Steve Gaines

Do you know Christ? Are you certain that you are saved? This week I preached the funeral for a 16-year-old boy who did know Christ. He was growing in the grace and knowledge of his Lord and Savior when God took him home to heaven.

If today were the last day you would spend on earth, would you enjoy the rest of eternity in heaven with Him? If you do know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, how well do you know Him? The Apostle Paul wrote, “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death (Philippians 3:10).”

Do You Know Christ in the Power of His Resurrection? Paul knew Christ in salvation, yet he longed to know Him more completely. He wanted to experience the power and victory in Christ that are available to every Christian. When others look at you, do they see the workings of a supernatural God? Or is your Christianity easily explained as a result of human effort? Is God’s power manifested in your life or not?

Do You Know Christ in the Fellowship of His Sufferings? For preaching the Gospel Paul suffered in many ways: beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks, and ultimately, execution. In times of hardship he came to know Christ more intimately. Are you willing to know Christ more intimately through sufferings?

Do You Know Christ by Being Conformed to His Death? Paul knew that in order to be truly alive in Christ, he had to die to self. Christians cannot know and obey the Lord as they should unless they take up their crosses every day and follow Him (Luke 9:23). Thus, Paul said, “I die daily” (1 Corinthians 15:31). There can be no resurrection unless there is a death. You must die to self if you want to experience abundant life.

Regardless of how well you know the Lord there is always the need to know Him more fully. Though you will never plumb the depths of his personality and presence, your constant goal should be to know Him better. How intimately do you know Jesus?