Knowing the Lord Fully
In the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul reveals the spiritual longings of his heart, which find their fulfilment in the person of Jesus Christ. He writes, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death" (Philippians 3:10).
Among these desires, his yearning "to know him" stands as the foundation upon which all his other spiritual aspirations rest. We must ask ourselves, "What worldly treasures are we willing to surrender for the sake of this excellent knowledge?"
For Paul, Christ is not merely an intellectual concept, but the one to whom he can have a transformative relationship, reshaping his identity, empowering his witness, and fulfilling his calling. The Apostle rejoices in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, declaring, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). For Paul, knowing Christ was the discovery of "life abundant"!
How Did Paul Know the Lord?
The Apostle's earnest desires should be the characteristic of every Christian. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul reveals some of these heartfelt longings. He desires "to magnify Christ" in his body, "whether it be by life, or by death" (Philippians 1:20). He longs to "be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith" (Philippians 3:9). Paul also expresses his aspiration "to attain unto the resurrection of the dead" (Philippians 3:11) and his yearning "to be with Christ; which is far better" (Philippians 1:23). Furthermore, he hopes "to rejoice in the day of Christ" (Philippians 2:16).
Paul considered knowing the Lord to be of such immeasurable value that he deemed it necessary to "lose all things" to gain the knowledge of Christ (Philippians 3:7-8). He writes, "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" (Philippians 3:8). What did Paul abandon to attain this excellent knowledge? What did he regard as rubbish?
Upon becoming a Christian, Paul lost friends, social status, promotions, and financial gain. He even lost his physical comfort. However, he lost so much more than most of us would realise. Paul lists seven things that he once valued highly, but later counted them as loss (dung):
- (Philippians 3:5) "Circumcised the eighth day" - Pointing to his ritual purity from birth
- "Of the stock of Israel" - His covenant lineage as a direct descendant of Jacob.
- "Of the tribe of Benjamin" - His prestigious tribal heritage.
- "An Hebrew of the Hebrews" - His cultural and linguistic purity.
- "As touching the law, a Pharisee" - His religious devotion and status.
- (Philippians 3:6) "Concerning zeal, persecuting the church" - His passionate defence of tradition
- "Touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless" - His moral accomplishments.
These things seemed significant to Paul at one time, but after his conversion, he viewed them all as worthless compared to the knowledge he gained of Christ Jesus his Lord. He was a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Firstly: Paul Knew of Christ's Person.
The Apostle's earnest longing was "to know him" (Philippians 3:10). Our Christian experience begins not with a head knowledge of the Lord, but with a personal relationship with the Lord. All of Paul's earnest desires flow from this first one - knowing him! If you do not know Jesus, you do not know anything, but you can know him.
Samuel, a prominent figure in the Old Testament, "did not yet know the Lord" (1 Samuel 3:7). Likewise, Nicodemus, a Pharisee, struggled with knowing about God without truly knowing God. He came to Jesus and said, "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him" (John 3:2). But Jesus responded, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). Knowing Christ requires more than just our agreement; it demands our personal surrender.
The Apostle Paul expresses this personal relationship in 2 Timothy 1:12, saying, "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."
To know God and Jesus Christ is salvation itself, as stated in John 17:3, "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." The knowledge of Jesus transforms us from within, creating a new relationship with God that affects every aspect of our lives.
This knowledge of Christ is not fixed, but it helps us grow in Christ, leading us into a deeper walk with God.
Paul Also Knew of Christ's Resurrection Power
Philippians 3:10 states, "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." The resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is available to every believer through our union with Christ.
As Paul writes in Romans 6:3-4, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."
The power of Christ's resurrection works in us in two ways: first, it gives us the certainty that our sins are gone, nailed to his cross; second, it enables us to walk in a new, transformed life.
Without the power of the Holy Spirit, Christianity is nothing more than a mechanical moral philosophy rather than a life-transforming relationship with the living Christ.
Resurrection Power manifests in our everyday spiritual victories - overcoming temptation, loving the unlovable, forgiving enemies, and persevering through our suffering.
As Paul states in Romans 5:9-10, "Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life."
Paul Knew of Christ's Passion
Philippians 3:10 also speaks of "the fellowship of his sufferings". Sharing in Christ's sufferings means participating in the reproach and scorn he endured. To truly follow Christ, we must be willing to bear our own cross. As Colossians 1:24 states, "Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church."
Jesus made it clear that following him would come at a cost, saying, "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake" (Philippians 1:29).
The Apostle Paul thought it was a privilege to suffer for Christ, for "the sufferings of Christ are not merely historical events to be remembered, but present realities to be shared." There are more persecutions of Christians around the world today than there have ever been throughout all of history.
Sufferings have a purpose:
"Suffering burns away the dross of our self-reliance and forces us to depend on Christ alone." Through our personal suffering, we often gain a greater knowledge of Christ than we might have gained through study alone. As Jesus warned his disciples, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it" (Matthew 16:24-25).
Paul Knew of Christ's Purpose (As the Lamb of God)
Philippians 3:10 speaks of being "made conformable unto his death." God's intention for every believer is to be conformed to the image of his Son. As Paul writes in Galatians 2:20, "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."
Romans 8:28-29 reveals God's transformative purpose for us: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."
Our glorious future with Christ is well documented in Scripture. Colossians 3:4 states, "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." Titus 2:13 speaks of "that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ." And 1 John 3:2 declares, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is."
Conclusion
As we grow in these four aspects of knowing Christ - his person, his resurrection power, his passion, and his purpose - we will increasingly reflect his character and fulfil his intentions for our lives. This knowledge is not fixed and unchanging, but ever-growing and alive. It is an onward journey of discovery and transformation that will end in our final glorification, when we shall know him fully, even as we are fully known (1 Corinthians 13:12-13).
Do you know Christ? Will you pick up your cross and follow him? Would you lose everything for Christ and count it all but gain?