IN PHILIPPIANS 4:12 PAUL TELLS US THAT HE HAS LEARNED A SECRET. TROUGH MUCH SUFFERING AND TRIBULATIONS PAUL LEARNED THIS GREAT LESSON. WHAT MADE PAUL SUCH A SOLID CHRISTIAN? THIS SECRET IS LEARNED EXPERIENCIALLY THROUGH THE FIRE OF TRIBULATIONS (PERSECUTIONS). IT IS IN THE TEST OF PROBLEMS THAT THIS MOST HOLY SECRET IS PUT TO THE TEST TO EXPERIENCE IT'G GENUINESS. WE SE HOW MUCH PAUL SUFFERED, YET HE SEEMED INVINCIBLE. NOTHING COULD STOP PAUL. BUT WHY? WHAT HE KNEW THAT WE DON'T KNOW? WELL HE TELLS US IN PHILIPPIANS 4:13. "I HAVE STRENGTH TO DO ALL THINGS IN UNION WITH CHRIST WHO CONTINUOSLY MAKES ME STRONG". THERE IT IS: CHRIST AS INDWELLING STRENGHT. ONCE PAUL ASKED THE LORD TO REMOVE THE THORN (PROBABLY A PERSECUTOR WHO BOTHERED PAUL A LOT). PAUL WAS IN DANGER OF BECOMING ARROGANT BECAUSE OF THE MOST REVELATION THAT GOD HAS GIVEN HIM. GOD HAD TO KEEP HIS SERVANT HUMBLE. THUS, GOD ALLOWED THE PAINFUL THORN. PAUL ASKS FOR THE BOTHERING SPLINTER TO BE ROMOVED. GOD TELLS PAUL: MY STRENGHT FUNCTIONS WITHIN YOU WHEN YOU ARE WEAK! IN OTHER WORDS: PAUL, WHEN YOU ARE WEAK IN YOURSELF, I AM STRONG IN YOU, WHEN YOU ARE WEAK IN YOURSELF, THEN I BECOME YOUR INNER STRENGHT! IT IS ONLY WHEN YOU TRUST ME, OH PAUL, THAT I CONTINOUSLY AM YOUR STRENGTH! THE PROBLEM IS WHEN WE TRUST OURSELVES! WHEN WE TRUST WHAT WE CAN DO OR WHAT WE DO, INSTEAD OF ABSOLUTE DEPENDENCE UPON AN INDWELLING CHRIST. HOW, THIS MAN CALLED PAUL DARED TO SAY THAT HE CAN DO ALL THINGS IN CHRIST? WAS HE TOO ARROGANT? NO, THE MAN WAS TALKING UNDER A DIVINE VISION! HE HAD REVELATION! HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT! THUS, HE REJOICED IN HIS INFIRMITIES THAT THE POWER OF CHRIST MAY LIVE IN HIM! PAUL KNEW THE INTERIOR CHRIST: CHRIST IN US THE HOPE OF GLORY! YOU SEE, THE KEY TO ENJOYING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS NOT PRAYING MUCH, OR EVEN "GOING TO CHURCH" OR FASTING, OR EVEN READING THE BIBLE (AND DON'T MISUNDERSTAND ME THESE HOLY PRACTICES ARE GOOD, I AM NOT AGAINST THEM, BUT THEY ARE NOT OUR SOURCE!) BUT (OH HOLY BUT!) THE VISION OF AN INDWELLING CHRIST! THE REVELATION OF CHRIST IN US AS AN ALL SUFFICIENT FOUNTAIN OF GRACE IS THE KEY TO THE CHRISTIAN LIFE! NOT DOING, BUT SEEING THIS MASSIVE CHRIST THAT LIVE IN US SEEMS ALL WE NEED! CHRIST IN YOU, THE INEXAUSTIBLE FOUNTAIN OF ALL! CHRIST IN YOU THE TREASURE OF GLORY! YOU DON'T HAVE TO ASK GOD FOR PATIENCE, CHRIST IN YOU IS YOU PATIENCE! YOU DON'T HAVE TO ASK GOD FOR HUMILITY, CHRIST IN YOU IS YOUR HUMILITY AND THE LIST GOES ON. OUR PROBLEM IS THAT WE DON'T SEE THIS TRASCENDANT CHRIST WHO RESIDES PERMANENTLY WITHIN US! WE ARE THE TEMPLE OF CHRIST, WELL OUR BODIES ARE, WE DO NOT REALIZE THAT THE INFINATELY GREAT HAS MOVED TO LIVE IN US! WE DO NOT SEE THAT WE HAVE INFINITE RESOUCE, INFINITE SUPPLY, INFINITE GRACE INDWELLING US! GOD RESIDES WITHIN US FOR US TO ENJOY HIM WITHIN US! THAT IS WHAT PAUL SAW! THE KEY IS THE REVELATION OF CHRIST IN YOU! IT IS LIKE IF SOMEBODY DEPOSIT A MILLION DOLLARS IN YOUR ACCOUNT, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW IT. HOW YOU BENEFIT FROM THAT IF YOU DON'T KNOW? HOW YOU ACCESS THAT MONEY WITHOUT A SIGNATURE OR AN ATM? THE WORD OF GOD IS THE SIGNATURE, THE ATM IS THE FAITH OF GOD (BELIEVING) AND REVELATION IS THE ACCESS! WHY PAUL WAS SO POWERFULL IN THE LORD? GOD REVEALED TO HIM THAT CHRIST (THE INTERNAL CHRIST) WAS HIS CONTINOUS STRENGTH ACTIVATED WITHIN HIM. THIS IS THE SECRET OF THE APOSTLE PAUL, MAY THE LORD GRANT US ALL GRACE AND PEACE TO SEE THAT ALL THINGS (CHRIST) THAT PERTAIN TO THE LIFE AND GODLINESS HAD BEEN FREELY ALREADY GIVEN TO US! THIS IS THE DIVINE DEPOSIT! CHRIST IN US! GLORY HIMSELF! AMEN!
