I Want to Know Christ
Philippians 3v10, Part 1
4th August 2023
Paul had planted the church in Philippi during his third missionary journey, probably in the year 51 AD. He wrote his letter to them while he was in prison, probably in Rome in 62 or 63 AD, more than 10 years later. He was now in his late fifties and on trial for his life. He'd dedicated his life to serving Christ. He'd travelled through what is now Turkey and Greece, planted many churches, written several letters, visited several prisons, suffered various persecutions, beatings, stonings, shipwreck, hunger and other hardships. He'd performed miracles. He'd brought many people to saving faith in Jesus Christ. He'd addressed various problems in the churches he loved. He'd written some profound theology. He'd seen it all. He was, I would have thought, the greatest apostle who ever lived.
Now, in that Roman jail, he wrote to the church in Philippi to thank them for the help they'd sent him. Earlier in the letter, he'd described his experiences, he'd told them he was ready to die, if that was Gods' will for him, he'd written a beautiful piece of poetry about the humility and glory of Jesus, and he'd explained how his background in Judaism was of absolutely no value to him. He'd gladly given up everything that had previously given him position, wealth, popularity and self-esteem, as he says in verse 8, "that I may gain Christ". Now he writes:
Philippians 3v10-11
I want to know him [Christ] and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship
of his sufferings, becoming like him in his death
and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect,
but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing
I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on
toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in
Christ Jesus.
There are remarkable and challenging words. Paul is saying, I believe, that these are Paul's top three priorities: to know Christ, to know the power of Christ's resurrection, and to know the fellowship of Christ's sufferings. Can we say the same? Do modern-day British Christians even think in these terms? How often are they preached in your church?
You might want to respond to Paul's words by saying, "But Paul did know Christ. Paul did know the power of Christ's resurrection; he probably understood it better than anybody else. Paul did share in Christ's sufferings." You’d have a point, but Paul wanted more! He wanted to know Christ better! He wanted to experience more of the power of Christ's resurrection! He wanted to share more in Christ's sufferings! May I ask: Do you?
There's a real and present danger for all of us, that we'll settle for knowing Christ as much as we already do, and for experiencing as much of His power as we already do, and we'd like, if possible, to suffer for Christ less than we currently do. And many of us suffer very little for Christ as it is. Paul wanted to press on, and I hope we want to press on. However, before we think about this pressing on, let's pause to think about just what it was that Paul desired. And as we do, let's ask ourselves to what extent we share those desires.
This week we'll consider the first of Paul's priorities. We'll look at the others in the coming weeks. First, then:
Paul wanted to know Christ
Paul didn't just want to experience the benefits of being a Christian; he wanted to know Christ Himself. He didn't just want to know about Christ; he wanted to experience Christ. I can learn about Winston Churchill, Henry VIII, Charlie Chaplin, Billy Graham or Capability Brown (or insert your own choice of historical character) by reading books about them, but I'll never meet them. We can learn about Jesus by reading the Bible, and by reading books about the Bible. But we'll never really know Jesus if that's all we do. Indeed, some people - some theologians - who know the Bible very well have never met Jesus, and are still without salvation.
Christianity – real Christianity – is not an academic study. And it's not a set of ideas that we're supposed to believe, or rules we're supposed to keep; it's a genuine relationship with Jesus. Paul knew Jesus Christ, but he wanted to know Him better. Perhaps you do, too.
Maybe you've never met Jesus, but you can meet Him today, if that's what you want. In order to come to know Christ, we need to come to God in faith, confess our sin, believe that Christ's atoning sacrifice on the cross pays the penalty for our wrongdoing, and repent. To repent is to choose to do things God's way, and not to choose our own preferences or rely on our own understanding. If we do that, then we are forgiven and born again, made a different person. God sends the Holy Spirit to us, so that we can begin to get to know Christ personally.
Maybe you've known Jesus for many years, but not as well as you'd like. The way you get to know Jesus better is the same as the way you get to know anybody better - spend time with Him. There is no substitute for prayer.
We who have been born again know Jesus personally through the work of the Holy Spirit who lives within us, and prayer is the best and most fundamental way to connect with Jesus by the Holy Sprit. And God in His grace has also given us other ways, in addition to prayer, to get to know Jesus better. When we read the Bible, or come to church to worship, when we get baptised as believers, when we break bread together to remember Jesus's sacrifice, the Holy Spirit comes alongside us, touches us, changes us, and makes us more aware of Jesus's presence, His love and His character.
Paul wanted to know Jesus better. I'm sure, and I expect you're sure, that Paul spent a lot of time in prayer and worship. May we choose to do the same. Then we will experience God our Saviour more and more, and get to know Him better and better.
Next week: the power of Christ's resurrection