Tuesday, January 23, 2007

To Know Him Deeply

I have finally taken the time to create a Blog! Over the past couple of weeks i have been stuck in one passage of Scripture; Philippians 3. The whole book is amazing, but God is just working in my life through chapter 3 right know. At the beginning of the year, like everyone else in America, i began reflecting on the past year, and the spiritual journey i had been on. Reflecting on the past always causes me to look forward to the things to come. I began to think of resolutions for the present year, and steps i wanted to take. In the midst of this feasting on Philippians 3. Paul begins describing who he was BC in his life, and the things he had accomplished. Then in verse seven he kind of switches gears and speaks of his conversion. In verse 8 he says "Indeed i count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake sake i have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that i may gain Christ." Paul says that everything he had achieved was worth nothing, as dung, in comparison to knowing Christ. That he would loose everything just to know Christ deeply. I want that! I want, to want to, forget about everything in life just for the purpose of knowing Christ deeply. I am reading a book by C. S. Lewis right now and he said "The New-Testament speaks a lot about self-denial, but not about self-denial as an end in itself." We can deny ourselves of everything, but if it is not for the sake of falling in love with Jesus than all we end up with is nothing. Paul even goes to the point of saying, " that i may know Him and the power of his Resurrection, and share in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death", he would be slaughtered as Jesus was just to know Him deeply. I want that passion. Jonathan Edwards, in the course of his life, would right down resolutions. For instance: "I resolve to think on death often, and the circumstances there in". As i sit a reflect, and gaze into the future in what God has for me... I resolve to know Him deeply. Whatever means necessary, even if i have to "share in His sufferings" I want to know Him.