That I Might Know Him

"That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death."
(Philippians 3:10)

Paul is writing to the Church at Philippi. In essence, Paul is sharing his testimony with the Believers there. He was a man of great achievement before his dramatic conversion experience on the road to Damascus. "Paul was a genuine Jew by birth, not a proselyte. Furthermore, he was of the stock of Israel, directly descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. His tribe was the elite of Israel, and he was a Hebrew of the Hebrews in that his family retained Hebrew customs and spoke the Hebrew language" (commentary, Spirit Filled Life Bible).

Before his conversion, Paul knew God externally. He followed all of the Judaic laws. He understood God intellectually. But when the Spirit of God met him on the Damascus Road, Paul EXPERIENCED the love of God. He experienced the Word made flesh and he became a new man - old things were passed away.

He was no longer "religious". Paul became a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Before I met my Savior I knew Him intellectually. I was in church every Sunday, active in my youth group. I had compassion on others, tried to always do what was right BUT I did not know God. My self-righteousness was as filthy rags to El Elyon, the Lord Most High. I THOUGHT I knew Him, but I did not. Going to church every Sunday didn't make me a Christian anymore than driving into a garage everyday made me a car.

And then my Jesus called me by name, poured His Spirit into me, anointed me with grace and power and cleansed me with His precious blood. Like Paul, everything I had accomplished to that point lost its significance. I, too, realized that nothing - absolutely nothing - could compare to knowing Him and making Him known.

Philippians 3;10 in the Amplified Study Bible reads like this, "For my determined purpose is that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly, and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection which it exerts over believers, and that I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed in spirit into His likeness even to His death."

That I may KNOW Him - become deeply and intimately acquainted.
That I may KNOW Him - perceiving, recognizing and understanding His wonders.
That I may KNOW Him - daily walking in the power of His resurrection.

Is Jesus calling your name? Is the Father wooing you by His Holy Spirit, asking you to take the next step and REALLY get to know Him? "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!" He loves you with an everlasting love. He did not come into the world to condemn the world, but to bring eternal life - life with the Father forever and ever. Please, respond to His call today. He is waiting to hear from you.

Father, if ever there was a time that we need to KNOW You, not just about You, that time is now. Even for those who have answered Your call, the time for a deeper walk is now. Stir up Your Spirit within us; create a hunger and thirst that only You can satisfy. Enlighten the eyes of our hearts so that we can understand Your Word, Your ways. We are asking for wisdom and discernment. Open our ears to hear Your voice as we seek to learn. We give You praise, Lord. Thank You so much for Your desire to walk with us and talk with us and tell us we are Your own. Bless you, Lord.