That I May Know Him
Paul wrote: I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection.
Philippians 3:10
That I May Know Him
Having experienced salvation through faith in Christ, the Apostle Paul expressed a deep desire to know Christ. With all his credentials, social status and knowledge (3:4-6) he considered all these things as nothing (dung) compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord (v.8b).
For Paul, it would not suffice just to have a saving knowledge of Christ or to know he has been saved. He expressed a desire to know which the Greek word indicates as having a personal knowledge. It is not simply an intellectual knowledge of certain facts or principles about someone. This was the deep desire of one who has been saved, who enjoyed the full conviction that his sins were forgiven and that he was in Christ, whop wants to experience more. It is only the regenerated and saved person who can feel such a desire, “That I may know Him”, deep, deepen longing for a personal experience. Apostle aimed to know Him as being in Him. Such desire of this knowledge is inspired by the consciousness – not elaborated by the intellect. It rises up from within, from the experiences the saved one enjoys in union with Christ and the righteousness of God that he/she has through faith in God.
Philippians 3:10
That I May Know Him
Having experienced salvation through faith in Christ, the Apostle Paul expressed a deep desire to know Christ. With all his credentials, social status and knowledge (3:4-6) he considered all these things as nothing (dung) compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord (v.8b).
For Paul, it would not suffice just to have a saving knowledge of Christ or to know he has been saved. He expressed a desire to know which the Greek word indicates as having a personal knowledge. It is not simply an intellectual knowledge of certain facts or principles about someone. This was the deep desire of one who has been saved, who enjoyed the full conviction that his sins were forgiven and that he was in Christ, whop wants to experience more. It is only the regenerated and saved person who can feel such a desire, “That I may know Him”, deep, deepen longing for a personal experience. Apostle aimed to know Him as being in Him. Such desire of this knowledge is inspired by the consciousness – not elaborated by the intellect. It rises up from within, from the experiences the saved one enjoys in union with Christ and the righteousness of God that he/she has through faith in God.
Thursday’s Doctrinal text declares that Paul’s desire was not only to have a personal experience – to know Christ - but also to have a powerful experience, that is, to know the power of his resurrection. Such a longing expresses a deepen desire for a personal experience of His power that has been displayed first on that first Easter morn; that power experienced on the Damascus Road, that power that has transformed him from a persecutor of the faith to an ambassador of the Good News. He was convicted that there was more to know as expressed in Ephesians 3:20. Such was the desire of the woman who touched the tassel of His robe far greater than the crowds that thronged about Him – wanted more than just ahead knowledge but to experience the healing power of Jesus for herself.
What about you and I? Have we become lukewarm in our relationship with Jesus, satisfied with head knowledge or where we are? Satisfied with the comfort zone of our faith and our ChurchÂ’s ministry? Or have you reached the plateau in your spirituality?
How can we grow spiritually: growing deeper and bearing fruit, much more fruit? Like Paul, we too ought to possess such a desire for such a personal and powerful experience as we seek to know Christ and the power of His resurrection.
Our prayer today :
For thee, my God, the living God/My thirsty soul doth pine/O when shall I behold thy face/ Thou majesty divine?
Tate and Brady [MH#295 v.2]
What about you and I? Have we become lukewarm in our relationship with Jesus, satisfied with head knowledge or where we are? Satisfied with the comfort zone of our faith and our ChurchÂ’s ministry? Or have you reached the plateau in your spirituality?
How can we grow spiritually: growing deeper and bearing fruit, much more fruit? Like Paul, we too ought to possess such a desire for such a personal and powerful experience as we seek to know Christ and the power of His resurrection.
Our prayer today :
For thee, my God, the living God/My thirsty soul doth pine/O when shall I behold thy face/ Thou majesty divine?
Tate and Brady [MH#295 v.2]
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