"And 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: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings ,being made conformable to His death."
Philippians 3:9-10
Being a child of God, a Christian, means that I no longer try to please God though my own efforts and strength. In and of myself I have no goodness, no “righteousness,” other than those “filthy rags” that I used to hold up to God in an effort to impress Him, (Isaiah 64:6). When Jesus saved me, He took my “filthy rags” and replaced them with His righteousness! My righteousness today has nothing whatsoever to do with my own efforts but everything to do with God’s grace. He saved me by His grace, and He gave me His righteousness! I am amazed at His goodness to me.
Because Jesus saved me, I now have the desire to know Him better, and for my personal relationship with Him to grow stronger. In today’s verses we can see that the Apostle Paul had this same deep desire, “That I may know Him!” Paul gave up everything that had been important to him that he might “win Christ,” (v. 8). This word “know” in the Greek text means, “to have personal acquaintance or experience with,” (see Robertson, in eSword). It is not just simply knowing the Bible stories about Jesus, as important as they are. It’s not just understanding the “doctrine” of Christ, which is vital to us. It is so much more than this. It is a two way relationship with the One who loves you and saved you. It is getting to know Jesus as He works in your life. It’s real first-hand knowledge as you commune with Him daily. You have access to the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ! He is your Redeemer! Get to know Him!
What do we need to “know” about Jesus? Three things in verse 10:
1. “The power of His resurrection.”
Jesus was raised from the dead! His resurrection was a literal, physical, bodily
resurrection from the dead. “Death cannot keep his prey, Jesus my Savior! He
tore the bars away, Jesus my Lord!” (Robert Lowry)
God’s Spirit that raised Jesus physically from the dead, is the same Spirit that
raises new believers from spiritual death today, and from physical death
tomorrow. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when
the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live,”
(John 5:25).
Jesus said, “…because I live, ye shall live also,” (John 14:19b).
2. “The fellowship of His sufferings.”
Romans 6 teaches believers that when Jesus died, we died with Him. When
Jesus was buried, we were buried with Him. When Jesus arose from the dead,
we arose with Him. By imputation, we suffered with Him when He suffered.1
Paul said that his sufferings were to “fill up that which is behind of the afflictions
of Christ…,” and he willingly suffered for the “body of Christ’s sake” (Colossians
1:24). And likewise we too gladly bear anything that is placed on us for His sake.
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross, and follow me,” (Matthew 16:24).
“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him
stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted,” (Isaiah 53:4). Since Jesus bore our
sufferings for us, we partake in His sufferings with Him.2
3. “Being made conformable to His death.”
Many times I have thought about what it means to be “made conformable to His death.” Paul was writing this letter to the believers at Philippi. He was telling
them what an honorable thing it is to die as Christ died. At this point in his life,
Paul’s own death was not too far away. He wanted his death to conform
to, or be like Jesus’ death. Jesus died for Paul, and now Paul wants his death to
count for Christ.
If we could ask Paul and all of the Christian martyrs, from Stephen on, “Is it worth
it to die for Jesus Christ?” I do not believe that we would hear one of them say
that they wished they could have died some other way, or for some other cause.
Paul would quickly tell us that there is no higher purpose for the child of God than
to live and die for his Savior.
Believer, how well do you know Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior?
1. See Jamison-Fausset-Brown, Commentary, in eSword.
2. Ibid., JFB.