Jim Elliff
Most do not understand the implications and ramifications of knowing Christ. It has a comparative value. Notice what one like Paul will forfeit to know Christ. I’m quoting only part of the long sentence, but it conveys what I want you to see:
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.” (Philippians 3:7-8).
To Paul, this word, knowing, speaks of something very lofty and compelling which had a beginning and about which he has ongoing consuming interest not to be set aside throughout all of his earthly life and eons of time beyond. He calls it “the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
Surpassing what? The answer: “whatever gain I had.” He had lots to boast about in terms of gain. He meant that he had status, reputation, accumulated superior knowledge among his peers, leadership . . . all of which he “counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” It was a wasted status, unfounded reputation, wrongheaded knowledge, and a leadership into a black hole of misunderstood data and religious practice. But it was potent to him. And he gave it up. He experienced the loss of everything in the world of his own comprehension (he counted them as “rubbish”) and among his once esteemed peers (“I have suffered the loss of all things”).
All this happened in a moment of time, with a vision of Christ, on the road to Damascus.
Be shocked by this. He didn’t know Christ; he hated all he knew about Christ. And driven by that perspective, he was pursuing in anger those who did know Christ on his way to the Syrian city of Damascus north of Israel. But, in a very short time, he gave up everything he had gained in the Jewish world for the Christ he sought to destroy.
How do you explain this?
Only one explanation will work—he saw something that had more value. God revealed Christ to him in a vision. After that, he was as gentle and submissive as a newborn. Meeting Christ was just that powerful. It was the surpassing value that turned everything upside down in a moment.
You likely won’t have a Damascus road experience exactly like what God chose to give such a historical figure as Paul, but the knowing of Christ is just as necessary. The form of the revelation of Christ is not the important thing. Knowing Christ is. And Christ is made known to you in his compelling beauty by the Father revealing him to you. That may come through normal cognition, but it is supernatural and will change everything.
Editor’s Note: This originally published at Christian Communicators Worldwide
Jim Elliff
Jim Elliff is the president of Christian Communicators Worldwide. Through this ministry Jim, and a team of communicators, train leaders, teach the Bible, and evangelize, both overseas and throughout the United States. He is the author of several books, and writes regularly for three CCW websites: CCWtoday.org, BulletinInserts.org and WaytoGod.org. Jim is also one of several pastors of Christ Fellowship of Kansas City, a network of congregations meeting in homes in Metro Kansas City.
Posted at: https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/the-surpassing-worth-of-knowing-christ/