On – Knowing Him
“… and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:9-11)
Focus – “I want to know Christ — yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death “ (Phil 3:10)
Paul says he is quite ready to give up the usual status symbols of the Christian for the personal knowledge and friendship of Jesus Christ.
Please understand that he is speaking of this as an academic subject.
Indeed, this is not a course in Christology or on the person of Christ.
This is not knowing about Christ.
This is knowing Him.
As has wisely been said… knowing about has value; knowing has vitality.
This knowledge the apostle is talking about is not simply a casual contact now and then.
You and I don’t get to really know our friends that way.
The friends we know best are the ones we have spent the most time with, or have gone with through deep experiences.
This knowledge of Christ comes the by continual sharing of experiences together.
It comes as – two… Jesus and you… Jesus and me… living our lives together, moment-by-moment sharing experiences.
It comes by gazing on the face of Jesus Christ as he appears in the pages of scripture.
It comes by allowing every circumstance to make us lean back on His life, hiding nothing from His eyes, by bringing every friendship and every loyalty to His gaze, for his approval or disapproval… It comes by walking every day expecting Him to be with us.
O’ such a blessed secret to the successful walk with Jesus.
That is exactly what Paul says comes of… knowing Christ.
O’so much more…
First there is that power of the resurrection.
It is a risen Lord who dwells within us, and we have that power which is able to do in us above all that we ask or think, according to that power which works in us.
This is the power of Christ’s resurrection.
Please know that it is power that is perfectly adequate for every possible circumstance.
It is confidently acting in full assurance that He is acting with us simultaneously, and that risen power is ours.
The second thing that stems from this knowledge of Christ is the participation in his sufferings.
The remarkable thing about the sufferings of Christ is that they are always for someone else, never for one’s self.
This is that compassion we all earnestly long for.
It doesn’t come by trying.
It comes by knowing him; by simply entering into what He is to you.
This makes you compassionate.
This is the primary reason why Christians suffer.
Not so much for you, but for others.
Have you ever noticed that when a Christian gets desperately sick and he takes it as an opportunity to manifest the grace of Christ, that Christian becomes the center of victory and hope and blessing to everyone who visits him?
Then the last thing… becoming like Him in His death.
So…
What does that mean?
The death of Jesus Christ was the end of the old life of sin and self-pleasing.
We know that there was no sin nor self-pleasing in his own life, but on that cross he was made to be all that we are, sinful and self-pleasing, and then it was put to death.
The cross was the end of that.
Now, that is liberty, because for the first time if we accept this as being true, we are set free from our selfish, ease-loving, luxury-seeking.
We are free to be real men and real women… Unbound, delivered, no longer constantly concerned about what happens to us, but only concerned about what happens to Christ.
What a journey this is.
Like the marvelous ministry among many people the apostle Paul had.
And…
This is freely offered to every believer in Christ.
Please see that this is not achieved by just trying, struggling, striving.
It comes as a by-product of truly knowing Christ.
Dear Lord…
Thank you, for the joy of simply knowing You.
We pray that we may know the power of Your resurrection and the participation in Your sufferings, being conformed to You.
Consider this…
Do you want to know Christ merely to define your theology and refine your doctrinal views?
Are you missing the life-defining pursuit of knowing Christ intimately?
How can you truly learn to know Him?
Engage…
Yep, all in…
He is near and awaits you.