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Paul aspired to know the power of Christ's resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings—Phil. 3:10:
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The power of Christ's resurrection is His resurrection life, which raised Him from the dead—Eph. 1:19-20:
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The Spirit is the reality of Christ's resurrection and its power—Rom. 8:9-11; 1 Cor. 15:45b; 1 John 5:6.
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The Spirit compounded with Christ's resurrection and its power indwells our spirit to dispense Christ's resurrection and its power into our entire being—Phil. 1:19; Exo. 30:23-25; Rom. 8:6b, 10-11.
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If we put ourselves aside and remain under the death of the cross, we will experience the power of Christ's resurrection, and spontaneously, the power of resurrection experienced by us will build up the Body—Phil. 3:10; Eph. 4:12, 16.
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The expression the fellowship of His sufferings in Philippians 3:10 refers to the participation in Christ's sufferings, a necessary condition for the experience of the power of His resurrection—Matt. 20:22-23; Col. 1:24:
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We first experience the power of Christ's resurrection, and then by this power we are enabled to participate in His sufferings—Phil. 3:10.
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These sufferings are mainly for Christ's Body, the church—Col. 1:24.
Morning Nourishment
Eph. 1:18-20 ...That you may know...what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the operation of the might of His strength, which He caused to operate in Christ in raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavenlies.Phil. 3:10 To know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings...
Paul aspired not only to know Christ, but also to know the power of Christ's resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings. The power of Christ's resurrection is His resurrection life, which raised Him from among the dead (Eph. 1:19-20). The reality of the power of Christ's resurrection is the Spirit (Rom. 1:4). To know, to experience, this power requires identification with Christ's death and conformity to it. Death is the base of resurrection. To experience the power of Christ's resurrection, we need to live a crucified life according to the pattern of His life. Our conformity to His death affords a base for the power of His resurrection to rise up that His divine life may be expressed in us. (Life-study of Philippians, pp. 174-175)
Today's Reading
The participation in Christ's suffering—“the fellowship of His sufferings”—(Matt. 20:22-23; Col. 1:24) is a necessary condition for the experience of the power of His resurrection (2 Tim. 2:11) by being conformed to His death.... With Christ, the sufferings and death came first, followed by the resurrection. With us, the power of His resurrection comes first, then the fellowship of His sufferings and conformity to His death. We first receive the power of His resurrection. Then by this power we are enabled to participate in His sufferings and live a crucified life in conformity to His death. Such sufferings are mainly for producing and building up the Body of Christ.Being conformed to Christ's death is the very base of the experience of Christ. If we are not conformed to the death of Christ, we do not have the base for the experience of Christ. In order to experience Christ, we must be conformed to His death. But to be conformed to the death of Christ, we must have the fellowship of His sufferings. By participating in Christ's sufferings, we are ushered into a position to experience the power of His resurrection. Then, when we experience the power of Christ's resurrection, we know Him. (Life-study of Philippians, p. 175)
If unbelievers set themselves aside, nothing will remain, for they do not have the Spirit as the remainder in them. We are different. If we put ourselves aside, we have the Spirit as the remainder within us. What is set aside is the self, and what remains is the Spirit. If a brother will set himself aside when his wife is arguing with him, the Spirit will come out. This is the power of resurrection. We need to do only one thing—always put ourselves aside. To do this is to put the self under death and to keep it on the cross. When we do this, we live a crucified life and have a base for the power of resurrection to be manifested.
Although it is wonderful to enjoy the power of Christ's resurrection, the power of resurrection is not mainly for our enjoyment. In God's economy there is no selfish enjoyment. The power of Christ's resurrection is for the producing and the building up of the Body. God's intention is not to express Himself through certain individuals; it is to express Himself through a Body composed of many believers.... [It is] a corporate matter. If we put ourselves aside and remain under the death of the cross, we will enjoy the power of resurrection. Immediately, the power of resurrection will produce the Body. This goal of producing and building up the Body stirs up opposition. Satan knows of this goal, and he stirs up opposition against it.... When the opposition comes, we suffer. In this way we enter into the fellowship of Christ's sufferings.... According to Colossians 1:24, these sufferings are for the Body. (CWWL, 1978, vol. 1, “The Experience of Christ,” pp. 450, 452)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1978, vol. 1, “The Experience of Christ,” chs. 15-16; CWWL, 1991-1992, vol. 2, “The Christian Life,” ch. 15