Knowing Christ

(#3, ?)

Read Phil. 3:8-10.

Many people are like Philip in John 14:9.  He had hung around Jesus for a long time, and yet did not really seem to know Him.  Often "church members" are so busy knowing the methods of Christianity that they do not know the One Who is Christianity itself.  They are wrapped up in the business of the church or the people, and yet they don't truly know Christ.

The danger of this is seen in the letters from Jesus to the churches in Revelation 2-3.  In the first letter (Rev. 2:2) Christ was in the midst of the church.  In the last letter (Rev. 3:20) He was outside the church.  This is the result of being occupied with things other than Christ Himself.

What does it mean to know Christ.

     1.  We must know Him as Christ, the historic person, God in the flesh.

     2.  We must know Him as Jesus, the Savior from sin (John 17:3).

     3.  We must know Him as Lord (Jer. 23-24).

     4.  We must know the power of His resurrection, wherein is the believer's victory.

     5.  We must know the fellowship of His sufferings.

How may we know Christ?

ƒ   Knowledge of Christ results from our faith in Him.

ƒ   Knowledge of Christ results from our daily communion with Him.

ƒ   Knowledge of Christ results from the believer counting all things loss for the sake of Him.

What results occur from knowing Christ? (2 Tim. 1:12)

ƒ   There is a confidence for the one who knows Christ, confidence in Christ.

ƒ   There is a deeper commitment on the part of the one who knows Christ. (Psalm 37:5).

ƒ   There is a desire and an ability to keep His commandments for the one who knows Christ.

Christianity is bound up in a Person -- we must know the Person!