“That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death.”
This classic verse many Christians memorize or use as a life verse. It is interesting to look at this verse in its context. Paul is in the midst of giving his testimony. In this autobiography, he related what he underwent as he brought all his religion to the cross and left it there. Paul was now a Christian for 25 years, sitting in a Roman prison.
Everything he once counted a success, he now viewed as a loss. However, God declared him as righteousness as Christ is righteous. This righteousness was available, not attainable, to him by Jesus Christ. As we come to verse 10, we see why he made knowing Christ his life ambition. So in a few words, we have the life ambition of a spiritual giant.
“That I may know him”
The word “that” introduces a purpose clause. This states Paul’s life purpose. The life ambition of Paul was to know Jesus Christ better. He had known Him for a quarter of a century. Yet, he wanted to know Him better. He could aim no higher. In verse 8, Paul referred to knowing Christ as “the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” There is no end to knowing about the greatness of Christ.
It is interesting how many people feel that coming to Christ initially in salvation is all there is to know of Him. Initial salvation only introduces us to Him. It does not exhaust the wonder of His person. As we grow in grace, we understand Him better:
“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).
Through the study of the Word of God, we will know Him better. The Bible is even called “the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16). The Word of God is God’s thinking about Christ. We will become more intimate with Him as we grow in grace. Salvation is only the beginning, the commencement of knowing Him. His person is many splendored. It takes time to know Him.
The word “know” means to know by experience. It is not enough to know Jesus Christ academically. We must know Him personally by the experience of fellowship with Him. That experience comes primarily from the study of Scripture.
PRINCIPLE:
It is important to know more of Christ than simply in salvation.
APPLICATION:
We need to experience Christ daily. We need to know Him more intimately as our Lord. Since Christianity is essentially a relationship and not a religion, it is crucial to develop our relationship with the Lord. The more we center on the person of Christ, the more our spiritual life grows. If we lessen our relationship with Him, our spiritual life weakens. Are you daily studying the Word to know more of Christ? Is this your life ambition?
I love the exposition on the Tex philipians 3:10, please never mine if I may have asses to hard copy of your books.
Umukoro, there are no hard copies of my books other than Certainty, a Place to Stand. All verse-by-verse commentaries are digital.
The word Know means to have a relationship with someone or something. It also means to know and being known by that particular object. We must have a relationship with Yshua(Jesus) so we can know him and be known by him. Also the power of his resurrection. Do we truly understand the power of His resurrection. He conquer the power of death over our lives and gave us eternal life by resurrecting.The fellowship of his suffering. Do we mind being chastised by the world for Jesus(Yshua)? Do we have fellowship with his suffering? To be a disciple of Yshua we must be ready to decrease our human nature so He will be all the world will see in us.
I’m consulting this fascinating material for more light on Brother Paul’s supreme ambition. Thank you for this fresh insight; I’m truly blessed. Wishing you more grace in our Lord’s service; amen. Blessings.
That I may know him….. what a deep statement that demands deeper understanding! which goes beyond physical and head knowledge of Christ but Paul a man of depth is talking about the experiential knowledge of God here in this text.
….. and the power of his resurrection.. the power that woke him up from the death, it now reminds of Paul statement in Corinthians that …if the spirit him that raise Jesus Christ from death is in us, that same power will quicken our mortal body… he is primarily talking about the fellowshipping with the holy spirit…
….. and his suffering even unto death… which vividly explain where Paul said in Galatians that for me to die is gain but to leave if for Christ which quickly reminds of that statement Jesus made in John 12:24 that except a corn of west fall to and dies it abides alone.. which simply means he won’t progressively enjoy his relationship with God until he gets to a point of laying down his life unto Christ.
….From Bro Basorun Gbenga…
I lost ,my wife from cancer in Dec 1, 2014 , since I have experienced emotional hell. 2 nights ago, I had a beautiful dream, I will describe it, with the verse as my foundation in my dream. This verse tho, I have read over an over daily, for almost 4 years , for I have it posted on my refigerator . Hope you can benefit from my experience with this verse. i have pastored a Southern Baptist church over 30 years have had very painful loss’s on my life an ministry(all very .small churches) Please pray for me. My interpretation of this verse to me, ,,,,,,I will entitle it
” Beautiful Dream ” 11/14/18
I had the most beautiful dream last night it was a girl with cancer who in step by step acts of compassion were brought to her by her friends she work with. 3 vases were given to 3 different people who gave the gift’s recieved to them , but were given to her and were placed on 3 separate shelves in the room of compassion , the room was filled with people full of compassion for this girl. the vases (symbolic , I do not what they meant) but given as a gift for the suffering they all were suffering with her. “real suffering” not fake. “they knew her” no lost of identity , (like so many times happens in the life of some diagnosied with terminal disease.) as with my wife Dianne said and felt . no one ” knew her in the fellowship of her suffering “. which is what I feel was missing the in death of my wife Dianne.
Like a story I once heard , a lil boy ,lost his grandfather to death . He went to his funeral ( He had never attended one) . He heard lots of people talk good about his grandfather ,,, then at the time they shut the casket and were going to take the casket to burial. He shouted NO,. No,. No ,, this is my grandfather , you cannot leave him , No, NO,. NO. NO. The pain in written words are not enough to put on paper. But his ,the lil boys suffering was because ” he had come” “to know his grandfather “.
Charles, thanks for your comment. I appreciate your service as pastor–may God bless you for that. I will pray for you.