That I May Know Him

After talking about his background (v. 5), and his salvation (v. 9), Paul wants to “know” or get fully acquainted with Jesus so he can daily “grow in grace” (2 Pet 3:18). If you have trusted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour by faith (Gal 2:16), then He expects your faith to grow “exceedingly” (2 Thes 1:3). We always have an opportunity to learn more about Jesus by “increasing in the knowledge of God” (Col 1:10). As we experience His grace, His power, and His blessings, we develop that “hunger and thirst after righteousness” (Mt 5:6); and a yearning to know Him even better (Ps 42:1), through His words! Paul recognized that he cannot live the Christian life without Jesus (Jn 15:5). Therefore, he identified with “the power of His resurrection” through his “newness of life” (Rom 6:4).

He confirmed this by saying, “the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God” (Gal 2:20). When Paul mentioned about “the fellowship of His sufferings,” he was reminding us that there will be times when we have “to suffer for His sake” (Php 1:29)! Sadly, many professing believers today view themselves as victims instead of victors (Rom 8:37), when they suffer “for Christ’s sake” (2 Cor 12:10). But we know “that tribulation worketh patience” (Rom 5:3). God allows suffering in our lives to draw us closer to Him (2 Cor 12:10).

The phrase “being made conformable unto His death” speaks about considering ourselves “to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God” (Rom 6:11). Believers must understand that dying to sin and to self (Gal 5:24), means to be more alive in the Spirit than ever before! Because when we walk in the Spirit, we “shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh” (Gal 5:16). If we are “dead to sin” (Rom 6:2), we are alive to God and His “perfect will” (Rom 12:2). His desires become our desires! God bless you!

- Pastor Melito Barrera