Knowing Christ

Bible Reading: Ephesians 1:11-23

Last time we looked at the Christian’s secured future inheritance in Christ. That their future is a work of the Triune God. Especially, the work of the Holy Spirit who God the Father and Son gave as a guarantee; sealing their inheritance. This we saw in verses 11-14.

Today we will see that, while that future is still in the distance. Believers have been blessed with the privilege of knowing Christ.

Two years ago I read Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. Some of you may have read it and others have seen the movie. It’s basically about a conflicted woman who feels trapped in her marriage and commits adultery with a young soldier. And the story ends with her committing suicide.

Nevertheless, last year someone told me that legend tells. That one-day Tolstoy, while finishing his novel, came home weeping, and saying “She’s gone, she’s gone; I can’t believe she did it”. And his wife didn’t understand how he could cry over a character he created because certainly he knew she would die.

And when she asked him he replied. “Yes, she is my character but I didn’t expect her to do that. And he continued weeping.

The point of me telling this is that, the fictional character of Tolstoy’s novel became so real to him. That he felt as if he knew her personally. So he cried when she died.

Whether this story is true or false. Here in this passage Paul presents us with the possibility, access and reality of knowing Jesus Christ in a real way – after all, unlike Anna, he was real.

Paul says in our key verse: verse 17

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

For Paul was easy to pray this prayer. Because in verses 15-16, he makes clear that the knowledge of Christ are available for those who are believers.

It says:

For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

As noticed, they have faith in the Lord Jesus. And love other believers who also have their faith set on Christ. So Paul places the emphasis on the trinitarian effort for the sanctified people of God – to know Christ. Saying that to know Christ is a work of the Father and Spirit and therefore is a benefit for the Christian because of their faith.

But why would Paul pray for a church who already knows Christ – to know Christ? Since he already told them, they have an inheritance in Christ in verses 11-14. Either one knows Christ, or you don’t.

From our Reformed Evangelical perspective our salvation does not work in levels. Where there are levels of knowing Christ. This is a false thinking in some Christian circles. That one person is on different spiritual level in their walk with the Lord than another person.

These people who claims this, they are usually part of the “anointing” crowd. Those who attach some abstract energy to people, and calling it anointing. According to the Bible, if you know Christ by God’s grace though faith, you know Christ. There are no degrees of salvation.

But if this is the case, why would Paul ask in prayer for them to know Christ, if they already do?

Interestingly and importantly, the knowledge and knowing Paul was referring to had less to do with the level of their salvation. And had more to do with the depth and insight of their knowledge of Christ.

The N.I.V captures this kind of knowledge with the word “better”. Verse 17 says, I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

See church! Here is the issue with many Christians. Many people know Jesus Christ by salvation. And that is where it ends. Their depth of the knowledge of Christ is absent because they fail to know Christ better. And know him ‘better’ than when they met him the first time.

Unfortunately, even though one finds a lot of Christians as the church. It shouldn’t be surprising to find a lot of superficial ones. Superficial, in that they do not know Christ any better now than when they started their Christian lives. Their depth is no deeper than the devil himself, if not less.

Sadly, it is easy for us to excuse our ignorance of the knowledge of Christ. Some say they are avoiding competition about knowing the Bible. Meaning, they say their faith is not about who knows more. And that we should just be focused on the fact that at least we are saved.

Others liken our ignorance in knowing Jesus as humility or piety. As to say, the less we know the holier we are. Some labels knowing Jesus as an academic exercise. That it is for those who study theology and the great doctrines of the Christian faith.

Yet, John 17:3 reminds us that. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

The author Mark Jones in his book Knowing Christ says that. We shouldn’t cut Christ in half, as if being truly saved doesn’t mean knowing Christ well.

John Owen starts his first volume on The Glory of Christ, with Jesus’ own question to his disciples. In Matthew 16:15, “But who do you say that I am”. To which Owen further comments, that the question was a testing of their faith. Whether they knew him as they ought to, as the Savior of the church, in the discharge of his kingly, priestly and prophetic power.

In other words, at the bottom of the curious, passionate, tenacious, resilient and desiring heart to know Jesus, and know him well, is a person of genuine faith.

The Bible is clear. That the Christian’s responsibility is to know Christ. And know him intimately, deeply and with real inner affection for him. Paul says in Philippians 3:10, that he wants to know Christ so well that he becomes like Him. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.

Here Paul encourages them that better means a few things. Firstly, to know Christ with enlighten hearts. Specifically, having a hope in him, celebrating the inheritance in him, and the power in him that keeps them.

Secondly, Paul encourages them to know him as the whole-Christ. Meaning, know him as the one who died and is exalted in heaven next to the Father. Verse 20 says, he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.

Thirdly, Paul continues to say that they can know Christ in his supremacy over all other rulers, institutions or beings. Verse 21 says, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked...

And he ends verse 21, with knowing Christ not only in who he was in this age as God becoming flesh. But also who he is in his glorified state – the Mediator of God and eternal prophet, priest and king.

Verse 21b says, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Paul finishes by saying that, it is with this knowledge, insight and realization of Christ in mind. That God gave this Jesus to the church his body. Notice verse 22. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church. God gave Jesus to the church. Not only to rule, but to rule and reign over those who know him well.

Basically, the Christian do not just know stuff ABOUT Christ, but they know the whole-Christ himself. Turn to chapter 4:14-17.

For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love.

Here Paul continues his prayer for them to know Christ. But now he says, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

Notice in 1:17 again, Paul speaks of the knowledge of Christ coming from wisdom and revelation that the Spirit provides. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Paul prays for a similar knowledge for the Colossian church. There he says in 1:9,

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives.

But here Paul emphasize, that he is praying for them for understanding. Not wisdom and revelation as if knowing Christ is reachable for the special Christian only. But it’s wisdom and understanding that is available to all who wants to know Christ.

And as we know, the wisdom and understanding of Christ is available in the Scriptures or Bible. Paul says to Timothy that, it is the Holy Scriptures that made him wise for salvation since his childhood (2 Tim 3:16). In other words, we are called to grow in wisdom and understanding of Christ through the Bible. Because this is the place where wisdom and understanding of Christ comes from.

And this is where many Christians struggle. Many believers struggle to know Christ better from the Bible. And also to think the thoughts of Christ after him. Paul says to the Corinthians that they must grow in “the mind of Christ”. But unfortunately, the knowledge of Christ or knowing Christ better is unthinkable to the lazy and distracted mind. Because knowing him better assumes pursuing him in the Bible.

In Luke 24, Jesus encounters two men on the Road of Emmaus. Busy discussing the life and events, especially the event of the cross of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus then joins the conversation of the two men. Only to hear that they were discouraged that this Jesus was not the Redeemer. Because he was crucified and died. And while they were busy complaining and moaning. He was the Redeemer walking with them in his resurrected body.

Jesus then turns to them and say these words in verses 25-27.

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

Meaning, he explained that he is the Messiah, and will suffer and will enter glory. And all these things are according to Scripture.

Here we have an example. That you can walk with Jesus and follow him. And still be ignorant of him even when he is with you. Which brings us to this simple, yet profound question.

Do you know Jesus as Lord and Saviour who died for the forgiveness of your sin? And if you a believer, how well do you know him?

 

Home Group Study Questions:

Why should we generally pray for other Christians to know Christ?

What is the danger in not growing in the knowledge of Christ?

Would you say St Matthews have a good grasp of the doctrine of Christ? In example, would the long-standing and mature Christians in the church be able to explain why the humanity of Christ was necessary for the salvation of the church?