This entry is related.
I was meditating on Hosea 6:3 this morning - what it means to know Him and what it takes to press in to know Him, when the Holy Spirit reminded me of Philippians 3:10.
"That I may know him,
and the power of his resurrection,
and the fellowship of his sufferings,
being made conformable unto his death;"
(KJV)
and the power of his resurrection,
and the fellowship of his sufferings,
being made conformable unto his death;"
(KJV)
I was alerted to the fact that Paul resolved to know Christ, His resurrection power AND His sufferings. I so often leave out that. I'm not talking about the suffering that Jesus suffered on our behalf, though through our identification with Him, that is, our death, burial and resurrection through Him and in Him, we share in that. More pertinently, Jesus underwent suffering as our example too. In the same way, we suffer persecution for righteousness' sake, and as a result of walking in the straight and narrow way that is His calling. Note that "the power of His resurrection" is mentioned before the "fellowship of His suffering", emphasizing not only the primary importance of the first, but also the presence of the second.
My attention then turned to 2 Peter 1:2-7
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
Knowing Him is knowing His power and His promises, which in turn enables us to deal with all of life's issues.
In knowing Him, we increasingly experience His grace and peace, which fortifies us with essential qualities and traits for life's journey with all its nuances and complexities.
My attention then turned to 2 Peter 1:2-7
2 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3 as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.
Knowing Him is knowing His power and His promises, which in turn enables us to deal with all of life's issues.
In knowing Him, we increasingly experience His grace and peace, which fortifies us with essential qualities and traits for life's journey with all its nuances and complexities.
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