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WEEKLY

Volume 2 Number 11

12 August 2007

Knowing Jesus Christ

(Message delivered by Rev Hien Nguyen at the Sunday Worship Service, 2 pm, August 5, 2007)

Text: Phil 3:7-10

In this world we usually admire the learned or scholarly people who have a wide knowledge of many things. But how about the knowledge of God and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? God says, “Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD” (Jer 9:23-24). God does delight in our knowledge of Him.

Last week we have learnt that one of the causes of defeat before the enemies is the lack of personal knowledge of God and trust in Him. Therefore, it is very vital and important to know the Lord personally. We cannot put our trust in the one we do not know well. The more we know the Lord, the more we trust in Him, love Him, fear Him and appreciate Him. The apostle Paul said, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ” (Phil 3:8). How about you and me?

Paul’s Knowledge of Jesus Christ

Paul wrote the epistle to the Philippians while he was in prison, but we can see his great faith, joy, and peace in the Lord owing to his heart knowledge of the Lord and his trust in the Lord. Paul “rejoiced in the Lord greatly” ( 4:10), always prayed for the Philippians “with joy” (1:4) and encouraged them to “rejoice the Lord” (3:1; 4:4). Paul trusted in the Lord, saying, “he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (1:6), and “Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (1:20-21), and “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (2:13), and “we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body” (3:20-21) and “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (4:7), and “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (4:13) and “my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (4:19). You and I cannot say those words meaningfully if we do not know our Lord experientially in our lives.

Counting All Things but Loss

We can “count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus” only when we see the great value of that knowledge. Paul had a clear reason and purpose when he counted “what things were gain” to him but loss (v 7) and then “all things but loss…but dung”: (a) for Christ (v 7), (b) for the excellency (surpassing value or greatness) of the (experiential) knowledge of Christ Jesus (v 8), (c) in order to win/gain Christ and be found in Him, having the righteousness of God by faith (vv 8-9), and (d) to know Christ experientially and have fellowship with Him (v 10).

First we see Paul count or regard what things were gain (profit) to him but loss (damage, disadvantage) for Christ so that he might be found in Christ and gain His righteousness. Paul was from a noble race, the chosen people of God, and had a very good background in human view, “Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” (vv 5-6). However, as all the righteousness and the best of man are as “filthy rags” in God’s sight (Isa 64:6), it is better for you and me to regard them but loss so that we may receive the righteousness and the best of God in Christ. If we see the robe we are wearing so torn, dirty and smelly, it is easy for us to throw it away in order to receive the royal robe, “the garments of salvation” and “the robe of righteousness” from God (Isa 61:10). If we still boast of our race, our good works, our background, our merits, our achievements or our “own righteousness” through which we think that we have gained God’s favour more than others, we may not be found in Christ and be “fallen from grace” or lose our part in Christ (Gal 5:4).

Next, Paul also regarded all things but loss and dung (refuse, worthless things) so that he might know more about Christ Jesus, be found in Him and have fellowship with Him, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (v 10). It is wonderful to have a strong desire to know more about our Lord Jesus Christ, not only to enjoy the salvation and righteousness from Him but also to have fellowship with Him and to be like Him. Knowing the Lord with great appreciation, Paul said, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” ( 1:21) and “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day” (2 Tim 1:12). We hardly trust a stranger. We must surely know the Lord so that we may appreciate Him, choose Him and commit our lives to Him, trusting that He is able to keep us safe until His return. Then, how can you and I know more about the Lord Jesus Christ?

How to Know More about Jesus Christ

Be Born Again: The first condition to have a heart-knowledge of God and the Lord Jesus Christ is to be born again into God’s family. Many professing Christians think that they know the Lord, but it is only their head-knowledge. Some of us here may know and tell about a well-known king, president, or prime minister, but we do not have any relationship with him. Likewise, many professing Christians may tell about the Lord Jesus Christ and even preach His Word, but they do not have any relationship with Christ. A dog may be very faithful and intelligent but its life level is much lower than that of man. It may recognize its owner, express its feelings and have some simple communication with him, but it cannot know him and have fellowship with him as a son with his father. Likewise, if you and I are not born again by the Holy Spirit, we cannot know God and have a close fellowship with Him as a child knows his Father or as a bride to her bridegroom.

