“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death.” (Philippians 3:10)
“There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four say not, It is enough” (Pro. 30:15). This is true of the fire of love, when kindled in believing hearts. It burns with insatiable desire towards the Son of God. Paul had for many years known, loved, and preached the crucified, risen Savior. Yet, he desired to know him. Surely, these words are written in the Book of God to instruct us in some wondrous thing.
William Mason wrote, “Such is the nature of faith, that like riches to a miser, the more they increase the more the desires of his heart increase after them. His wants are greater than his possessions.”
So the soul living in union with Christ sees such inexhaustible treasures in him, our living Head, and such great needs in himself, that his heart ever cries after and longs for more of his presence, blessings, and comforts in the experience and knowledge of him. As a young couple deeply in love and engaged to be married can never be satisfied until the day that they are united and able to satiate one another’s love, so the soul that loves Christ can never be satisfied with anything but him. Indeed, the heaven born soul can never be fully satisfied and perfectly happy and content, until it is forever present with the Lord.
Still, in this mortal state, the knowledge of Christ even now gives the believing sinner a paradise of peace, a heaven of love, and a river of life in the soul. There is, therefore, a godly jealousy in our souls, lest some other object should steal the affection of our hearts from him, even briefly. If at any time our eyes are turned from our blessed Savior, we are filled with shame. Our folly makes us blush and cry, “O that I might know him whose love toward me is constant, perfect, and faithful!”
To know that the Son of God has made peace for me by the blood of his cross, that he has wrought out a robe of perfect righteousness to adorn me forever by the obedience of his life, and that he ever lives to make intercession for me, ruling all things for my soul’s everlasting good, this is joy and peace. Daily, constantly to know him dwelling in my heart by faith, ever present with me is the delight of my heart and the sweetness of my life in this world.
May God the Holy Spirit keep us in the sweet, experimental knowledge of Christ, looking to and feeding upon him continually in our hearts by faith. Otherwise, other things will creep in and bring us into distress. But sweetly abiding in the knowledge of Christ, looking to him, we live in peace and joy. So shall “grace and peace be multiplied through the knowledge of God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ.”