Resolved: To Know Christ More

that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, Philippians 3:10

It happens every year. January arrives, and with it come our resolutions—plans to improve, restructure, lose, gain, and change. Yet by the time February arrives, many of those ambitions fade like the last traces of Christmas lights. But there is one resolution that must not—and cannot—be set aside: to know Christ more.

Paul’s desire in Philippians 3:10 is not casual. It is not seasonal. It is the lifelong pursuit of the believer. He doesn’t say, “That I may know about Him,” but rather, “That I may know Him.” This is the language of intimacy, worship, and union. Salvation is not merely deliverance from judgment; it is entrance into fellowship with the risen Lord. To know Christ is the heart of Christianity. Paul speaks of knowing Christ in three dimensions:

The Power of His Resurrection

To know Christ more is to live in the power of His risen life. This is daily resurrection power—power to obey, power to resist sin, power to endure. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in us. We do not resolve to grow in Christ by grit or willpower alone, but by dependence on the power that conquered death.

The Fellowship of His Sufferings

To know Christ is not only to share His victory, but also His sorrows. This doesn’t mean we seek suffering, but that we do not flee from obedience when it costs us. True discipleship embraces Christ even in the valley, knowing Him more deeply through every tear, trial, and burden. Suffering with Christ is not abandonment—it is fellowship.

Being Conformed to His Death

The Christian life is one of daily surrender. As Christ laid down His life, so we lay down our pride, our sin, our self-rule. Every day we die a little more to self and live a little more unto Him. True growth is not adding more of "us," but yielding more to "Him."

This year, resolutions will come and go. Diets will begin, budgets will tighten, and schedules will fill. But one pursuit stands above them all—to know Christ more than we did yesterday. This is not a task of human effort but a grace-driven resolve: the Spirit drawing us deeper into the heart of the Savior who already knows us fully. May this new year not be defined by what we accomplish, but by whom we behold. For to know Christ is to know life, joy, and peace in every season.

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark