer life
Ephesians 1:16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
1 Thessalonians 1:2 We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers,
Philemon 1:4 I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers,
insatiable hunger for the Word of God
First you take the word, then it takes you, and then it compels you.
love for the saints
Philippians 2:1-2 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
liberated from the self...taken up with Jesus and Him crucified
Phi 3:7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
APPLICATION
Wherever you are in your life, whatever you face, let me urge you to start here, do not delay. To be gripped by this one passion is undoubtedly your greatest need.
We need to live in the first love zone. We can live in the first love zone! The righteousness of God in Christ Jesus has made it possible (2 Cor. 5:21).
We need to break free from the flabby, lethargic, undisciplined and unfocused life that Christians have become used to in our time. Calling our generation of Christians back from the compromising life that we have come to accept as the norm. Only by returning to our first love will we break through the boundaries that have hedged us in for so long.
Revelation 2:4-5 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent.
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