Joni Eareckson Tada writes in her online devotional from 8/18/2014:
Experiencing Christ
“I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.” Philippians 3:8-9
In today’s reading, Paul describes what it’s like to know Christ in terms of being justified, of being legally positioned on God’s side. Here, Paul is saying that God has done something for us on His books. It’s wonderful to have the Lord impute His righteousness to us. But many Christians think that’s all there is to Christianity.
There’s much more. After verse 9 of Philippians, Paul discusses a different kind of knowledge of Christ. Paul no longer comments on his position, the fact that he has been “found in him… through the righteousness that comes from God.” No, Paul talks about his experience of God…
“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:10-11).
Positioning may have been God’s responsibility; but experiencing was Paul’s responsibility. To experience God means to enjoy and realize, apprehend and understand the Lord in a deep, personal union. And, like Paul, this is your responsibility, too.
If someone were to ask, “Do you know Jesus?” what would you say? “Yes, I’ve been saved and I know I’m going to heaven.” If that were your response, then good. You’ve just told everybody that you are justified and forgiven. But I hope you could also say, “Yes, Jesus and I are intimate with each other. Let me tell you about the kind of person He is and how much I love spending time with Him.”
More than a head knowledge, I desire a heart knowledge of You, Lord.
Joni Eareckson Tada August 18, 2014
CBByrd adds: This is the task of spiritual formation, to help create the environment where people can have that justifying knowledge of the saving work of Christ on their behalf in his death and resurrection, but also to help them discover the sanctifying knowledge of the Holy Spirit at work in their lives through engagement with the Scriptures, learning to hear the Spirit’s voice in their hearts and minds, so that they may know the joy of a personal relationship with Christ and live interdependently with other believers in the Kingdom. When we do this we participate in brining the Kingdom of Heaven to earth! The joys of eternal life become not just promises that are fulfilled beyond this life, but they become part and parcel of life HERE and NOW! Jesus said that the Kingdom of Heaven is close at hand, it is around us all the time. We can participate in it NOW. Eternity in the Kingdom for each of us BEGAN when we accepted Christ as our Savior and started to walk with him as Lord and Master! We can participate in bringing the reality of Heaven into this shadow land of Earth.