Have you ever thought about your goals for life? As a child, I remember dreaming about singing before large crowds. I loved to sing, and I’m sure my mom wished I didn’t love it so much. All day long, I would sing, and most of the time it was loud. My dad could play any song in any key. All I needed to do was sing a line, and he would start playing. I loved those days. As a child that seemed to be a big goal for me, however, once achieved I set other goals. Paul set a goal in Philippians 3:10 that is also now my goal. I think his goal is the highest anyone could ever hope for and the greatest one to strive for. His goal was “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection.” The thought of what that entails brings my spirit to lofty heights.
Philippians 3:10 “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;”
Paul understood all that Christ had done for him. He longed to thank the one face-to-face who forgave him for all his sins. Paul had lived a life that some thought to be noble before he met Jesus. He was defending the Jewish faith and believed in his heart he was doing the right thing. However, believing you are right and it being right may be two different things, and in Paul’s case, this was indeed the case.
From the time of his conversion until his death, he was consumed with knowing Jesus. The love that Jesus had for him was hard for Paul to understand. He knew Jesus went to the cross for his sins. Paul wanted to fully understand the nature, character, and the work of salvation Jesus had done for him. He wanted to understand the kind of love Jesus had for the Father. A love that propelled Him to obedience. He wanted to understand the love Jesus had for mankind that would cause Him to suffer so that we could have an opportunity to choose Heaven as our home eternally.
In Ephesians 3:19, Paul speaks of knowing the love of Christ that surpasses all knowledge. He never loses sight of his goal to know Jesus fully and to make Him known to others. He was not seeking this goal for himself only, but he sought it out so he could share it with others. He continues to challenge us through the pages of the Bible.
Ephesians 3:19 “and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
Paul wanted to allow the influence of the resurrection to take root deeply in his soul. It was proof that Jesus was who He claimed to be. It is proof that Jesus had power over life and death. This knowledge gives us a hope that cannot be shattered when we firmly believe it. We need to meditate on it and remind ourselves of all that it brings to us. It helps us understand that all who are now dead will rise again. It should give us hope of seeing our loved ones again who had accepted Jesus as their Savior. The sadness and gloom that surrounds death are easier to deal with when we focus on this truth. No other truth brings us such hope and victory as the death, burial, and resurrection. Because of this, we should spend much time seeking to know Christ as Paul did.
To fully know Christ gives us all we need to be happy here and prepared for all eternity. To understand the love He has for us and what He suffered for us will encourage us to bear our trials for His sake. No sacrifice we could ever make will be too much for Christ. No torture will compare to what He suffered for us.
What are your goals for life? If your highest goal does not have Jesus at the top, you are missing the greatest loftiest goal you could ever seek. You are missing the greatest life here and hereafter that anyone could ever attain.
When we fully believe the resurrection and all it teaches us, we will desire to shout it from the rooftops. We will be bold in our witnessing and urgent in our prayers. My highest priority in life is to know Jesus as much as is possible in this mortal body.
Excellent. Thank you.