THROUGH THE BIBLE IN THREE YEARS
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"Richard Cory"
Whenever Richard Cory went down town,
We people on the pavement looked at him:
He was a gentleman from head to crown,
Clean favored, and imperially slim.
And he was always quietly arrayed,
And he was always human when he talked;
But he still fluttered pulses when he said,
"Good-morning," and he glittered when he walked.
And he was rich--yes, richer than a king--
and admirably schooled in every grace:
In fine, we thought that he was everything
To make us wish that we were in his place.
So on we worked, and waited for the light,
And went without the meat, and cursed the bread;
And Richard Cory, one calm summer night,
Went home and put a bullet through his head.
Edward Arlington Robinson
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Phil 3:8
Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,...
KJV
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In Philippians 3:4-6, Paul has told how he WAS. He was a Pharisee: rich, powerful, zealous, highly educated, and of what we might call "blue-blood" lineage. That is what Paul was until He met Christ! You might say he was totally focused on self.
But in verse 7, when Paul met Christ, he counted ALL those things in his previous life as LOSS for the (verse 8) excellent knowledge of Christ as Lord, Savior and Friend.
Unlike Richard Cory, Paul found a reason to live, and the reason for life itself! He found the knowledge of the Person of Christ!
The knowledge of Christ is personal, for we desire to know Him intimately as our personal Lord and Savior.
The knowledge of Christ is intelligent, for we know the difference between divine and human and the mysteries of the universe are unveiled in His presence.
The knowledge of Christ is affectionate, for we realize His love for us and we desire to return that love.
The knowledge of Christ is satisfying, for when we know Him we understand the reason for our being.
The knowledge of Christ is exciting, for we know His love encompasses all men, and the more we learn of Him the more we want to know.
The knowledge of Christ is joyful, for He carries us through the difficulties of life with an unspeakable joy in our hearts.
The knowledge of Christ is indemnifying, for we realize that NOTHING can ever separate us from the love that is in Christ Jesus.
Before we met Christ we were focused on self.
But when we come to know Him, we are focused on the wonderful joy and continuing knowledge of His Person.
Love ya,
Bruce