Week 37 — SUNDAY

“Make it my own… Make me His own”

“Not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith; that I may know him and the power of his resurrection … Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own” (Phil. 3:9-10, 12).

When Paul repudiated his own righteousness and the so-called righteousness of the accessories, he did it to gain the righteousness of God. What was the righteousness of God? It was the righteousness that was manifested in raising Jesus from the dead. It was the positive righteousness that tackled sin in the cross and death in the resurrection. It conquered both. It was not the righteousness of taboo—you can’t do this, you can’t do that. It was the righteousness that walked up to the worst and conquered it by positive righteousness and love.

To know Jesus was to know Him and the power of His resurrection. This was not knowing about Jesus—a dead Jew. This was knowing the alive and universal Savior. To be in Him was to have resurrection power working in you. In the Belgian Congo in a village which had Roman Catholic Christians in it, there was always a shrine of the Virgin and Child in front of the village. The figure was a baby Christ. No baby Christ is sufficient to redeem the world. Only the Resurrected Christ is sufficient for that.

“I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” “Make it my own … made me his own.” When He makes me His own, then I make all the “its” my own. When I surrender to Him, things surrender to me. I don’t struggle to get “it”—I surrender to become His, then “it” becomes subservient to Him—and to me in Him. Everything belongs to me because I belong to Him. I possess nothing—and Everything. Glory be!

O Resurrected and Living Lord, I would know You and the power of Your resurrection in every thought, every word, every attitude, every moment of the day and night. Then I will live in final power and final glory. I do now, but I want more. Amen.

AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: All the “its” of life are under my feet, for I am at His feet.