Infinite value of knowing Jesus

I firmly believe that the foremost priority of a believer of Jesus is to continue to grow in the knowledge of Him and His finished work for us. Unfortunately, it is quite often that after a person gets saved, they are made to believe that service and devotion are the main priorities. Works of charity and service are prioritized over learning more about His finished work for us. This was my personal experience. Now that I had been saved, I felt I needed to read the Bible more and go on mission trips and serve in the ministry and stop doing this bad habit and start doing more of that pious activity. At the time, as a young teenager and young believer, Jesus Christ's only value to me was my salvation from hell. His only value to me was to start my eternal life for me. Now that He had done His part to save me, I needed to do my part the rest of the way. I only understood him as Alpha. I did not know that he was Omega. He was only the Beginning and not the End. Needless to say, my Christian life was a short-lived journey of ups and downs that ended up in being burnt out and giving up.

However, thanks be to God, Who has placed amazing pastors and ministries in my life to teach me that Jesus means so much more than salvation from eternal death. Salvation is the greatest gift, without a doubt. But our Lord is so good that, even having purchased for us the greatest gift of eternal life, He purchased for us all the blessings to see us through in this world until we see Him face to face!

32 He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things? (Romans 8:32, AMPC)

Whether it is healing, provision, relationships, dreams and aspirations, or any multitude of things in our lives, He has blessed us with them in Christ. Notice how the verse above says "also with Him." All other blessings are included with Him - Jesus! This is exactly what Paul wrote in his intro of his letter to the Ephesians.

Blessed and worthy of praise be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ (Ephesians 1:3, AMP)

Notice how Paul uses the past tense of the word "bless" in this verse. The Holy Spirit, through Paul, is telling us that through Jesus and His finished work at the cross, God has already blessed us with every single blessing. Slow down and repeat that to yourself. Just like we receive the blessing of salvation by faith, we are to receive every spiritual blessing by faith as well because it is included in the work that Jesus finished for us already! Just as salvation can never be earned by our works, every spiritual blessing cannot be earned by our best efforts. How can we earn something that has already been given to us? This also means that our failings and shortcomings also cannot disqualify us from receiving the blessings! It is all based on Jesus and Him alone! So the question arises. How can we have the faith for these blessings? What does that look like in our daily lives?

If you've read any of the previous posts, you know that the obvious answer is to see more of Jesus. And that is indeed true. However, it is amazing how you might think you know all there is to know about something and find that you were only scratching the surface. This is how I felt when the following verse popped out to me. I knew that there was value in seeing Jesus and knowing more about Him but I was shown that I had no idea the extent of the value it actually carried.

In Philippians 3:8, Paul states that "everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ." (NLT) Here is the context of the verse found in Philippians 3.

3 For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, 4 though I could have confidence in my own effort if anyone could. Indeed, if others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more! 5 I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. 6 I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. 7 I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. 8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. (NLT)

Paul states that there is infinite value in knowing Jesus. In the Amplified version, it says "supreme advantage." Let this sink in and receive it in your heart. It is a tremendous truth. This means that by seeing more of Jesus and knowing Him more, our lives will be blessed in every single area and there is no limit to the blessings! We no longer have to worry about the many different "hows". We only have to do one thing. Notice how in the full context, Paul is exalting the knowing of Christ above all of his own works. When Paul refers to having "discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage," he is referring to his human efforts, qualifications, and religious accomplishments of his past. It is all worthless! Zero value!

Peter, on His own personal walk with the Lord, came to the same conclusion as well. In 2 Peter 3:17, Peter writes the following:

17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. (NKJV)

If you read 2 Peter 3 in its entirety, Peter is writing about the Lord's return for His church. Peter is telling us that one of the benefits that is included in the infinite value of knowing Jesus is that we will remain steadfast in this life as we await the rapture.

One last verse I want to wrap up with is Hebrews 12:1-2, which is actually the direct answer to the question posed above about how to have faith for all of the spiritual blessings that we have already been blessed with.

1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (NKJV)

Jesus, Himself, is the Author and Finisher of faith! He is the Alpha and the Omega. The Beginning and the End. It is not easy when blessings depend on our faith. Our faith wavers all the time. But here again, the Holy Spirit reveals to us that we don't need to worry about our own faith, even. Just by looking unto Jesus, He starts and finishes the faith that is required on our behalf! Amazing grace! Amazing revelation!

There will be burdens of weight and sin that will ensnare us as we go forth in life. But the answer to all of these is not to look inward and condemn ourselves. In moments when we are under attack or ensnared by sin, it is the act of looking unto the Lamb of God who took away all of our burdens and sins forever that leads to the way forward! It is the only way in which we can endure this race set before us.

Knowing this truth will truly simplify our Christian walk, yet magnify the results. It is knowing that there is only one thing that carries infinite value. Supreme advantage. Mary knew this truth whereas Martha did not. This truth will set us free from confusion about other things that we may feel God is demanding of us. He does not demand that we serve Him. His only desire is for us to spend time with Him so that He can show us how gracious and loving He is towards us! When we realize more of His love for us, the fruit of love for Christ and others will manifest in our lives in due time (see 1 John 4:19).