More of Christ Less of Me

7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:7-14

What makes every relationship work and have a lasting effect is having a deeper connection with each other. When a relationship is deep, it will be hard to break or destroy.

For example, in marriage, when the husband and wife have grown deeper in their marriage relationship, testings and trials may shake them, but they will remain firm and unmoved because their relationship is rooted and grounded deeper. They will be able to withstand any storm that may come their way.

Likewise, when we have a deeper relationship with God, we can withstand any trials and testings we may face in life. This is the reason why it is important for every Christian to make it a priority to grow deeper in their relationship with God. When we spend time with God on a daily basis, we will be able to grow deeper and stronger in our Christian walk.

Steven J. Cole writes in his study in the life of Moses, 

“Although newlyweds may not understand this, those of us who have been married for a few decades realize that romance is not totally effortless. To keep the romantic fires burning over the years requires deliberate forethought and attention. It’s the same spiritually. To keep your relationship with the Lord fresh and vital over the long haul is not automatic. It requires forethought, effort, and constant attention. It’s easy to be lulled into complacency in your Christian life. Things, even good things, become routine: Did my quiet time (check). Went to church (check). Gave money to missionaries (check). But you’ve drifted into not actively pursuing to know God more deeply.”

So, in our spiritual journey with God, we must strive to go deeper in our relationship with him. What are some helpful and important steps to going deeper with God according to Paul in his letter to the Church in Philippi.

1.) We must waive everything for the sake of Christ.

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” - Luke 9:23-24

As a disciple (learner-follower) of Christ, the first step to have a deeper relationship with God is to deny ourselves. What does it mean to deny yourself? According to Jeremy and Caryn of KCBI;

“Self-denial for the Christian means renouncing oneself as the center of existence (which goes against the natural inclination of the human will) and recognizing Jesus Christ as one's new and true center. It means acknowledging that the old self is dead and the new life is now hidden with Christ in God (Colossians 3:3-5).”

There is a high price to pay for being a disciple of Jesus Christ. When we become followers of Christ, we waive or renounce the cravings and demands of our sinful human nature. We let go or give up any ambitions and goals which are not in accordance to God’s purpose and will. We forfeit any human desires and crucify the flesh for the sake of Christ.

2.) We must walk in faith at all times.

Since we turned our lives over to Christ and we no longer live according to our old self, we must walk in faith at all times.

“I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” - Galatians 2:20

Faith is a word with many meanings. It can mean faithfulness (Matthew 24:45).  It can mean absolute trust, as shown by some of the people who came to Jesus for healing (Luke 7:2-10). It can mean confident hope (Hebrews 11:1). Or, as James points out in his letter, it can mean a barren belief that does not result in good deeds (James 2:14-26). The faith Paul is referring to both in Philippians 3:9 and Galatians 2:20 is a kind of faith that places our trust in Jesus and not of our own righteousness. Keep in mind, the faith that we live is not based on our own righteousness or good deeds. It is not based on what we are doing inside and outside the church. It is on the basis of Christ’s righteousness in accordance with what he has done for us especially on the cross.

“Living a life of faith means never knowing where you are being led - but it does mean loving and knowing the One who is leading. It is literally a life of FAITH, not of understanding and reason- - a life of knowing Him who calls us to go.” - Oswald Chambers

3.) We must want to know Christ more and more.

When we live and walk in faith, it leads us to want to know Christ more and more. For Paul, there is nothing that is more desirable than to know Christ. It is his passion and ambition since he came to know Jesus. His spirit hungered and thirst for Christ. His heart’s desire was to know Christ more and more. His life was all about Christ and knowing him on a deeper level.

“Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” - John 17:3

4.) We must work hard in setting our goal to win the prize.

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” - Philippians 2:12-13

Someone has wisely pointed out, “One of the most dangerous forms of human error is forgetting what one is trying to achieve” (Paul Nitze, in Reader’s Digest [7/92], p. 137). We are all trying to achieve something; success, wealth, good health, career, education, relationship, power, position, popularity among many others.

What is it that we are desperately running after? Many times we will hear that in order to be successful or achieve your goal, we must stay focused, having your mind and heart set on the goal we are wanting to achieve.

Now, what do you think is the goal of the Christian life? 

If we do not know the goal of the Christian life, then we are definitely missing something. Even forgetting what our goal is, as Christian, most likely we will never achieve it.

What is our goal? Our goal is to win the prize. So to win the prize, we must work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

“For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.” - Philippians 2:13

Knowing that we are God’s workmanship and being processed day by day for his holy purpose, we must work hard on having a deeper relationship with him. We must work hard to train ourselves to run the race of life. We need to keep our eyes focused on Christ and don’t get sidetracked or slowed down. Winning the prize requires discipline, commitment, and devotion. So, we must be diligent in prayer, in worship, and the study of God’s word to have a deeper relationship with God and win the prize.  

Devotion by: Pastor D. H. Geronimo

Date added: 07/25/2025

NOTE: All Scripture used are NIV unless otherwise stated.