Know Him

Philippians 3:4-11

In Philippians Chapter 3 (I believe) there is the most radical life transformation in the New Testament. It’s the record of Paul’s transformation from an everything right “religious person” to a supernaturally transformed “Christ-follower.” In Philippians Chapter 3, verse 4, Paul starts the thought about the confidence he had in his “religious ‘right-ness’.”

Philippians 3:4 (NLT)
4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!

 
And then he goes on to explain just how right he was. For Paul, everything was “in place” – it was “just right.”

Philippians 3:5–6 (NLT)
5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old 
(obeying the Law of Moses at a week old). I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin (That’s the best of the best) — a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law.
6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

 
If there ever was a guy who “earned the right” to say he was doing okay with God – it was the Apostle Paul. In every way, religiously and culturally, Paul had it right. If Paul were in our church today, we would call him a “perfect Christian.” Except for one thing – he didn’t know Jesus.
 
But for Paul, there was a day on a road when everything changed. In Acts Chapter 9, Paul was doing his “religiously right” thing when suddenly heaven opened up, the glory of God blinded Paul, and he fell to the ground and a voice from heaven spoke. To which Paul says, “Who are you?” and from heaven, Paul hears the words, “I am Jesus.” And from that moment the “religiously right” Paul was never the same. Paul had been radically transformed from a face-to-face revelation of WHO Jesus Christ truly IS.
 
And heaven still opens today, and Jesus Christ still reveals who he truly IS today. The question is – are we looking for him? Are we listening for him? Do we desire to know him in that transforming way – today?

As we continue in Philippians 3, we see what effect Paul’s revelation meeting with Jesus Christ had on him.

What happened after you met Jesus? What happened? What happened in your life? Is there something you can point to and say, “Whoa! When I met Jesus, it changed.” Some of you know my story. I was living in Hollywood at a top recording studio. The day I got saved, left church, called the studio, and said, “I’m never coming back to Hollywood! Something just happened to me and I’m never going to be the same.” And I never have been.

Paul is going to look back on everything that was right in his life. And here is what he says:

Philippians 3:7 (NLT)
7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.

 
Everything that mattered to Paul before that moment, everything he considered valuable in his life, everything previously important to him – he now considered it all worthless. And the word “worthless” here does not merely mean a worthless thing (as we know it), but instead, a thing that robs the true blessing from your soul. Paul says the things I thought were valuable were actually robbing the true blessing from my soul.

And in the first half of verse 8, Paul adds even more power to an already powerful statement. It’s not enough to say what he just said, so he adds a second layer.

Philippians 3:8(A) (NLT)
8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord . . .


Paul is adding as much power as possible to his words. First, he says, “The things I thought were valuable, I now consider worthless”

Then he says, (verse 8), “Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Jesus Christ.

And then, finally, a third time, a third layer.

Philippians 3:8(B)-9(A) (NLT)
8 . . . For his sake I have discarded 
(meaning ‘willingly thrown away’) everything else, counting it all as GARBAGE, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him.

Finally, worthless isn’t strong enough. Now Paul says when compared to the infinite value of knowing Jesus Christ everything else is garbage. King James says it best: When compared to knowing Jesus Christ – everything else is DUNG. Animal excrement.

When compared with the infinite value of knowing Jesus Christ and gaining Christ and becoming one with him everything else looks like worthless garbage.

Then, in verse 9, Paul makes it clear. He now knows the only way you and I can become truly right with God.

Philippians 3:9(B) (NLT)
9 . . . I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law (a HUGE transformation); rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.


This word “faith” is not intellectual assent. It’s not believing something exists, like the chair you’re sitting on. It’s not believing there’s a higher power that you’re smart enough to know that a divine design requires a divine designer. This faith is in a Person. It’s surrendering everything you have to the Person of Jesus Christ, clinging to him.

Knowing Jesus Christ begins with us putting our full and complete faith in him which allows us to receive his righteousness in place of our sin and allows us to become one WITH him. You gave him your sin; he gave you his righteousness – 2 Corinthians 5:21. … and it allows us to become one with him. That’s what Romans 6 is about – being so united with Jesus Christ that what he’s done becomes what we’ve done.

When Paul finally realized all of the worthlessness of his own effort and all of the eternal value of knowing Jesus Christ, he finally says in the beginning of Philippians 3 verse 10,

Philippians 3:10 (NLT)
10 I want to know Christ . . .


I want to know HIM!

This word “know” is not “know about him,” it is not “learn about him,” it is not “be able to talk about him.” This word is the famous Greek word meaning, an ever-increasing, personal, intimate, relationship knowledge.

The Greek word is GINOSKO. I want to KNOW Jesus.

Let’s read verse 10 again with the definition inserted.

Philippians 3:10(A) (NLT)
10 I want to [have An Ever-Increasing, Personal, Intimate, Relationship Knowledge of] Christ . . .


NOT know about him – KNOW HIM.

Paul’s talking about a relationship that involves the closest communion and companionship. Knowing Jesus – intimately, personally, experientially – that was Paul’s supreme goal. That was the only thing he could put on the gain side of his life – everything else had to go on the loss side.

And this commitment to know Christ became the driving force of his life. We see this when we read verses 10 and 11 together.

Philippians 3:10–11 (NLT)
10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!


Everything in your life with God is wrapped up in this “relationship knowledge” of Jesus Christ.

To know him more every day
To know the power of his resurrection in your life
To share in his suffering
and be conformed to his death (meaning “death to self”)
that no matter what path you walk with him, you will know that path ultimately lead to your own resurrection with him.

Is that the relationship knowledge you desire to have with Jesus Christ?

Because Jesus died for you in order to give you that level of relationship. The God of the Universe did not die in your place and pay for your sin so that you could become religious. He did it so that you could know him at this level so that you could genuinely walk with him – be led by him – commune with him – so that you could experience his peace, his power, his suffering, and ultimately his resurrection.

You can know Jesus at this level and you can begin today. If you are willing to throw out to repent from all your own efforts to reach God, and instead, to commit to know Jesus in this way. He’s waiting to reveal himself to you – right now.

All you have to do is commit to seek him and follow him above everything else!