In Touch - February 15, 2006

In Touch Daily Devotional 
by Dr. Charles Stanley

Wednesday February 15, 2006

A Passion to Know Christ

Philippians 3:3-12

In today’s society, “passion” usually refers to sensuality or sexuality. But the word’s meaning — an intense desire toward something or someone — can apply to limitless life arenas, including spirituality. Indeed, the one place passion ought to appear is in the believer’s life: we should fervently seek to know the Lord Jesus Christ who saved us.

When we claim to know someone, we often mean that we’ve accumulated facts about the person or simply are aware of his existence. Unfortunately, too many Christians “know” Jesus Christ in this superficial way. He is the world’s Savior, the virgin-born Son of God who accepted death in our place and then rose again to sit at the Father’s right hand. Those are the facts, but collecting and sharing data points will not bring lasting satisfaction. Who is this Jesus that willingly died? Why did He give His life? The quest for these answers begins a journey to intimacy and true knowledge of Christ.

By recognizing Jesus as our Savior, we are blessed with redemption and a basic spiritual relationship. But though we’ve gained heaven, we can miss the treasure of experiencing Christ as Lord. Few people will delve deep enough into Scripture and spiritual intimacy to claim Him as their life — as the One who makes believers complete. The apostle Paul was so intimately acquainted with God that he viewed his own history and experiences as trash when compared with knowing Jesus.

If you want to thirst for Jesus as Paul did, only Scripture and your experience with Him can fuel your passion. Start by opening the Word and drinking Him in.

In Touch Ministries invites you to celebrate your love for God this month and receive our free offer of a set of two "Love Letter to God" cards. Register for your cards today and receive a free CD of Dr. Stanley's message "A Life of Love."