THAT I MAY KNOW HIM

There is a knowing that comes from information, and there is a knowing that comes from encounter. One fills the mind; the other arrests the soul. When the apostle Paul cried, “That I may know Him” (Philippians 3:10), he was not speaking as a beginner in the faith. He had seen visions (2 Corinthians 12:1–4), planted churches (Acts 14:21–23), written letters that would become Scripture, and suffered deeply for Christ (2 Corinthians 11:23–28). Yet his hunger was not reduced—it was intensified.

This alone tells us something sobering and beautiful: intimacy with Christ does not end the pursuit; it deepens it.

To know Christ is not merely to know facts about Him, but to be personally acquainted with His heart—His ways (Psalm 103:7), His obedience to the Father (John 6:38), His compassion for the broken (Matthew 9:36), His grief over unbelief (Luke 19:41), and His joy in communion with the Father (John 17:1). It is to recognize His voice in the stillness (John 10:27), to discern His leading in uncertainty (Proverbs 3:5–6), and to trust His presence even when emotions fall silent (2 Corinthians 5:7).

There comes a point in the believer’s journey when surface Christianity no longer satisfies. We still sing the songs, attend the gatherings, and hear the sermons—but the soul quietly whispers, “There must be more.” That whisper is not rebellion; it is invitation. It is the Spirit drawing us beyond familiarity into fellowship (Revelation 3:20).

Paul counted everything else as loss—not because those things were sinful, but because they were inferior. Reputation, achievement, religious pedigree, and personal comfort all bowed before one supreme pursuit: Christ Himself (Philippians 3:7–8). Not merely His works, not only His blessings, but Him—crucified (Galatians 2:20), risen (Romans 6:9), reigning (Ephesians 1:20–22), and yet intimately near (Matthew 28:20).

To know Him is to know the power of His resurrection—the divine strength to live above sin (Romans 6:4), courage to obey when it costs (Acts 4:19–20), and hope that transcends death (1 Corinthians 15:54–57). But it is also to know the fellowship of His sufferings—where self is crucified (Luke 9:23), pride is dismantled (2 Corinthians 12:9), and obedience is tested (Hebrews 5:8). Many desire the power; few embrace the process. Yet Scripture binds them together in true knowing (Philippians 3:10).

This deeper quest requires intentional withdrawal from noise and distraction. Christ does not compete with divided affections (Matthew 6:24). He reveals Himself to those who seek Him earnestly (Hebrews 11:6), who linger in His Word (John 15:7), who pray not merely for answers but for alignment (Matthew 26:39), and who hunger beyond routine (Psalm 42:1–2).

“That I may know Him” is the cry of a heart that has tasted enough of God to know there is infinitely more. It is the confession of a believer refusing secondhand faith (Job 42:5). It is the holy dissatisfaction that keeps us kneeling long after others have stood up (Luke 10:39).

And the promise remains unshaken:
“You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”
— Jeremiah 29:13

May this not merely be a caption we admire, but a prayer that defines our lives.


© David Onovo-Agbo Ministries International