"I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead."

Philippians 3:10a

Who wouldn't want to know Christ, especially if it was partnered with experiencing the power that raised the dead! That power could make it possible for you to do anything! ANYTHING! No limitations. No barriers. Nothing could keep you down...literally!

It's one reason I love the Bible. It offers hope that this mortal world cannot. It offers opportunity to move beyond the drudgery of life and into the heavens. Death cannot keep us down!

But let's be honest, there's always the other shoe that drops and unfortunately, Paul doesn't disappoint. A reader of Philippians cannot stop with only the first part of verse 10. We must read together the entire passage to get the full picture.

"I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death..."

Philippians 3:10

Bonhoeffer writes about cheap grace and this is the perfect example of this concept. We want the payoff without the work. We want the power without the suffering. We want the benefit of the relationship without the commitment to the responsibility that comes with it.

Knowing Christ and the Power of the Resurrection means we also know all that Christ took on in his own life: suffering and death for those he loved. That is the true power of God.