We err greatly if we think of intimacy with christ as some lofty level of mysterious, feelingsbased communion with the divineas if it involved some knowledge of god that goes beyond what scripture has revealed. In contrast to pauls prechritian confidence in the flesh verses 46, verses 714 show pauls confidence in christ. Developed with new believers in mind, this bible study series features simple, direct lessons that start new christians knowing, talking, growing, and serving. We are getting to know christ purely by a book knowledge, and a conference knowledge, an address knowledge, an historic knowledge. Adoring fans of movie, tv, music, or sports stars spend money and time obtaining information, photos, and tidbits about their favorite stars. The experience of christ depends on the excellency of the knowledge of christ.
But on account of the excellency of the knowledge of christ, i have forsaken all these gains so that i may obtain christ as my gain. The excellence of knowing christ jesus enjoying christ. With a study guide in the back and shorter chapters, the book can easily be read as part of a bible study or even as a devotional whether personally or as a family. Here paul uses the present tense indicating his practice is to count all things, all things in the human realm and in the christian realm, as a loss when compared to the surpassing value of the knowledge of christ. And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true god, and jesus christ, whom you have sent. This text is right at the center of my thinking in these recent months and years because it has become a center piece of my quest for joy in god and the honor of god. The surpassing excellency of god in the joy of his suffering.
Sermons from the new testament the excellence of the. Ravenhill preaches from a deep burden on the greatest need in our churches to know god. Jonathan edwards the excellency of christ monergism. Knowing christ by mark jones is one of those books. The excellency of the knowledge of christ austinsparks. Jones focuses in on the character and attributes of christ, explaining key aspects of christ s divine and human natures, showing how they work together, and how christ interacts with his people and the world. One cannot talk about christ without covering a whole multitude of topics from creation to redemption to eternity. An unbeliever never exercises one act of true love to christ. This post was inspired by my reading of message 19 of the lifestudy of philippians, on the excellency of the knowledge of christ and chapter 7 of the elders training, book 6 on the crucial points of the truth in philippians and colossians both by witness lee. The excellency of the knowledge of christ an educated man, with a highly respected position in his society, the apostle paul realized how insignificant are all these when compared to the knowledge of the very inventor of all things, the life itself, jesus christ. But i consider all of it to be garbage so i can get to know christ.
Its author takes the reader by a loving pastoral hand into depths and riches, exhorting us to know christ better and to love him more. There is a definitive order to his first five christian books. Rather it is the experiential knowledge of the person. Paul lost or lacked all these things and more besides, for the infinite excellency of knowing christ jesus his lord. Paul wasnt longing for some secret knowledge of christ beyond what is revealed in scripture. From reading only this article, bemporad seems to be saying that we must forsake what we have learned about god as. And all of us are meant to proclaim the excellencies of christ wherever we are. Knowing christ today a powerful, thoughtprovoking guide to living the life jesus intends for us this book deals with the disastrous effects of divorcing the teachings of jesus christ and his people from the domain of human knowledge. The excellency of the knowledge of christ is the excellency of christ. We need to be unveiled to see christ in the various books of the new testament, in john, romans, colossians, hebrews, and revelation.
If you have seen the excellence of knowing christ, you will consider all others things as lost. Exploring the excellencies of god introduction the religion section of the dallas morning news recently contained an article entitled, letting god grow up. The surpassing excellency of god in the joy of his. The surpassing excellency of god in the joy of his suffering people. The word excellency is here strictly used to indicate as in 2corinthians 3.
Alister mcgrath, a widely acknowledged master of contemporary spirituality, has written a profound meditation on one of the most deceptively simplesounding tenets of the christian faith, the centrality of christ in the life of his followers, in knowing christ. We dont know god, we talk about him, we read his book but do we know him in his grandeur and in his power. But the truth is, they see no form or comeliness in christ, and hence they have no love at all to him. January 14, 2019 judson i count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of christ jesus my lord. The completed registration allows us to send order and donation receipts to the email address you provided. He wasnt asking that private messages from christ be whispered into his ear.
