FOLLOW AFTER 

 

“Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” Philippians3:12(KJV)

Not until Paul had an encounter with Jesus, he was always priding himself in his personal achievement, and they were very impressive. Then suddenly on the road to Damascus as we were told in the bible that he encountered Jesus and his priority changed! You can’t truly encounter Jesus and then your priorities will not change, there is no way.

Paul himself had this to say in his letter to the church at Philippi, Phil 3:3 we should rejoice in Christ Jesus, we are the circumcision that worships God in the spirit and have no confidence in the flesh. He said if anyone has any reason to be celebrating his achievement, connection, and what he had been able to do through personal performances he said he will be the one. Circumcised in the eighth day, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Pharisee of Pharisees, a Hebrew of the Hebrews. He said I sat under the Jewish teachers, when it comes to the law, I was a Pharisee, when it comes to righteousness of the law, I was blameless. He said when it comes to zeal, I persecuted the church.

When on that day on my way to Damascus I encountered Jesus, from then on everything changed in my life. All the things that I thought were gain to me; I now count them dung or garbage that I may win Christ. I now count them as loss for the Excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. He was saying my priority changed. This man had been to the third heaven and had seen revelations upon revelation which he put down in the Bible. He said my priority changed after I encountered Jesus. He emphasizes his intimacy with God saying that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. He summed it up in our Bible text. The keyword there is “I follow after that I may apprehend”. This is the follow after season so that we can fully appropriate the essence of our salvation.

Further Reading: Philippians 3:1-14

Bible Reading: Morning- Amos 1-3; Evening- Revelation 6