I love the words to that precious hymn:
‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
and to take him at his word;
just to rest upon his promise,
and to know, “Thus saith the Lord.”
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
How I’ve proved him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust him more!
O how sweet to trust in Jesus,
just to trust his cleansing blood;
and in simple faith to plunge me
neath the healing, cleansing flood!
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
How I’ve proved him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust him more!
Yes, ’tis sweet to trust in Jesus,
just from sin and self to cease;
just from Jesus simply taking
life and rest, and joy and peace.
Jesus, Jesus, how I trust him!
How I’ve proved him o’er and o’er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust him more!
In chapter three of Philippians, Paul begins the final section of his letter. Thus far Paul has encouraged the church in the joy of being together, the joy of the Gospel, the joy of one mind, the joy of having the mind of Christ, the joy of exercising faith, the joy of living, and the joy of faithful service. Paul has dealt with issues concerning unity and the need to come together and experience the joy of the Lord. Now Paul turns his attention to the one thing that holds the church together and that is their relationship with Jesus Christ. The goal of our lives and of the church should be to know Him and to make Him known. It’s all about Jesus. It’s about knowing Jesus. It’s about pursuing Jesus. It’s about loving Jesus. It’s about worshipping Jesus. It’s about serving Jesus. It’s the joy of knowing Jesus.
Hindrances to knowing Jesus. As Paul directs our focus on the joy of knowing Jesus, he begins by laying out some of the hindrances that may keep us from knowing Jesus. In verse 2 we learn that the lies of Satan will hinder us. Verse 2 says, “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!”[1] In Paul’s day the issue facing the church was the influence of the Judaizers. These are those who taught that in addition to having faith in Christ, one must also keep the law. It was a salvation by works doctrine. Paul had some strong words for those who taught this false doctrine. The Bible Knowledge Commentary says, “It was common for some Jews to refer to Gentiles as dogs, which were considered unclean animals. Paul used the term to describe those Jews who mutilated the gospel by insisting on the need to mutilate the flesh in order to be rightly related to God. What they did was actually evil, even though they may have had good intentions.”[2] False doctrine that creeps into the doors of the church is a tool that Satan uses to hinder the church from focusing on Jesus and on their mission. He will distract us from the truth by introducing false doctrine presented in a way that is appealing and sounds true. Satan knows all the right words to say to catch our attention in order to trap us. This is why it is imperative that we are students of the Bible. We must study the truth and know the truth and be able to defend the truth. Satan’s lies are often disguised in higher education and philosophies of men that attempt to have all the answers concerning the things of God. We must be grounded in the truth and not add to or take away from scripture. Be on guard against the lies of Satan from which we can easily be deceived. Another hindrance to knowing Jesus is the advancement of self. Notice what verse 3-6 says. “For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.”[3] Paul here talks about how we must be careful not to have confidence in the flesh. If anyone could have such confidence, it would be Paul who was entrenched in the law as a Pharisee. One of the greatest hindrances to truly knowing Jesus is the advancement of self. It is a religious ‘better than thou’ attitude the proves to be the downfall of many churches. Your personal religious achievements can be the greatest hindrance to you knowing Jesus in a real and personal way.
How to know Jesus. As Paul advances his final words of encouragement to know Jesus, he gives two things we must do to know Jesus. In verse 7 Paul says that to know Jesus you must surrender self. Verse 7 says, “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.”[4]Paul proclaims that all his religious achievements are nothing. He counts it all as loss. You cannot truly know Jesus in a real and personal way when self is in the way. Surrender of self is a prerequisite to knowing Jesus. I love how the Message paraphrases these verses: “The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I’m tearing up and throwing out with the trash—along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life.”[5] Knowing Jesus requires complete surrender. Have you surrendered all to Him? Are there any areas of life that you have not let go of? If you want to truly know Jesus, you must give Him everything. Paul also says that to know Jesus you must desire Jesus only. Verse 8 says, “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”[6] Paul’s number one desire is that he would gain Christ. That all would be loss and the only thing we gain is Jesus. Again, I love what the Message says, “Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him.”[7] My friend, have you dumped it all in the trash so that you can be embraced solely by Jesus? Is Jesus all that you pursue? Is He everything to you? Is He your all in all?