This course book will aid anyone who desires to know the son of god more deeply, focusing on topics such as the preexistence of jesus, the many facets of divine love displayed at the cross, and the second coming. The excellency of the knowlege of christ jesus our lord is the excellency of christ realized by us, our subjective knowing of christ. Mark jones book knowing christ is an excellent companion book to j. What he longed to know was the power of christs resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings, and conformity to his death. Through the nations as the environment, in the coming days god will eventually make christ the centrality and universality of israel. Allen hood is the director of international house of prayer university, and teaches a course entitled the excellencies of christ. Introduction the religion section of the dallas morning news recently contained an article entitled, letting god grow up. What is more, i consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing christ jesus my lord, for whose sake i have lost all things.
Its the excellency of the knowledge of christ, an excellent knowing of christ, that enables us to count all things lost in order to gain him and enjoy him. The excellent thing here is not just christ although he is excellent, nor is it knowledge about christ. Knowing christ 8 yea doubtless, and i count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of christ jesus my lord. After clicking register, you will receive an email with a link to verify your account and to complete your registration. Knowing christ, in the pauline sense is not the sort of mystical relationship many people imagine. Knowing christ is above all but what things were gain to me, those i counted loss for christ.
Since visitors use different browsers and monitors, and have different preferences in how they navigate through a website, weve provided multiple ways to progress through the studies on. A higher revelation of the excellency of christ leads to a. Notice how knowing christ and knowing the power of his resurrection are linked. The book of daniel also reveals that it is through their environment that christ becomes the centrality and universality of gods elect. I consider them garbage, that i may gain christ philippians 3. Before we can experience christ, we need to have the excellency of his knowledge. Jul 18, 2015 knowing christ matters most but what things were gain to me, those i counted loss for christ. As chrysostom says here, when the sun hath appeared, it is loss to sit by a candle. I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing christ jesus my lord philippians 3. Excellency of knowing god by leonard ravenhill sermon index. Jones focuses in on the character and attributes of christ, explaining key aspects of christs divine and human natures, showing how they work together, and how christ interacts with his people and the world. And the point here isnt just a matter of the excellency of christ, but the excellency is our knowing of such a christ.
Mark jones says in his introduction the goal of this book is. Yes, furthermore, i count everything as loss compared to the possession of the priceless privilege the overwhelming preciousness, the surpassing worth, and supreme advantage of knowing christ jesus my lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with him of perceiving and recognizing and understanding him more fully and clearly. But not all of us are called to choose an unreached people group, learn a new language, cross a culture, proclaim the excellencies of christ, and plant the church of jesus christ where it does not yet exist. Yet indeed i also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of christ jesus. As jesus left the upper room with his disciples, knowing that he was facing the hour of supreme crisis in his life on this earth, with eternity at stake, he sought to explain his mission to the world and the spiritual relationship his disciples were to sustain with him. This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true god, and jesus christ whom you have sent. If they saw any excellency in christ, they would have some measure of love to him. The following year, they came to him and reminded him, we wont hide from you, your excellency, that weve spent all of our money, and that our livestock all belong to you. The excellency of christ a sermon by jonathan edwards and one of the elders saith unto me, weep not. Pauls vision of christ was very great, and he wrote extensively in the book of colossians.
The surpassing value of knowing christ grace to you. More than that, i count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing christ jesus my lord, for whom i have lost all things. Yea doubtless, and i count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of christ jesus my lord. Edwards 17031758 is by far the best known american theo. Church leaders visit his excellency president julius maada bio adapted from mormon newsroom leaders of the church of jesus christ of latterday saints paid a courtesy call on his excellency the president julius maada bio, president of the republic of sierra leone at his state house office in freetown. Before going on to the matter of being found in christ, i would like to emphasize more the need to gain him. Knowing christ matters most but what things were gain to me, those i counted loss for christ. Knowing jesus christ is book one of the studies in christian living series which is used by many churches for basic discipleship followup. Speak unto the house of israel, thus saith the lord god. To see christ is one thing, to gain christ is another thing, and to be found in christ is still another thing. This work, forming a union with christ, is a very, very interesting one. Hearing god, the spirit of the disciplines, the divine conspiracy, renovation of the heart, and knowing christ today. Developed with new believers in mind, this bible study series features simple, direct lessons that start new christians knowing, talking, growing, and.
