An Urgent Call to a Serious Faith by Dave Hunt - Knowing and Loving God

Nuggets from “An Urgent Call to a Serious Faith” by Dave Hunt – Knowing and Loving God

“I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection.”  --Philippians:3:8-10 [8] Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, [9] And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: [10] That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
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During the Temptation [of Christ] in the Wilderness, Satan offered to give Jesus “all the kingdoms of the world…and the glory of them” (Luke:4:5-6 [5] And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. [6] And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
See All...). He was not bluffing. This world really is Satan’s to give to whom he will. Jesus did not dispute Satan’s boast that this world had been “delivered unto me [by God]; and to whomsoever I will I give it.” The conditions upon which Satan offered this world to Christ were clear: “If you bow down and worship me” – which, of course, Jesus refused to do. Beware! For the kingdoms and glories of this world are still the favors Satan bestows in order to entice today’s recipients into worshiping him.

Like their Lord, Christ’s true followers refuse the kingdoms and glories of this world. This refusal includes the highly touted new world order, which will still be under Satan’s control. Christ has promised believers something far better – an eternal and heavenly kingdom procured through His defeat of Satan at the cross. As a result of that victory, “the kingdoms of this world [will] soon pass away, and in their place the kingdom of God will come to earth. Then Christ, together with those who have shared in His rejection and suffering (Romans:8:17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
See All...; 2 Timothy:2:12If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
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It would be a denial of their Lord for Christians to bask in the popularity and honors that this present world may bestow upon them. That is not to say that a Christian should never be successful in business, science, the academic world, sports, and so on. Indeed, Christians should be the very best they can possibly be at whatever they do. But their skill, talent, and diligent efforts are to be expended for God’s glory and not for their own. This world had no attraction for believers; they neither love it nor its plaudits. They are not swayed from the course they must run (1 Corinthians:9:24-27 [24] Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. [25] And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. [26] I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: [27] But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
See All...; 2 Timothy:4:7-8 [7] I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: [8] Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
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