Message Three
Consecration (3)—
Wasting Everything on Account of the Excellency of Christ
to Be a Testimony of His Sweetness

Scripture Reading: Phil. 3:10, 12-14; Heb. 9:22; Rom. 1:3-4; 5:10; Phil. 3:7-8; Acts 9:1-5; 22:6-11; 26:13-16; Gal. 1:15-16; Matt. 16:5, 15-17; Col. 1:13; Matt. 26:6-13

I. We need to know Christ (Phil. 3:10), to particularly know that—Rom. 1:3-4; 5:10; Heb. 9:22:

A. He is both God and man; He is God becoming a man, the complete God and the perfect man—John 1:1, 14; Rom. 1:3-4.

B. He possesses both divinity and humanity—Luke 1:31-32, 69, 78.

C. In His humanity He accomplished His judicial redemption through His death; He has been crucified for our sins, which satisfied God’s righteous requirements—Rom. 3:25; Heb. 9:22.

D. In His divinity He is carrying out His organic salvation in His resurrection; in resurrection He became a life-giving Spirit, to enter into His believers, to be their life, so that after their regeneration they may experience full salvation in God’s life—Rom. 5:10.

II. Apostle Paul counted all things to be loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ—Acts 9:1-5; Phil. 3:7-8:

A. Saul of Tarsus had a vision of the Lord Jesus; this vision gave him the excellency of the knowledge of Christ—Acts 9:1-5; 22:6-11; 26:13-16; Gal. 1:15b-16a; Phil. 3:8:

1. The excellency of the knowledge of Christ is derived from the excellency of His person; the excellency, the super-eminence, the supreme preciousness, and the surpassing worth, of Christ; only He is eternal; all other things are temporal and are therefore vain—Matt. 17:5; Col. 1:13; Gal. 1:15-16.

2. The excellency of the knowledge of Christ comes by revelation—Matt. 16:17; Eph. 1:17-18.

3. In order to experience Christ, we first need to have the excellency of the knowledge of Christ—Phil. 3:7-10.

B. On account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, Paul counted all things to be loss, and he suffered the loss of all things, counting them as refuse that he might gain Christ—Acts 9:3-5; 20:24; Phil. 3:7-8:

1. Paul’s eyes were opened to see the excellency of the knowledge of the wonderful, all-inclusive Christ; on account of this excellency, he counted all things as loss, whether they are related to religious gain or natural gain—Acts 9:3-5; 20:24; 26:18-19.

2. The way for us to experience Christ and enjoy Christ is to deny everything we have and are—Phil. 3:4-6, 13b.

C. Give up the world, Christ to obtain, He is your heart’s very need; What else can you desire or seek? All things are empty indeed!

III. If we gain the excellency of the knowledge of Christ, we will realize that He is altogether lovely and worthy of our offering—Matt. 26:6-13:

A. Mary received the revelation of the Lord’s death by the Lord’s words and at the same time, Mary realized the Lord’s preciousness; hence, she grasped the opportunity to pour an alabaster flask of ointment of great value on the Lord’s head (to pour the best she had upon the Lord) — Matt. 26:6-13:

1. The disciples considered Mary’s love offering to the Lord a waste, but the Lord said, She has done a noble deed to Me—v. 8-10.

2. The degree of a man’s consecration to the Lord depends upon his valuation and appreciation of the Lord’s value.

3. Have you broken the alabaster jar and poured ointment upon His body? Surely, we are the lovers of Jesus. Nevertheless, we must learn to love Him to the uttermost—Psa. 118:22; 1 Pet. 2:7, 1:8.

4. Once today’s opportunity is missed, there cannot be another opportunity for today.

B. Throughout the past twenty centuries thousands of precious lives, heart treasures, high positions, and golden futures have been wasted upon the Lord Jesus. To those who love Him in such a way He is altogether lovely and worthy of their offering. What they have poured upon Him is not a waste but a fragrant testimony of His sweetness.