A Passion for Christ Part II

A Passion for Christ Part II

The apostle Paul is arguably the most passionate person who has ever lived.  Whatever he believed, he pursued with reckless abandon.  When he persecuted the Church, Paul intended to eradicate this new “cancer” within Israel.  He determined every “Christian” would relent of this heresy against the Law and God of Israel by claiming a man crucified on a cross was the Messiah.  The Law expressly states, “Cursed is he who hung on a tree.”  Paul’s unwavering focus, personal conviction and formidable intellect made him especially dangerous.  In Philippians 3:1-11, Paul describes his zeal and faultless adherence to the Law.  Actually, Paul characterizes himself as a “Pharisee among Pharisees.”  Paul’s limitless passion and energy made him someone everyone wants on his side.

We can relate to Paul’s personal passion.  Television, shopping and sex consume many people’s passion.  Gossip and Internet voyeurism lure and drain other people’s passions.  What a colossal waste!  Then, some people expend energy on “the bigness of small things.”  Some church people are most adamant about tradition and history.  In fact, they exalt their understanding of church culture and social mores above the Bible.  They are most passionate about rules, rituals, rites and religion particularly of their forebears to the exclusion of a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Like Paul, their quest for self-righteousness inhibits their ability to receive the gracious gift of God’s righteousness in Christ.

Through his Damascus road experience, Paul realizes he was actually persecuting Christ rather than a growing group of religious infidels.  He turns his passion away from religion to a developing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  Paul, upon realizing his misplaced and misdirected passion, dismisses his resume.  Actually, he considers it “dung” to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus.  Second, Paul seeks relief from the bondage of self.  He acknowledges he exaggerated his behavior in obtaining righteousness.  Simply stated, Paul learns not to take himself too seriously.  Third, he earnestly and diligently seeks the removal of his shortcomings in order to faithfully and productively serve Christ.  Fourth, Paul finds a new passion in Christ.  He turns his energies and devotion toward serving Christ with the same fervor with which he persecuted the “Church” and sought personal righteousness.  Paul lives with a new “LOGIC,” the love of God in Christ Jesus.  He travels to the ends of the earth to share it.  He embarks upon three missionary journeys, sustaining incredible hardships and living with a perpetual thorn in his side.  He ignores these difficulties because they could not possibly override his passion for Christ!

Passionate people possess a few similar characteristics.  They have a fundamental and unwavering faith in God.  They operate with a genuine reliance upon the faithfulness and unfailing love of Almighty God.  They additionally stand firm in pursuit of their goals and dreams.  In 1 Corinthians 15:57, Paul encourages the Church to “be steadfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain.”  Passionate people also have a clear mission for life and a practical and concrete vision to accomplish it. 

Passion supersedes money.  The late Larry Burkett, one of the cofounders of Crown Financial Ministries, believed passionately in honoring and glorifying the Lord in all things.  One of his sons was a victim of a bad car accident in which his recovery period was lengthy, extensive and costly.  The bills exceeded $650,000.  Burkett refused to allow his son to declare bankruptcy.  Instead, he assumed that monumental debt and paid every penny of it.  He did so out of his passionate desire to serve and honor Him in his finances as well as every other aspect of life.  Additionally, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave the entire monetary gift that he received as the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize to the ministry of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.  In today’s term, that amounts to more than $1 million.  Both King and Malcolm X died penniless!  Summarily, the passion of these three men to their respective ministries and causes enabled them to utilize money as a tool rather than as an end, in and of itself.

In the final analysis, I pray each disciple finds a passion for Christ similar to the apostle Paul.  Passion always yields superlative achievements if we pursue them with Paul’s reckless abandon.