In Philippians 3:8-10, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection…” is the heart cry of the Apostle Paul. In the context leading up to these verses, he speaks of his background in Judaism with its rituals and his knowledge of the law, but he now understood that this did not “cut it”. This great Apostle in setting forth an example, to which we all should aspire, finds all of this knowledge and these religious forms worthless, even counting it as rubbish, in comparison to personal knowledge of and relationship with Christ Jesus the living word. Have we reached this plane set forth by the Apostle where knowing Christ the living word is more important than all the knowledge and rituals of our past life, counting them worthless as compared to this living reality?
It is by the knowledge of the Lord that we are justified: Isaiah 53:11 says, “By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many.” We can view this either as that by our knowledge of Him, i. e. knowing Him, we receive His justification, or that by His skillful knowledge and priestly ministry He obtains our justification. I kind of believe that both aspects are a part of our justification. Coming to the knowledge of Christ, getting to know Him, brings the release of the power of the Word within us. He is in the word and the word is in Him, yes He is the Word!
Jeremiah 9:23-24 tells us that the only thing we should glory in is that we understand and know the Lord. Only as we know the one “true God, and Jesus Christ” do we have eternal life (John 17:3). Paul’s purpose was to rely on nothing of the flesh but only to know “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). In Ephesians 4:13-15, we learn these things about progressing and maturing in Christ: We come “to the knowledge of the Son of God”; and we come into maturity, stability, and integrity.
Paul found joy in knowing Christ, not only in the power of His resurrection but also in the fellowship of His sufferings (Philippians 3:10). He found joy even in a prison cell, and we should be stable and rejoice even through hardships, difficulties, adversities, and even emotional upheavals. This is the power of the word working in us.
His Word
-By Rose Hill
Jesus the word is God’s gift to us,
We read His words and in Him we trust.
As we drink of His words they are very refreshing,
As we meditate on them to us it’s a blessing.