Whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
—PHILIPPIANS 3:7–11
In PHILIPPIANS 3, Paul explains that his life focused on one thing. He struggled and sacrificed and suffered to know Jesus and be “found in Him.” First, Paul recites his impeccable pedigree and hard-won religious accomplishments (3:4–6); then he dismisses them as “rubbish” (literally, excrement) compared to the “surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus.” Our joy, pride, and fulfillment must not come from our talents, accomplishments, or heritage (3:1–6). Knowing Christ, and being found in Him, is the one thing—the only thing—worth living or dying for. Christ is the source of righteousness and eternal life. The path to those blessings, Paul writes, is found in knowing Him and being identified fully with Him (3:7–11). Paul recognizes that he had not yet reached his destination; but it was the one thing that occupied his every thought and his every breath.
All who follow Jesus should think this way. Paul encourages those who are “perfect,” or mature, to “have this attitude” (3:15). “Brethren, join in following my example” (3:17). Paul strives toward that goal and calls all of us to pursue a deeper relationship with Christ. God does not save us to sit and relax, but to labor toward Him and with Him.
In contrast, those who live for earthly pleasures and take pride in things other than Jesus are called enemies of the cross of Christ. They are citizens of the world, not of the Kingdom of God. In the end, they will be destroyed, whereas Kingdom citizens will be transformed into the likeness of our glorious King and will be with Him forever (3:18–21).
Paul offers no middle ground. We will either live for God or for something else. Yet in the church today, many are trying to inhabit the nonexistent middle ground. This is deeply disturbing. Like the lukewarm church in Laodicea, we need to be zealous and repent (REVELATION 3:14–19). We need to listen to Jesus’ voice and regain fellowship with Him (REVELATION 3:20).
The principal aim of life is to know God and respond to that knowledge. If we know Him intimately, if we understand who He is, and if we immerse ourselves in His will, ways, purposes, character, nature, desires, and thoughts—then our own will, ways, purposes, character, nature, desires, and thoughts will be shaped by His. We will become more and more like Him. To the extent that we know Him, we will be remade in His image.
We begin this process here, on earth, in part to prepare for an eternity of fellowship and worship. The degree to which we know the Lord is the degree to which He can transform us into His image. This will not happen fully until we enter eternity and awake in His presence (1 JOHN 3:2–3), but we should be beginning to experience this transformation now (ROMANS 12:2).
While we are on earth, the Lord also plans to use us to speak to others about Him. Knowing Him (Philippians 3:8) and making Him known (ACTS 20:24) is the life of a disciple. These two are connected. The better we know Him, the better we can make Him known. The more clearly we hear Him, the more clearly we can speak His words and will.
On our own, we could not possibly perceive the Lord. Only by His kindness can we receive His communication (MATTHEW 11:27). But He is eager to make Himself known. He is constantly communicating.
He communicates in large, loud ways: through nature, through creation, through the rise and fall of empires, through the unfolding of human history. He also communicates quietly and intimately: through silent impressions, thoughts, and dreams; through the small gestures or facial expressions of a friend. He communicates through Scripture, through prayer, through words of fellow believers, through pain or grief.
Jesus is the final word, the fullest expression of the Father (COLOSSIANS 1:15–20). He is called the Word in JOHN 1:1 and JOHN 1:14. The author of Hebrews tells us that the Lord communicates in many ways, the greatest of which is through Christ (HEBREWS 1:1–4).
Of course, we can know God only in part. He is infinite; we are finite. As a result, we each have a mental box that limits our concept of God. The challenge is to expand that box—to better apprehend our infinite God.
The top of the box describes our view of God’s ability to do big things. It needs to be raised. This is what happened to Jairus (MARK 5:22–24, 35–43; LUKE 8:41–42, 49–56) when his daughter died. Jesus told him not to be afraid and proceeded to raise her from the dead. The top of Jairus’s box was raised that day.
The sides of the box describe our perception of the breadth of God’s concern. The sides of our box need to be expanded. This happened to Peter in Acts 10 when, through a vision and then his encounter with Cornelius, he learned that the gospel was for Gentiles too.
The bottom of the box describes our understanding that God is concerned even about small things. The bottom of our box needs to be lowered. Our God knows how many hairs are on each person’s head (MATTHEW 10:30). Nothing in all creation, no matter how small, is outside of God’s concern and control. Are there areas of your life you feel are too small for God’s concern?
To know God, knowledge of His Word is absolutely necessary, but not sufficient. How we respond to His Word also matters. Satan knows more Scripture than any human, but he responded with pride and rebellion rather than grateful submission. As a result, he exists alienated from his creator. Belief is not enough either; the demons believe in God—and shudder (JAMES 2:19). Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up (1 CORINTHIANS 8:1 NRSV). To avoid this, we must cultivate the habit of responding, with humble obedience, to all that we learn.
From a biblical perspective, hearing God and obeying Him are inseparable. In fact, the Greek word for the verb “to obey” is simply an intensive form of the verb “to hear.” Therefore, listening to God and responding with obedience are not optional for a follower of Christ; they are essential. Jesus said His followers would hear His voice and follow Him (JOHN 10:27). Conversely, He told a group of Jews that they did not hear God’s voice because they did not belong to God (JOHN 8:47). He told His disciples that they were not merely slaves, but friends in whom He confided (JOHN 15:15). Paul says that those who are being led by the Spirit of God are sons of God (ROMANS 8:14). Peter says that believers are chosen by the sanctifying work of the Spirit to obey Jesus Christ (1 PETER 1:1–2). John says that obedience to Christ is the evidence that we truly belong to Him (1 JOHN 2:3–6).
