Being an educator, my first thoughts of this verse is ACADEMIC. To know Christ I need to study him, his life, and his messages through the a Bible. Obviously, I need to do that. KNOWING Christ is so much more than studying him. We need to take that knowledge and live it. That really is the struggle. How can I become like Jesus, participate in his sufferings, even unto death. When I think of the suffering of Christ I go right to the Cross. The Cross is the ultimate sacrifice. Not many of us will be in a position to die for someone else. So what does Jesus life mean for us? What are we to do to become like him in his death.
Sacrificial living is the best way to become like Christ in death. Knowing the power of the resurrection should give us strength to overcome the persecution of living a life sharing the gospel message. Participating in his sufferings means serving others when it is not best for us. We can live a daily life that reflects the knowledge of Christ. We need to sacrifice our comfortable lives and share the message openly, we need to prepare ourselves to battle against the powerful opponents of our message and never give in, never surrender.
Being like Christ is an ultimate goal that, frankly, I'm a long way from achieving. I need to continually remind myself how I can live like Christ in THIS particular moment, in THIS particular place. If I'm ever asked to sacrifice my life, I will. Until then, I will pursue a daily life that serves, endures, and sacrifices for the message of Christ.
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