19 May 2024

KNOWING CHRIST INTIMATELY (2)

(Going Forward in Christ: GFIC 20)

The Apostle Paul had a passion to know Christ intimately, so he had this aspiration: “That I may know Him and the Power of His Resurrection, and the Fellowship of His Sufferings, being conformed to His Death” (Phil. 3:10 - NKJV). The NIV puts it this way: “I want to know Christ – yes, to know the Power of His Resurrection and participation in His Sufferings, becoming like Him in His Death”.

But before we can even get to know Christ in such an intimate way, we need to do what Paul had done first, as mentioned in the previous verses 7-9, and that is to give up everything for the sake of Christ. That means total surrender of our life to Christ – live for Him completely. He said, “Whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. I count everything as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for Whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage that I may gain Christ” (v.7-8).

How can we ever know Christ intimately without being willing to surrender our all to Him?

There are three things Paul wants to do in his relationship with Christ, in order to know Him intimately. And they are not as easy as we think.

1. To Know The Power of His Resurrection.
God in His mighty power raised Christ from the dead. New life came into His dead body when that power was released. Similarly, the power of Christ’s Resurrection means that we who were dead in sins and trespasses will be raised to life by the Spirit of Life. That means we will live a life of victory over the sinful nature to become a new creation in Christ (2 Cor.5:17). It also means that we no longer live for ourselves but for Him Who died and rose again for us. This Resurrection Power enables us to be holy like Jesus is holy, and to do the works of Jesus.

2. To Participate in His Sufferings.
This is difficult part. It is to experience the “fellowship of His Sufferings” (NKJV). Not many want or even willing to suffer for Christ. Yet Jesus said that those who want to be His disciples must “deny themselves, take up the Cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Peter tells us that “because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps” (1 Pet.2:21). Paul says that we are given “on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him but also suffer for Him” (Phil.1:29). How can we really know Christ intimately without identifying with Him in suffering for His sake?

3. To Become Like Him in His Death.
To be willing to suffer for Christ, we must first be willing to die to self and for Him. To “deny self” means “to give up all rights to ourselves” and to be “crucified with Christ” so that His Life may flow into us (Gal.2:20). Christ selflessly gave up His Life to bless all sinners with salvation and eternal life. In the same way we must die so that others may live.  

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