Knowing Jesus

Meditations for Ragamuffins 

June 29, 2023

Knowing Jesus

“I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

Philippians 3:8a (NRSV)

 

As we seek the life in Christ as our way of life, we are seeking to grasp the power of Jesus as “the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25a). On our journey, we join with the Apostle Paul to “regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8 NRSV). How are we, like Paul, to regard everything as loss?

In the centuries since the Industrial Revolution, people have grown in their confidence to master their environment. There has developed a growing belief that through the power of human intellect, better government and education, the ills of human society can be cured. Over and against this idea, the Biblical witness declares the hope for humanity is divine grace.

In the more recent evolution of society, a third alternative has been established. Instead of the “either / or” of humanism or divine grace, there is a “both / and” movement that tries to hold to both a belief in God and confidence in human ability. On the surface, this movement seems to be an appropriate position; however, there is a huge problem with the “both / and” approach.

The “both / and” approach creates a temptation to dismiss or ignore the parts of Scripture we do not like, or do not understand, and instead, trust our own judgment and intellect. When we do so, we leave the “both / and” camp and move into the Humanist camp. The Apostle Paul wants us to remember that in Christ lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:3) When we count all things as a loss compared to Jesus, we are availing ourselves of all the wisdom and knowledge within Christ.

My Takeaway: In my Wesleyan tradition, we work out the meaning of life through Scripture, Reason, Tradition and Experience. This way of living in our environment does not ignore human intellect and potential; it affirms that human intellect and potential are fully realized within God’s divine grace and will.

Sē’lah

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This series of meditations are inspired by the writings of Brennan Manning, author of The Ragamuffin Gospel, and many other books.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2023 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.