What it looks like to know Jesus. There are several things we see here. First, we are covered by His righteousness. Verse 9 says, “and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.”[8] My righteousness is as filthy rags in the sight of God. Even the good things I do are filth compared to the righteousness of God. But thanks be to God I do not have to remain in the rags of my own righteousness. Through faith in Jesus, I am clothed in His righteousness. This is the doctrine of imputation. God does not impute upon me my sin. Praise God! He does not hold my sin to my charge. My sin was paid for by the blood of Jesus. All my sin has been taken away never to be remembered again. I am made clean by the blood of Jesus. My sin debt has been paid in full and no longer am I covered in the filth of sin, I am covered by the precious blood of Jesus. Instead of imputing my sin, God imputes upon me the righteousness of Jesus. So when God looks upon me, He does not see my sin that invites His wrath, instead He sees the righteousness of Jesus covering me. When God the Father looks at me, He does not see who I once was. He does not see my sin. He sees Jesus! To know Jesus is to be covered by His righteousness! Secondly, received by faith. How do I receive His righteousness? How can I be covered by Jesus? By faith. Hebrews 11:1 gives us a Biblical definition of faith. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The word substance means reality. The word hope means a confident expectation. Faith is making what I confidently expect a reality in my life. I cannot see Jesus with my physical eyes. I am not in Heaven at this moment. But! Heaven is so real to me; it is as if I am already there. Jesus is so real to me; it is as if I can see Him standing in front of me. Why? Because my faith is in Him. The things that God has promised in His Word is a reality in my life. That is what faith is. I am covered by His righteousness received by faith. It does not end there. There is more! Because I am covered by His righteousness received by faith, I live in His power. Verse 10-11 says, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”[9] I receive Jesus by faith and am covered by His righteousness so that I may know Him and live in the power of His resurrection. Wiersbe writes, “When he became a Christian, it was not the end for Paul, but the beginning. His experience with Christ was so tremendous that it transformed his life. And this experience continued in the years to follow.”[10] Paul’s experience was both personal and painful. He met Jesus is in the most miraculous way on the Damascus road. His life was transformed. He came to know Jesus personally. However, He also suffered for the cause of Christ there in that Roman prison. But, Paul says, it is worth it all that I may know Him. Is knowing Jesus worth it to you? To live in His power is to also suffer for Him. It is to live in such a way that the world around you considers you as a lunatic. But living in His power is the greatest life you could ever live. Filled with joy that is simply unspeakable. Finally, to know Jesus is to be covered in His righteousness received by faith living in His power through progressive sanctification. Verse 12 says, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”[11] Paul says, that his relationship with Jesus does not end at salvation. It continues through progressive sanctification. Progressively knowing Jesus more and more every day. That is the goal. That is what we live for. To know Jesus more.
Just the time I feel
That I’ve been caught
In the mire of self.
Just the time I feel
My mind’s been bought
By worldly wealth.
That’s when the breeze begins
To blow I know,
The Spirit’s call
And all my worldly wanderings
Just melt into His love.
Oh, I want to know You more!
Deep within my soul I want to know You,
Oh, I want to know You.
To feel Your heart and know Your mind,
Looking in Your eyes stirs up within me,
Cries that says I want to know You
Oh, I want to know You more.
Oh, I want to know You more.
When my daily deeds
Ordinarily lose life and song,
My heart begins to bleed,
Sensitivity to Him is gone.
I’ve run the race but set my own pace
And face a shattered soul,
But the gentle arms of Jesus
Warm my hungering to be whole.
Oh, I want to know You more!
Deep within my soul I want to know You,
Oh, I want to know You.
And I would give my final breathe
To know You in Your death and resurrection,
Oh, I want to know You more
Oh, I want to know You more
Oh, I want to know You more
Do you know Jesus? Do you want to know Him more?
[1] The New King James Version (Php 3:2). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
[2] Lightner, R. P. (1985). Philippians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 659). Victor Books.
[3] The New King James Version (Php 3:3–6). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
[4] The New King James Version (Php 3:7). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
[5] Peterson, E. H. (2005). The Message: the Bible in contemporary language (Php 3:7–8). NavPress.
[6] The New King James Version (Php 3:8). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
[7] Peterson, E. H. (2005). The Message: the Bible in contemporary language (Php 3:8–9). NavPress.
[8] The New King James Version (Php 3:9). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
[9] The New King James Version (Php 3:11). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
[10] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 87). Victor Books.
[11] The New King James Version (Php 3:12). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
Pastor Chris Noland 