God communicates both through His Word (the Bible) and by direct communication from the Holy Spirit. In Scripture, especially in the epistles, many times the Word and the Spirit are used interchangeably (e.g., EPHESIANS 5:18B–19 with parallel COLOSSIANS 3:16). They are not in conflict, but congruous (JOHN 3:34; EPHESIANS 6:17). Yet large segments of the church tend to emphasize one or the other: either knowing God through His Word (i.e., the Bible) or direct communication from the Holy Spirit.
Of course, saturating oneself in the Word is of tremendous importance. Without Scripture, we would be adrift in a sea of subjectivity. The Bible is an amazing gift that teaches us who God is and how He works. If we fail to prioritize knowing God through the Bible, we are shortsighted indeed.
However, since the Lord has specific intentions for each of us (EPHESIANS 2:10), we also need the moment-by-moment guidance of the Holy Spirit to apprehend His desires for us specifically. The principles and examples in the Bible are not designed to provide this type of guidance. Scripture provides the first test in discerning the voice of the Spirit, but it serves as the beginning, rather than the end, of God’s conversation with us.
For example, in LUKE 4:23–27 Jesus referred to Elijah’s ministry to the widow of Zarephath and to Elisha’s ministry to Naaman the Syrian, saying these prophets were guided by God to those specific individuals and not to others who were far more visible and accessible. Jesus said the same thing was true of Himself. How did He know whom to heal? He heard from the Father.
The Holy Spirit speaks to different people in different ways, and to the same person in different ways at different times. For example, occasionally I wake up with a strong sense that the Lord is speaking to me through the dream I just had. On a few occasions I have made massively life-changing decisions based on dreams. However, that is a tiny fraction of what I hear from the Lord. Far more often, I hear from God through Scripture (frequently in combination with the Spirit speaking through my thoughts about particular applications), or I observe patterns in Scripture that echo what I am seeing God do around me. Or I am touched by the words of a song or a saint, or by careful consideration of something observable in the world that the Spirit highlights to me.
Because the Holy Spirit dwells within us, most often His voice is perceived simply as our own thoughts. It is, therefore, crucial to learn to recognize which thoughts are actually Him speaking to us. Hopefully, over time we will perceive God speaking in an increasing portion of our thoughts until our thought life becomes an unending conversation with the Lord. The more progress we make in this arena, the more in tune we can be with God’s specific designs for our lives. If God is concerned with the number of hairs on our heads (MATTHEW 10:30; LUKE 12:7), then He likely has an opinion about my smallest daily decisions.
In addition to consistency with Scripture, the most valuable test I use for evaluating the source of my thoughts is whether they are characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit or the fruit of the flesh (GALATIANS 5:19–23). If they involve hatred, selfish ambition, sexual immorality, or other characteristics of the flesh, I can be sure these thoughts are not coming from God. Similarly, the tone of my thoughts tells me a lot. For example, the Holy Spirit convicts whereas the enemy condemns.
The best way to grow in our ability to hear God is to act on what we hear Him saying. He knows our limitations and our weaknesses. He will not ask something huge from us if we are unsure of His voice. He is patient. If we fail to do what He tells us, however, we will remain stunted in our ability to hear and follow Him. On the other hand, if we act on what we hear from Him, He will speak more clearly to us in the future and begin to ask more of us. This is the path to intimacy with the Lord. Developing sensitivity to God’s voice is a journey that we will not complete until we see Him face-to-face. We are “on the way” or “in process” until then.
All around us, God is constantly acting and working to make Himself known and glorified. Therefore, we are continually surrounded by opportunities to perceive Him and understand Him more fully. To what extent are we discerning God’s activity around us and in the world? What are we learning about Him? How is what we learn about God impacting what we do, think, say, and are becoming?
If we want to know and obey God, then we are His disciples, His followers. But how can we possibly follow someone if we cannot see or hear him? Happily, God is incessantly at work all around us at every level, from the cosmological to the subatomic. He is perpetually speaking; we just need ears to hear.
To the degree that we discern His expressions, we can respond meaningfully. Our faithfulness in doing so is the life of a disciple. It is literally a life full of faith. It is a life based not on the temporal things our eyes can see around us, but on the unseen, eternal realities He reveals to us.
Father in heaven, You have put Your Spirit in our hearts, crying out toward You, “Abba,” “Daddy.” Yet though our souls long for You, we are so often drawn away by the things around us. I am ashamed to admit that I spend most of my time, energy, and effort pursuing other things besides You. Forgive me. Change me. Please change my heart and cause me to seek You wholly, with all that I have. Wrench out of my life the things that keep me from You, even though I cling to them tightly and love them dearly. For deep down I know that only You have what I need. Teach me to recognize Your voice and obey. And as I obey, teach me to know You and hear You more clearly.
Read the following questions, then pray and ask God what He wants you to learn and do. Listen quietly.
Review your journal. Are there any past commitments you have not completed? If needed, schedule revised completion dates.
1. Is knowing Jesus the most important thing in my life?
2. How often and how clearly do I hear and recognize God’s voice in my daily living?
3. How can I listen more faithfully for His voice?
4. What specific actions does God want me to take in response to this chapter? (Note them in your journal and schedule them in your calendar.)
5. With whom (at least one name) does God want me to share what I have learned?
Ask the Lord to enable you to follow through on these commitments and to prepare the hearts of those with whom you intend to share insights.