PHILIPPIANS 3:7-14 – But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
THEME OF THE DAY. KNOWING YOU, JESUS. The theme of today’s nugget may cause some of us to think of the song by Graham Kendrick under the same title. The first verse of his song reads – “All I once held dear, built my life upon, all this world reveres and wars to own, all I once thought gain, I have counted loss, spent and worthless now, compared to this”. What follows is the chorus – “Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You, there is no greater thing, You’re my all, You’re the best, You’re my joy, my righteousness, and I love You, Lord.” The song then moves into the second verse – “Now my heart’s desire is to know You more, to be found in You and known as Yours, to possess by faith what I could not earn, all-surpassing gift of righteousness.”
A great song, right? If you haven’t heard it, take advantage of the world we live in and “YouTube” it. It warms the heart, draws one to a heart-felt adoration for the Savior, and it won’t be long till we will find ourselves singing along. It does me, even though I can’t sing, I do. But something else happens when I finish singing this song. I ask myself, and now I am asking you, “Is it true in my life? Yours?” It is one thing to go to church and sing great hymns of the faith, “blast” a great Christian song in our vehicles, and attend a moving concert. It is another thing to live the truth in those songs. And that brings us to the application of Kendrick’s song . . . is knowing Jesus the chief passion, pursuit, and purpose in our lives? It was for the Apostle Paul in today’s scripture.
Friends, life’s greatest pursuit, greatest experience, and greatest joy is knowing Jesus. And the enjoyment of this greatness found in Jesus won’t just happen by an emotional pull from a spiritual song. It will require gut-wrenching self-discipline, self-denial, and self-control. All three of these necessary spiritual disciplines to know Christ in His Word and prayer are summed up with this simple statement by the Apostle Paul – Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. This does not mean Paul only did one thing in life. No, he did not retreat from life and live as a monk. What this means is that nothing or no one is to be given higher affection and higher attention than the Lord Jesus. He must be the One all of life orbits around. And it will show by how we safeguard time seeking Him.
Knowing You, Jesus. It is a great song. Make it the greatest thing in our lives, not sometime, but all the time. He is worthy of our affection and efforts.
PRAYER: “Father, open the eyes of my understanding to see the soul-satisfying delight of knowing Your Son.”
QUOTE: “Knowing Christ. This is life’s greatest pursuit, greatest experience, and greatest joy. Never take it for granted.”