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July 29, 2022

Pursuing Christ Being the Rule

Phil. 3:13 Brothers, I do not account of myself to have laid hold; but one thing I do: Forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, (14) I pursue toward the goal for the prize to which God in Christ Jesus has called me upward. (15) Let us therefore, as many as are full-grown, have this mind; and if in anything you are otherwise minded, this also God will reveal to you. (16) Nevertheless whereunto we have attained, by the same rule let us walk.

In verse 16 the Greek word for walk is stoicheo, which means to walk orderly. It is derived from steicho, which means to range in regular line, to march in military rank, to keep step, to conform to virtue and piety, as used in Romans 4:12; Galatians 5:25; 6:16. By this word the apostle charges us to walk and order our lives by the same rule, in the same line, in the same path, in the same footsteps, whereunto we have attained, at the state to which we have attained. Whatever state we have attained to in our spiritual life, we all must walk by the same rule, in the same path, as the apostle did; that is, to pursue Christ toward the goal that we may gain Him to the fullest extent as the prize of God's calling from above. Paul's main thought in 3:16 is that, as Christians, the most important principle of our Christian life should be to pursue Christ. Pursuing Christ, therefore, should be the major principle according to which we walk. Paul has already indicated this in verse 12 by saying that he pursues in order to lay hold of that for which he has also been laid hold of by Christ Jesus. According to this verse, the principle of our conversion and salvation is that we have been gained by Christ in order to gain Him. This principle must become a basic and governing element in our Christian walk. Unfortunately, many of today's Christians do not follow this governing principle. Instead of pursuing God's unique goal, they seek other things. This principle is to pursue Christ that we may gain Him. Christ has gained us not that we may gain gifts, but that we may gain Him. In one of his best hymns, A. B. Simpson says: Once it was the blessing,/Now it is the Lord.../Once His gift I wanted,/Now, the Giver own;/Once I sought for healing,/Now Himself alone. As this hymn indicates, the governing principle of the Christian life is not gifts or healing--it is Christ Himself. Realizing this, A. B. Simpson also put out a tract on this theme entitled "Himself." (c) Living Stream Ministry.

Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of Philippians, pp. 201-203 Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].

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Life-study of Philippians