A Casual Acquaintance?

Read Philippians 3:1-21

8. Everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ
9. and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.
10. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death,
11. so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!
12. I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. Philippians 3:8-12

Many people use the word know to cover the loosest possible connections. Someone might say, “Sure, I know Joe,” when in fact, Joe is a friend of a friend. Or someone might say he knows about a product because he happened to see a commercial for it the other day. Knowing about people and things hardly means anything more than having heard about them.

The meaning of the word know was different for Paul. It did not mean having a casual acquaintance or hearing a passing reference. In this passage, Paul explains what it means for him to know someone. And that someone he knows is Christ. As you read, think of how well you know the Savior.

Paul accomplished a great deal, and most who know anything about him consider him a great man. But he regarded all his accomplishments to be “garbage” when compared with the greatness of knowing Christ (Philippians 3:8). One personal relationship mattered more to Paul than anything else. That’s why he endured so much suffering, rejection, physical abuse, and hardship—to stay close to Christ (3:10-11).

Many priorities clamor for our time—family, job, friends, and certain goals and plans. But our relationship with Christ matters more than all of them. To know Christ is the ultimate achievement, the first priority, the best option, the highest goal. A crowded schedule in order to set aside a few minutes each day for prayer and Bible study, a friend’s disapproval, a sacrifice of plans or pleasures are small prices to pay for such a reward.

Spend time getting to know your Savior. Make “knowing” Christ your highest priority.