«　WEEK 2　DAY 6　»

　　Phil. 3:10 To know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.

　　2:9 Therefore also God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name.

　　The exaltation of Christ in Philippians 2:9 is actually the manifestation of resurrection power. Resurrection power always follows the living of a crucified life. According to 3:10, Paul aspired to know the power of Christ's resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings….In the Bible the power to exalt Christ is called the power of resurrection. When we live a crucified life, we know the power of resurrection and the fellowship of Christ's sufferings. (Life-study of Philippians, p. 91)

　　There is an urgent need among us in the Lord's recovery today to experience Christ as our pattern. We desperately need to experience Him as our crucified life. Such a life stands altogether in contrast to a life of rivalry and vainglory. In the church life we either take the crucified life as our pattern or automatically live a life of rivalry and vainglory. There is no third way…. The issue here is extremely serious. We need to be honest with ourselves and consider the kind of life we have been living in the church. If you review the time you have been in the church life, you will see that whenever you did not take the crucified life as your pattern, you were living a life of rivalry for vainglory.

　　Nothing was more troubling to the apostle Paul than to learn that the saints in Philippi were living in the way of vainglory. He was very concerned that they live a crucified life….This life is Christ Himself as the One who emptied Himself and humbled Himself. Taking this crucified life as our pattern opens the gate of resurrection and brings us into the power of resurrection. The exaltation which is of God will never come by way of rivalry or vainglory. The more we seek vainglory, the more shameful our situation will be. To pursue vainglory is not a glory at all; it is a shame. Likewise, when we are in rivalry with others, the result is never exaltation. Inevitably the result is that we are brought low. The highest life on earth is the crucified life.

　　I earnestly hope that none of the saints in the church life today will seek glory for themselves. We must admit that the rivalry for vainglory found among the saints in Philippi can also be found in many local churches today….Thus, we need Paul's word concerning Christ as our pattern…. When we live the crucified life, we shall be ushered into resurrection power, and this power will exalt us.

　　We should be warned, however, not to take this word about the crucified life, the power of resurrection, and God's exaltation as a ground for seeking glory. We should not even seek true glory as something apart from Christ. Do not seek any glory that is other than Christ Himself. We need to say, “Lord, I want only You. I am not seeking any exaltation or glory.” If we take the crucified life as our pattern, we shall experience the power of resurrection. This resurrection power is Christ Himself. Christ is not only the crucified life, but He is also the power of resurrection.

　　Often the saints complain of weaknesses. We are weak whenever we do not take the crucified life as our pattern. If you are weak in your family, daily life, or church life, it is an indication that you are not taking the crucified life and therefore are not in the power of resurrection….The gate through which we enter into the power of resurrection is the crucified life. Paul's expectation concerning the saints in Philippi was that they would live this crucified life and then experience the power of resurrection.

　　During the years I have been in the church life, I have known many cases of those who were in rivalry for vainglory. Without exception, all those who engaged in such rivalry went downhill. It is utterly foolish to have rivalry in the church life. We should fear this more than we fear a serpent. (Life-study of Philippians, pp. 92-94, 92-93)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Philippians, msg. 11