23 To Know Christ

Preached in Manchester April 19th, 1840, prior to the preacher going his London journey.

“That I may know him and the power of his resurrection.”—Philippians 3:10

These are the words of the apostle who was caught up into the heavens, and there had revealed to him what was not lawful for him to utter; and yet he desired to know Christ, whom to know is life eternal. To know him here is like a bud of spring; and when we die, it will break forth into a flower, full blown, and beauteous to behold. Now we know him but in part; but then we shall know him perfectly, for we shall see him as he is.

1. Let us consider this Him;
2. What it is to know Him, not merely to talk about him;
3. What is the knowledge of the power of his resurrection?

1. There is a vital religion in this text, which, if you possess in your heart, you will live at last. When the world is in a blaze, all other religions will die, because they are false. Therefore let us consider this HIM. He is Christ, the Eternal Son of God, who is in union with the Father, and the Spirit,—Creator of all things; “immensely great, immensely small.” Yes; the greatest things show his greatness and the smallest things show his greatness. This Him made them all, great and small; all are the work of his hands. He made mountains rise and valleys sink. This is amazing to angels, and confounding to devils. Then what an inestimable blessing it is to know Him who has power over devils. Why, they could not enter a herd of swine without his permission. The apostle Paul has a blessed view of Christ as related in the first chapter of Col. 16-17: “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in the earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him and for him; and he is before all things, and by him all things consist!”

Some say Christ was a mere man, though he made all things. Then, if that be true, he made only some things, he himself being made. But Paul knew Christ was before all things, and created all things; and therefore he had power to defend him amidst the hurricanes to which he was exposed.

This Him became flesh and dwelt amongst us. He was the Babe of Bethlehem. He it is of whom it is written: “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” He it is who was tempted in the wilderness forty days and forty nights. He was immersed in Jordan’s swelling flood, which figured forth oar salvation. He it was who groaned in Gethsemane, till, by his agony, blood gushed through the pores of his body under the pressure of your sins and mine, poor child of God. “Yes, though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, that we, through his poverty, might be made rich.” He is our Mediator. He is the Head of the body, his church. He is the beginning of the first-born from the dead, that in all things he might have the pre-eminence.

2. To know Him. He is Head over all things to the church; therefore look not at yourself, nor into self; for you might as well look into Satan as your own heart for any real holiness; neither look at your moping, and groaning, and sighing, simply because you are moping; but look at your glorious Head. Ah! If he were to show you his face, and say, “Do you know me?” And if you once have known him, have you not left him, and are you not ashamed, and say, “We have forgotten the Lord?” O how little have we known of him! And now we are often sorely troubled on account of his absence! Afflictions of body distress us; but they are light compared with the one great trouble. Of them we can say, “These light afflictions are but for a moment, and shall work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.”

“All shall come, and last, and end,
As shall please my heavenly Friend.”

He is not only our Head, but in him all fulness dwells, all that we need. He is all our holiness, and to know him is to draw holiness out of his heart, who is the Fountain of holiness.

This Him was delivered up “by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God,” for our sins. He was taken to Pilate, judged, or rather misjudged, crucified, and slain; yea, they slew the Lord of life and glory,—God-man, Christ Jesus, the Mediator of the new covenant, by the foreknowledge of God. Who slew Christ? Who put him to shame, scorned him, spat upon him, pierced him? Not the Jews only. They were only instruments in God’s hands; they were not the real cause. You have pierced him by your sins, if you are of his family, and you it was who put him to shame. He was delivered up for you, to bring you to God, and is now exalted a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance unto Israel and remission of sins. O what a pattern of patience is here! “Consider him that endured such contradictions of sinners against himself, lest ye be weary and faint in your mind.” In your afflictions, crosses, and trials, consider Him He is the mystery of godliness. But it is not the mystery of godliness if it is to be seen by common sense. For as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life. Many bitten by the serpent might say, “O! I am dying! I shall be sure to die; what efficacy can there be in looking up? Well, friends, it is God’s way of saving sinners. He gives them faith to look to Him whom they have pierced, and by faith they experience his salvation. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.” He is wisdom, we are foolish; He is righteous, we are unrighteous; He is holy; we are unholy. Then it is folly to present to God anything but his holiness. He is all, and in all. In Him rests the fulness of grace and precious promises. Has he promised his Holy Spirit unto you? Then may you look on Him whom you have pierced, and mourn.

