That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain[b] to the resurrection from the dead. Philippians 3.10,11
Paul brags about his resume in the first few verses of Philippians 3 – he had been circumcised on the eighth day, was from the tribe in Israel that produced its first king, he kept the law to the letter, and declared himself a blameless Pharisee as his zeal for God was reflected in his violent persecution of those who followed Jesus. This may be similar to someone who we might say has checked all the boxes – married, has a few cute babies, a high-flying career, living in their country-side mansion, with a fleet of luxury cars and jets, lucrative investments, premium credit cards and insurance covers, retirement savings, exotic vacations and a large following on social media
After Paul’s dramatic encounter with Jesus on the dusty Damascus road, nothing else was important to him besides taking the gospel to the Gentiles. Paul counted all he had inherited and worked hard to earn as loss to know and follow Christ. Something happens to your priorities and perspectives after you meet Jesus. And that shift will have a massive impact on what we choose to engage with, the people in our relationship orbit, and our future goals. That I may know him…
Paul doesn’t discredit the collective acquisition of knowledge at several opportunities such as Sunday services, Bible study classes, online small groups, etc but his earnest desire was an up close and personal hunger to know God more. At some point, we will all be exhausted with the second-hand interpretations and hand-me-down versions of God, we are truly grateful for all those who taught us about God over the years and up to this point but we sincerely desire to discover God for ourselves.
And Paul doesn’t want just knowledge about God as there’s a difference between knowing someone and knowing something about them. While the latter involves a mental acquisition of knowledge from several sources, the former is an intimate and experiential knowledge. We won’t know God till we spend unhurried time with him in the word, in worship, and in prayer. Many people know about God but don’t know Him. They may have heard about his character and his preferences, but they have not had a personal encounter with God.
There is a ‘knowing’ that keeps you pure and undefiled from the immorality and idolatry in the world because you fear God. You don’t need anyone to keep a tab on you because you don’t want to disappoint the Lord. When everything is shaking and quaking around us, there is ‘knowing’ that keeps you in perfect peace because you are confident that God will not abandon you. When everyone is chasing after what’s temporal and fading, there’s a ‘knowing’ that enables you to walk by several ‘opportunities’ and lay hold on what will last for eternity. The people that know their God shall be strong and do exploits (Daniel 11.32). There’s a ‘knowing’ that sets you apart from those who are following God on their terms and those who are carrying their cross daily to follow the Lord. If we have to cajole, beg or manipulate people to serve the Lord, it might be an indication if they truly know God or just have some knowledge about him.
Paul’s desire to know God wasn’t going to happen in a moment but would be an intentional and continued posture to keep seeking and searching for God. The journey to find God will never end till we see him face to face. We don’t seek any more knowledge about something or someone if we are already content with what we have. Paul realised he was back to ground zero when all he had known and worked for had become irrelevant and worthless overnight. There must be more to having all the boxes in life checked, there must be more than acquiring and amassing possessions, positions, and power, there must be more than the addition of more letters behind our names. And like Paul, until we are exhausted and fed up with everything else, then and only then, will we seek to know God more.
Paul sets out four aspects of Jesus he seeks to pursue; the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death and to attain unto the resurrection of the dead. And while many are quite content with serving the Lord, a personal relationship with the Lord is lacking. God isn’t interested in our service to him if we have abandoned our first love. The quality of our relationship to the Lord will be reflected in our service to him and vice versa.
If the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us, I want to experience it. I don’t want to have a mental knowledge about it but to see it at work in me. Why do some Christians have testimonies of the supernatural power of God at work in their lives while others don’t? Resurrection depicts new life. The power that changes a man who once persecuted the church and transforms him into a humble and obedient servant of God, that power is still at work setting many free from the bondage of the enemy and using them to turn the world upside for Jesus.
Paul wanted to experience in similar terms what Jesus suffered while he was here on earth and especially on the cross. Many of us are happy to follow the Lord as long as the path is easy and comfortable. After several horrible experiences while serving the Lord, Paul keeps going and later writes to the Philippian church: For unto you it is given on the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him but also to suffer for his sake (1.29). Suffering isn’t a popular theme from our pulpits, but Paul says it’s part of the package. What is it costing you to be a follower of Christ?
Beyond suffering for Christ, Paul wanted to experience death like Jesus did. He wanted of parts of himself that were not glorifying God to die as well. He was also not afraid of dying for the cause of the gospel, he went to dangerous territories, was shipwrecked, beaten, and jailed only because of the name of Christ. Many Christians around the world are putting their lives on the line to take the gospel to unreached people groups. Paul didn’t think he would be crucified like Jesus was, but he didn’t mind if that happened. When we decide to follow Jesus, there is no guarantee that we will be safe.
Finally, Paul hoped to attain the resurrection of the dead, he knew everyone would be resurrected on the last day, some to eternal life while others to eternal condemnation. If knowing Jesus, living for Him, and serving him was his goal on this side of eternity, Paul’s ultimate goal was to see Jesus face to face someday. He had heard the voice of Jesus speaking to him when he fell off his high horse and the bright light shone around him. At the end of his life, he said he had fought the good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith, the only thing he was waiting for was to see Jesus face to face and hear those precious words: Well done good and faithful servant.
While many are seeking God only for what they can get or what he can do for them, Paul challenges us to pursue a deeper relationship with God. To seek to experience the supernatural power at work in us through Christ’s resurrection, to see God at work in our trials and trauma, as we experience God’s peace and presence in our pain. And as we look to the day when God will wipe away our tears, we can allow this future hope to propel us to attempt great things for God and His kingdom. We are consoled and comforted that all the troubles on this side of eternity won’t go on forever, God promises to make all things new.
How is your relationship with the Lord? A deep and personal relationship will not happen in the hustle and bustle until we stay away from the noise without and quieten the noise within. When last did you enjoy undisturbed and unhurried fellowship with the Lord? We can’t also seek God and also pursue our selfish ambitions at the same time, one will always be prioritised over the other. When it’s all been said and done, only our relationship with the Lord will matter. What’s standing in the way of a deeper and intentional relationship with the Lord?
Lord draw me closer, ever so closer, still my restless soul, draw me away to listen to your still small voice and enjoy your company. I want to know you more, reveal yourself to me, Dear Lord Jesus. Amen