Learn Christ, Love Christ, Live Christ

Twenty five years ago in 2000, on the first day of my Master in Computer Application (MCA) class at Madras Christian College (MCC) in Chennai, I was praying for a prayer partner and wrote a theme that has been my spiritual pursuit those days on the note book of a classmate who sat next to me, first row second from right as I was on the first right first row. The theme was, "Learn Christ, Love Christ, Live Christ." Later, this classmate became my friend, brother, prayer partner, and even co-worker serving the Lord in the church as he has been blessed by the Lord in taking up the responsibility of a local church.

Twenty five years later in 2025, today I attended the live semiannual training at LSM Ministry Campus in Anaheim, California USA, and the first two messages on Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (3) on the book of Philippians exactly explained the theme of my college days. O what a joy that I could easily understand and digest the burden of the message! The messages were ministered by two mature brothers I revere and regard highly, Br. EM and Br. RK.

Learn Christ

Not that I speak according to lack, for I have learned, in whatever circumstances I am, to be content. I know also how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to hunger, both to abound and to lack. (Philippians 4:11-12, RecVer)

Paul had learnt the secret of experiencing and enjoying Christ in all kinds of circumstances, environment, and situations. To him, every person, matter, and things were God’s arrangement. He learned to experience Christ in all of them. He learned the secret!

For this, he brought everything thing to the Lord in prayer.

In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (Philippians 4:6, RecVer)

Love Christ 

Paul was a lover of the Lord Jesus Christ. From the day he converted to Christ, he had been pursuing Christ at the cost of his life and all that he treasured before.

But what things were gains to me, these I have counted as loss on account of Christ. But moreover I also count all things to be loss on account of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, on account of whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as refuse that I may gain Christ. (Philippians 3:7-8, RecVer)

He loved the Lord Jesus to the uttermost and counted all thing loss on account of Christ. Christ meant everything to him.

I pursue toward the goal for the prize to which God in Christ Jesus has called me upward. (Philippians 3:14, RecVer)

Live Christ 

For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21, RecVer)

As Paul learned Christ and loved Christ, he must have had tens of thousands of conversations with the Lord. He must have spent a personal, intimate, private, and sweet fellowship with the Lord to the extend that he was fully saturated with the Lord in his mind, emotion, and will, in addition to his being one spirit with the Lord. This was obvious in his taking the mind of Christ, taking Christ as his pattern.

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, 

Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider being equal with God a treasure to be grasped, But emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men; And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, and that the death of a cross. 

Therefore also God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, That in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, And every tongue should openly confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:5-11, RecVer)

What a pattern Paul was in taking Christ as his pattern! So also, we must take Christ as our pattern by learning Christ, loving Christ, and living Christ!

My college days theme even before I came into the church life is a part of the ministry that time has revealed and proven to he true. This time, the Lord confirmed it in His up-to-date speaking. May this be mine and my family's theme all the days of our lives. That, Christ as our pattern issue in experiencing Christ, enjoying Christ, and expressing Christ as a preparation of His Bride for His second coming!

Learn Christ, Love Christ, Live Christ!