That I May Know Him

7But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

8Yea 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,

9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

11If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

12Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

13Brethren, 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,

14I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

15Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

16Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
Philippians 3:7-16, KJV

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death. Philippians 3:10 is one of the most profound verses of the entire Bible. You would do well to memorize it and make it your life's verse, and then pray that God will make it true in your own life!

This passage is a personal testimony of Paul to the church at Philippi. Look at the trade-off he made! He gave up everything for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ. Why? So that he might win Christ. This is not a prize he earned, but a gift. For the true believer, like Paul, we come to realize that nothing on this earth is worth more in our lives than Christ. Christ is all!

He recognizes in verse 9 that his righteousness is not something that he himself attained. Rather, Paul attained his righteousness through Christ; it is the righteousness of Christ that is seen in the true believer. We truly never become perfectly righteous while on this earth, but as we grow in Christ, like Paul, we desire to reach for that righteousness.

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.

How do we accomplish this? Go to Christ; Christ saves us, Christ keeps us, and Christ walks with us all of the days of our life here on this earth.

Pray, today, that your goal in life would be the same as Paul's in verse 10.

That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.