“MY DETERMINED PURPOSE IS THAT I MAY KNOW HIM”

Here is Phil. 3:7-8, 10 translated from the Amplified Bible:

“But whatever former things I had that might have been gain to me, I have come to consider as one combined loss for Christ’s sake. Yes and furthermore I count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege -- the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage -- of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly. For His sake I have lost everything and consider it all to be mere rubbish, refuse and dregs, in order that I may win, gain, Christ the Anointed One. For my determined purpose is that I may know Him, that I may progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him, perceiving, recognizing and understanding the wonders of His Person more strongly and clearly, and that I may in that same way come to know the power outflowing from His resurrection -- power which is exerted over believers. That I may so share His sufferings as to be continually transformed in spirit into His likeness, even into His death.” This autobiographical look at the Apostle Paul’s motives shows the necessity of fierce abandonment for the sake of One Thing - “That I may know Him (intimately).”

Paul willfully suffered many things and “lost everything” the world values, not to earn Jesus’ approval, but rather that in forsaking them he removed what hindered his ability to fully experience Jesus -- He willingly became a man of One Thing: * “I want to know Him” – Submission to the Lordship of Christ through intimacy, love and passion. * “I want to know the power of His resurrection” – Power for ministry. * “I want to know the fellowship of His suffering”- Continual transformation through co-crucifixion of Self. The Greek structure of this passage denotes knowledge (i.e., knowing) gained through experience (i.e., intimate relationship) which is both continuing and progressive in nature, and results in continual on-going transformation. Intimate Relationship, Resurrection Power, and “The Fellowship of His (Christ’s) Suffering” are a package deal, an interrelated process whereby we become Christlike. “But this one thing I do” (vs. 13) forgetting everything that lies behind - his old life and His ties to this world - and straining forward to what lies ahead - the work of God’s Kingdom - I press into God’s heart with passionate single-mindedness - I want to know Him!

The Apostle Paul coined a phrase and used it as a label for his passionate devotion to God. The phrase is “Bond Servant”, from the Greek word “doulos”, one who is serving in voluntary service but with devotion and consummation of the will to the same degree as a slave - but willingly. The origin of this word is Ex. 21:1-6 where, under Old Testament law, slaves were given their freedom in the seventh year of servitude, in recognition of the seventh day rest of God’s creation. But if a slave loved his master and did not want to go free, his ear was pierced to wear a gold signet earring marking him as a Bond Servant, a love slave to his master for life. David alluded to himself as a “tenured” bondservant in Ps. 40:6A (NIV), where inserted between two parallel clauses regarding sacrifice he requests the Lord to pierce his ear as a committed love slave, a direct reference to Ex. 21:6: “Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but my ears you have pierced, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.” God does not require sacrifices, He requires that we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. And this is the love of agape doulos… Bond Servants… Love Slaves. In addition to David and Paul, the Apostles John and Peter, James and Jude the brothers of Jesus and Israel are all referred to in scripture as Bond Servants, literally Love Slaves of God. God holds nothing back in His love for us. The suffering of Christ glorified God because it elevated love. Likewise, as we “fill up in our flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ” (Col.1:24) God is glorified through the elevation of our love for our Savior. Compelled by love, Jesus went where He knew suffering was certain. Love always moves to sacrifice, so we shouldn’t be surprised that to follow Christ with passionate single-minded devotion is to abandon the luxury of safety and security - to risk all and count it as “dung” for the priceless privilege of intimacy with Jesus.               

“THAT I MAY SO SHARE HIS SUFFERINGS

AS TO BE CONTINUALLY 

TRANSFORMED IN SPIRIT

INTO HIS LIKENESS,

EVEN INTO HIS DEATH”