This is the most solemn spot a child of God can be brought to on this side eternity,—to look by faith upon Him whom we have pierced, and to be bathed in the sea of Christ’s blood. He will not then, think God unjust, because he has not given all men a chance of being saved; but his wonder will be why God has not cut them all off long ago. But he will come in company with his mighty angels, taking vengeance on them that know not God. And before him shall be gathered all nations; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him. Careless sinner, where are you? Profane sinner, Pharisee sinner, where are you? What will then become of you, when the pleasures of the world will have fled, and when the world is in a blaze? Can you think on this subject with pleasure? O may you, if it be consistent with the will of God, desire to know Him, and the power of his resurrection, and be ready at his coming.

3. What is the knowledge of the power of his resurrection? This we are permitted, now and then, to know a little of; but we cannot fully know it until we also are raised from the dead. But to know it now, in a small degree, is a blessing indeed. The doctrine of a universal atonement has now become quite universal; the design of which is to please the hypocrites of the present day, who profess godliness, but deny the power thereof. But if it were not for the power of his resurrection, not a soul would be saved. But because he is risen, ye shall rise also. This is, then, the most important doctrine of his revealed Word.

Some tell us that Christ came on earth, merely to set us a pattern which we must imitate. He is indeed our pattern and glorious example of the church, and may we imitate him; but if this is all, it will leave us to be lost. He became flesh and dwelt among us; he endured many contradictions against himself; he was tempted and resisted the devil. “Then,” say you, “What must we bring to God as a ground of acceptance with him? Must we not bring our obedience?” No. What is your best obedience? Your righteousness is filthy; and by doing so, you wish to make God filthy likewise. Nothing less than a perfect obedience will do. And where will you find it? Not in yourself; it is in Christ, and in him alone. What a deal of talk there is about co-working with God; you must do your part and then God will do his. This was the case some thousands of years before Christ; and as to his disciples, when the work came to be done, they all fled.

He took with him three disciples into the garden of Gethsemane — not to help him; he did not ask them to help him. When he looked there was none to help; therefore his own arm brought salvation. He merely asked them to watch for one hour, and he then retired to endure the wrath of God poured into his soul for the sins of his people; and when he came again they were asleep; and he wondered there was none to uphold. He might well wonder, seeing they had talked so much about it. But he gently awoke them, and said, “Could ye not watch with me one hour?” Still he did not ask them to help him. What a blessing! He only says, “Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation;” and then departed. But their eyes were heavy; they could not even watch. Then his own arm brought salvation. O that right arm! O may we trust only to his right arm! He bore the heavy load of guilt his people had contracted; he groaned under it; then he was nailed to the cross. He put it all away, and, with his last expiring breath said, “It is finished!” What was finished? The work his Father gave him to do. He has made an end of sin, and brought in an everlasting righteousness for his people; a crown of glory, which will never fade away. He has justified them before God.

But what proof have we of this? He died: was that a proof? He was buried; was that a proof? No. If he had stopped here we should have been in doubt. But, says Paul, “He died; yea, rather, that is risen again.” He says rather, for he knew his death was not a sufficient proof. “He was delivered for our offences and raised again for our justification.” May we know the power of his resurrection; for none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. “For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live, therefore, or die we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ both died and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living.” “Therefore if ye be dead with Christ, ye shall also live with him, knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.” Therefore, says Paul to the Colossians, “If ye be then risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth; for ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with him in glory.”

I must now bid you farewell for the present. I do not know whether I shall ever see you again on this side the grave; but may the God of peace be with you, and keep you in the bond of unity and love. And if it be his pleasure that I see you no more on earth, I hope to meet some of you in heaven on the right hand of God, to sing his praise for ever and ever.

Amen and Amen.