8/21/25 Now I Know Him

Takeaway: Knowing Christ intimately is the greatest treasure of all, worth more than any achievement, recognition, or possession.

Opening Prayer (Thursday)

Lord, I thank You for Your goodness and faithfulness. No matter what today brings, help me to have a heart of gratitude and trust in Your perfect plan. Speak to me through Your Word. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reflection

There comes a point in the life of faith where all the striving, all the accolades, and all the things we once counted as gain in life begin to pale in comparison to one surpassing pursuit: knowing Christ. For Paul, this wasn’t merely theological, it was a radical reorientation of his entire life. In Philippians 3:7–10, he offers a window into the heart of a man who had tasted success by every religious standard but now considered all of it “loss for the sake of Christ.” Why? Because the ultimate treasure was not found in what he achieved for God, but what God achieved for him, and the intimacy with the God that followed.

Paul’s language is revealing, because he doesn’t merely say he gave things up for Christ; he says he regards everything as rubbish compared to the “surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus.” That word “knowing” in the Greek is gnōsis, and it is not simply about knowledge or information, but rather implies knowing through intimate, experiential relationship. It’s the knowing of someone deeply and personally, like a spouse or a lifelong friend. Paul wasn’t interested in knowing about Christ. He wanted to know Him: His heart, His sufferings, His resurrection, His life. He longed to walk so closely with Jesus that he would share in both His sufferings and His victory.

This pursuit of Christ above all else is deeply countercultural. We live in a world that celebrates self-promotion, the building of platforms, and the accumulation of awards and comforts. Yet Paul, who had every credential, every platform, every reason to boast in the flesh, counted them all as garbage. Not because they were evil in and of themselves, but because they no longer served the new purpose of his life: to be found in Christ, not having a righteousness of his own, but one that comes through faith in Jesus. In other words, to know Christ was to abandon any sense of self-made righteousness and instead cling wholly to grace.

This kind of knowing cannot be rushed. It is formed through seasons of joy and wilderness alike. It’s forged when we lose things we thought we couldn’t live without and discover that Christ is still enough. It’s deepened when prayers go unanswered, and we learn to trust Him anyway. It’s made real when we hear His voice in the quiet, feel His comfort in our grief, and see His hand at work in ways we hadn’t expected. It’s established through a life live in step with His. And, the longer we walk with Him, the more we realize that knowing Him is not just the means to some other end, it is the end itself. Everything else falls short.

What would it look like to make knowing Christ the ultimate goal of our lives; to no longer strive for success, recognition, or even effectiveness in life, but simply Christ Himself? Could we join Paul in counting all things loss in comparison to Him? This is not a one-time decision but a daily choice. A daily exercise in saying: “Whatever I gain today, if it doesn’t draw me closer to Christ, it’s not worth it. And, whatever I lose today, if I still have Christ, I have everything.”

Questions

What are some things I’ve been striving for that might be keeping me from deeper intimacy with Christ?

In what ways has God used both joy and hardship to draw me closer to Himself?

Application

Today, take intentional time to draw near to Jesus, not to check off a spiritual box. Reflect on what you’re holding onto that may need to be surrendered in order to pursue Him wholeheartedly, and commit to making the knowledge of Christ your ultimate aim, and to practice it daily.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, You are the surpassing treasure of my life. Help me to let go of the things that distract or divide my heart, and lead me into a deeper, more intimate walk with You. May knowing You be my greatest joy, my daily pursuit, and my eternal hope. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

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