Compared to the surpassing greatness infinite value of knowing christ jesus, paul considered everything else a loss no use. One mediator, the man christ jesus the basics the basics introduction lesson 1 the word of god lesson 2 the son of god lesson 3 the salvation of god lesson 4 the spirit of god lesson 5 the laws of god lesson 6 the work of god lesson 7 the day of god bible book studies the gospel of john. Written in an accessible style that will appeal to christians of all denominations, knowing christ aims to. Aug 21, 2019 the excellency of the knowledge of christ is our subjective knowing of christ. The greek word for knowledge means here an intimate knowing of the object by the one seeking to know. Indeed, i count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing christ jesus my lord. Excellency of knowing god by leonard ravenhill sermonaudio. Knowing him is our experience of him, our knowing of his life. As one who accepted christ in college, right around the same time as mcgrath, and settled into american evangelicalisms brand of christianity, ive witnessed my generation of evangelicals essentially waste their opportunity in history by pursuing a watereddown seekerfriendly churchianity, and trying to impact the world through political action. Excellency of knowing god by leonard ravenhill topic. Bible references abound throughout the book and most readers will learn to see him in a new way or struggle with some of the conclusions. The excellency of the knowledge of christ is the excellency. The excellence of the knowledge of jesus christ philippians 3. Excellency in the bible 66 instances knowing jesus.
I consider them rubbish, that i may gain christ philippians 3. With a balance between conveying the humanity of christ and the deity of christ, knowing christ is a book that is sure to stimulate your relationship with god through his son. King james version yea doubtless, and i count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of christ jesus my lord. Knowing christ is not a book to read through in a hurry. Nothing is as wonderful as knowing christ jesus my lord. Church leaders visit his excellency president julius maada bio. The excellency of the knowledge of christ that paul saw and held in high esteem is derived from the excellency of his person see phil.
Second, they have no love to him on account of his glory and excellency. Oct 26, 2008 and all of us are meant to proclaim the excellencies of christ wherever we are. May 05, 2020 one, to show how suffering extols the excellency of christ and two, to show how it gets the great commission done and then well be finished. How you can have the excellency of the knowledge of christ. Bible living articles devotionals inspirations video audio books bible trivia. The message of the soul winner knowing jesus christ. Proclaiming the excellencies of christ, not prosperity, among. Compared to the high privilege of knowing christ jesus as my master, firsthand. Unbelievers contemn the glory and excellency of christ. Behold, i will profane my sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth. Open as pdf the excellency of christ dated august 1736. In fact, the knowledge of christ paul sought was anything but mystical.
If we would experience christ, we first need to have the excellency of the knowledge of christ phil. Prior to his conversion to jesus christ, the apostle paul was on the fast track, a rising star in the religion of judaism cf. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing. Proclaiming the excellencies of christ, not prosperity. The puritans loved the bible, and dug into it in depth. Dont think that all things are just physical possessions. Rather it is a book to be read prayerfully and devotionally and with your bible open. Indeed, i consider them rubbish in order to gain christ. Theres nothing left to trade with you, your excellency, except our bodies and our territories. 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, philippians 3.
Christ in his person is already excellent, but we may or may not have realised the excellency of this person. And david himself saith in the book of psalms, the lord said unto my lord, sit thou on. It will be those who have experienced this by faith who will successfully negotiate the perils of the last days, standing for the law of god at the cost of liberty. Israel eziedo dedication this book is dedicated to the lord jesus christ my eternal father and god and. After these books were completed dallas continued to write on a multitude of subjects concerning discipleship and knowing god and his kingdom. 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. Livres audio chretiens livres chretiens christian audio books. I count all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of christ jesus, my lord. Jan 14, 2019 the excellency of knowing christ january 14, 2019 judson i count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of christ jesus my lord philippians 3. Fan sites and magazines help us answer this question. And then, in verse 10, paul reiterates his desire to know christ and the power of his resurrection. Jonathan edwards the excellency of christ revelation 5. Jonathan edwards the excellency of christ edited and updated for 21st century christians by rev.
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