Our Lord Jesus says, “All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him” (Mt 11:27) and He prays to His Father, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). God’s Word says, “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life” (1 John 5:20). Dear friends, we must be born again so that we may have eternal life and divine nature to know the Lord and have fellowship with Him.

Desire to Know the Lord: God delights in our knowledge of Him (Jer 9:23-24), so it is good and important for us to have a desire to know Him. If we do not have a desire to know the Lord, we are indifferent and lukewarm like the church of the Laodiceans. Usually, we are willing to tell others about ourselves if they really desire to know us. The Psalmist says, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee” (Ps 73:25). Our Lord will be pleased when we, like Paul, can regard all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Him.

Moreover, to know the Lord is a command, “But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen” (2 Peter 3:18). This command is in the simple present tense, denoting, “Keep on growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Do you and I still keep on growing in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord? If today we know the Lord and His Word better than yesterday, we are growing. If we are content with our knowledge of the Lord and His Word in the past but today we do not seek to know Him more, we are not growing. It is good for you and me to forget those things which are behind and press toward the mark for the prize in Christ Jesus. Despite his deep knowledge of the Lord, Paul said, “I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (vv 13-14). Shall we do the same?

Seek the Lord First: It is not enough to have a desire to know the Lord. To know someone or something well, it requires our time, zeal and efforts. We have to seek the Lord and His Word daily through our personal devotion and Bible study. The Holy Spirit uses His Word to reveal the Lord and His Truth to us. This is God’s promise, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jer 29:13). The Lord Jesus says, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mt 6:33). This command is also in the present tense, denoting, “Keep on seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” Do you and I still keep on seeking the Lord and His Word daily? “Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD” (Prov 8:34-35).

Keep His Word with Humble Submission: In order to know the Lord more, we must humbly submit to Him and obey Him. Paul submitted to Christ Jesus, his Lord “I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord” (v 8). When confessing Jesus Christ as Lord, we must mean that He is our supreme and sovereign Lord, our Master, our Owner, and our Possessor. That means we are not our own but the Lord’s as His bond-slave. Paul said, “Paul and Timotheus, the servants (bond-slaves) of Jesus Christ” (1:1). Our Lord Jesus says, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him” (John 14:21). Our Lord Jesus will manifest Himself to us when we love Him and obey His Word. The Bible confirms, “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him” (1 John 2:3-4). If we doubt, question, or criticize God’s Word, we arrogantly despise the Lord Himself! Then how can we receive the revelation from the Lord? Surely, “God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble” (James 4:6)

Take up One’s Cross and Follow Him: To know the Lord more, we must be willing to pay the cost by taking our cross and following Him faithfully unto death in season or out of season, even in persecutions and trials. Paul said, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” (v 10). It is a blessing to know the power of Jesus’ resurrection in our lives and ministry to overcome Satan, our sinful nature and worldliness, but shall we still regard it a blessing to know the fellowship of Jesus’ sufferings and to be conformed unto His death? When we live for the Lord and do His Word and we face misunderstanding, misjudgment, contempt, criticism, hatred, betrayal, opposition, attacks or persecutions from the world or from professing Christians, we may know and understand the sufferings of our Lord, who “endured such contradiction of sinners against himself” (Heb 12:3). Then we may be constrained by His love to willingly be conformed to our Lord’s death – death to “self,” and to sins and to worldliness.

Conclusion

Dear friends, the Lord delights in our knowledge of Him. It is vital for us to know our Lord personally. The more we know Him and His Word, the more we love Him, trust in Him, fear Him, honour Him, appreciate Him, obey Him and humbly submit ourselves to Him. It is a command for you and me to keep on growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In order to grow in His knowledge, we must be born again, have a desire to know Him, forget those things which are behind, keep on seeking Him and His Word daily, keep His Word with our humble submission, regard all things but loss and take up our cross and follow Him. Knowing the Lord experientially and personally, we may say like Paul, “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Cor 2:2). All glory be to the Lord alone. Amen.

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