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April 22, 2018 | Pastor John Bayles | Revaluing all Values | Philippians.3.4-7
There is a German phrase: “Umwertung aller Werte” which means Revaluing all Values. In today’s text we will look briefly into the effects of the conversion of the Apostle Paul and the profound effects it had upon his life. New birth is a life-changing event. Jesus said “3 Very, truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (Joh.3:3). Jesus also stated that “11 From the time of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing, and it brings a violence upon those entering it” (Mat.11:12 emp. added),” That violence of new birth is radical. Paul wrote that new birth is equivalent to being resurrected: Paul himself places a similar emphasis upon the action of the Kingdom of God upon those awakened by new birth: “4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions – it is by grace you have been saved” (Eph.2: 4, 5). Also in the letter to the Colossians Paul said: “13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves” (Col.1:13). The word translated “brought us” means to transport, to move from one place to another.
In our the text today: "...we put no confidence in the flesh” (3:3), Paul is going to expand upon the effect conversion had upon his entire life-view. Truly he was radically changed, violently, by the touch of the Holy Spirit at his conversion. This text outlines the full nature of that change as he was transported from the kingdom of death into the Kingdom of life. From the Kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God. He truly came into a place of Revaluing all Values.
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