That I may know Him

Philippians 3:10

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.

Paul was a man that, if anyone did, had the credentials to establish his own righteousness. He lived of the “straitest sect” of the Pharisees, and was formally and meticulously educated. He had the pedigree to boast of himself, his social standing, and his station. He was of highest regard, and of the most lofty position. But when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus, no person was changed more drastically than he was that day. When the resurrected, ascended Lord appeared to him by the title “Jesus, whom thou persecutest,” Paul knew that he was face to face with his judge. And he was gloriously converted that day. And now, as he suffers in a Roman prison for the very cause he had once given all his effort to renounce and destroy, he pens these glorious words: “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” See verse 8-9 of Philippians 3. I count them but loss! But dung! Nothing compares to the knowledge of Christ!

But what was the purpose of all of this? Why did he count all of his achievements and all of his past as dung? He says it this way: “That I may know Him.” Friends, there is no goal greater than this. No objective more worthy than this one. To know Christ! To understand Him! To grow in our acquaintance of our glorious Savior! And how will this take place? There are only three ways. The first is to know the power of His resurrection. To know how He powerfully rose from the dead and defeated all His foes. And how that we may walk in newness of life! We may live the resurrected life through Christ! We may be a new creature in Him.

And then, He desired to know the fellowship of His sufferings. This may not seem desirable to many, but it is necessary if we are to know Christ truly and intimately. Christ was a man of sorrows, of suffering, and of woe. He endured grief, suffering wrongfully. He didn’t deserve the pain. But yet He suffered this pain for others. He suffered that the lost may be saved, and the sinner may be redeemed. He suffered so that we could know Him. Friends, you will never know Christ deeply until you have the distinct and wonderful privilege to share in the sufferings of our precious Savior.

And then, Paul spoke of being made conformable unto His death. How do we conform to the death of Christ? How do we become acquainted with the dying of the Lord Jesus? How can His death be made manifest in our body? It is only through one means. It is by death to self. It is by crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts. Paul understood something of this when he said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Is there any thing more beautiful or sublime? Christ liveth in me! I am crucified with Christ! I can share in His sufferings, and I can be made conformable unto His death! I can conform to Him! For He loved me, and gave Himself for me! It the greatest privilege and the highest honor of all to partake in the experiences of our Savior. He suffered much. He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. He endured the cross, despising the shame. He was delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification. This Savior of ours can live through us as we know the power of His resurrection, as we become partakers in the fellowship of His sufferings, and as we are made conformable unto His death. May the one desire of our hearts today be simply this—that I may know Him!

“Dear Father, implant in our hearts this day a burning desire to be made like your Son. To enter into a bond with Him that is unsurpassed and unrivaled by any other beside Him. Let us crave the knowledge of Christ that only comes through entering into His sufferings. And let us think ourselves happy that we would ever be found worthy to suffer shame for His name. And may our daily sufferings, no matter how big or small, draw us into a stronger, closer, and deeper oneness and companionship with our most precious Savior. Oh, that I may know Him above all else! In Christ Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”