“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” (John 14:21)
Paul’s pursuit of Jesus was so passionate that he counted all things loss to know Him more. Peter exhorted us to grow in our knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus told His disciples where the path to a fuller knowledge of Him could be found.
Obedience is the one indispensable condition for going deeper in God. There are things which only the obedient know. “The secret of the LORD is with them that fear him; and he will shew them his covenant.” (Ps. 25:14) Many lay claim to knowing Christ, but the Lord knows those that are His.
It is God’s good pleasure to make Himself known to whosoever will fulfill His conditions. We deny ourselves the revelation of the knowledge of the riches of God’s glory in Christ through disobedience. For the sinner, the call to obedience involves repentance and faith; for the saint, it involves submission on a daily basis. At all times, our heart cry must be, “Lord, what would You have me to do?” Here is the order: submission, revelation of His will, obedience to His will, a greater unveiling of Himself.
Paul refused to hold on to anything that would hold him back from gaining a greater knowledge of Christ. Once he found the pearl of great price, he sold all to possess it. What is Jesus worth to you? Let your obedience declare that knowing Him in all His fullness is worth everything to you.