Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. —PHILIPPIANS 3:8
The apostle Paul was not just seeking after principles for victory, success, and breakthrough. Paul’s great quest and radical pursuit was the very face of God revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ. He was undeniably a man of great faith. In fact, he was such a powerful preacher that he could say with confidence that “my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Cor. 2:4-5).
He did not merely deliver rhetoric or eloquent words. When Paul preached, his words carried and released pure power. This world changer did not peddle teaching tapes on the Five Steps to a Miracle or Twenty Tips to Get Your Breakthrough. He was not driven by principles, although he obviously lived by them. If anyone had a list of “power principles” to share, it surely would have been Paul. Yet we watch many people today—both church leaders and everyday believers—trying to experience sustained victory by simply using faith formulas or seeking quick-fix solutions. Sadly, they are not enjoying the results they chase after in any kind of consistent manner.
Paul did not live his Christian life to pursue a breakthrough or a blessing; these were not the end goals of faith for him. Jesus was His ultimate pursuit. Beholding the face of God in the Person of Christ was the fuel for Paul’s zeal and fire. The very thing that qualified Paul to enjoy a supernatural lifestyle was simple—His radical quest was knowing the very Person of Jesus Christ, not simply enjoying the blessings of Jesus.
Paul’s great quest and radical pursuit was the very face of God revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ.
As a result, God used him mightily, releasing signs, wonders, and dynamic miracles through his life and ministry. Acts 19:11 shows us that God was “performing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul (NASB).” This language baffles me. Extraordinary miracles suggests that there was a level beyond ordinary miracles that Paul somehow stepped into. Bill Johnson describes it this way: “It’s amazing that the miracle realm can become so normal that Luke (in Acts 19:11), under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, had to create a separate category to describe new miracles. They operate at a higher level of mystery, anointing and authority.”24
Is this idea of “extraordinary miracles” unbiblical, or was Paul experiencing what Jesus prophesied in John 14 concerning greater works? We will cover this in greater depth later on. I propose Paul was no spiritual superhero, but simply a man with a heart that burned for closeness with Christ. The apostle was so gloriously immersed in the Presence of God that the natural outflow of such intimacy was a whole new level of supernatural demonstration in his life.
This is truly a powerful example of sustained supernatural faith! A lifestyle of breakthrough is strongly implied, as there is a noticeable transition from miracles, signs, and wonders to what Luke defines as extraordinary. Remember, attempting to simply use biblical principles without pursuing the Person of Jesus leads to formalism and religion. Paul did not pursue principles apart from a Person.
There are three vital relationships that will empower us to enjoy this breakthrough faith lifestyle. Even though this principle of pursuing the knowledge of God can get us spiritually psyched up, sometimes we are not given concrete instructions on where to go next. The problem is that, in some circles, it is preached without any corresponding action plan. As a result of having no follow-through strategy, our spiritual highs deflate quickly. You may be thinking, “How do I actually pursue and experience this ‘knowledge of God’ you are writing about?” It all begins with understanding how to interact and relate with the Triune God.
In the following three points, we are going to take one of the most mysterious, complex, and historically confounding truths of Scripture—the Trinity—and practically discover how we are called to relate with God by using the Trinity as our model.
Intentionally Develop a Relationship with the Holy Spirit
This is more important than most of us realize. In this hour, God is inviting His people to focus on the Holy Spirit like never before. Most importantly, the Holy Spirit is God on the earth. Remember, the Father and the Son are in Heaven. The Spirit is the One we have been given as our Helper this side of eternity. If this is indeed the case, it should not surprise us that the enemy has attempted to attach so much controversy to the Holy Spirit. If the devil can prevent us from enjoying relationship with the Holy Spirit, he can successfully rob our interaction with God of its intimacy, closeness, and enjoyment.
Attempting to simply use biblical principles without pursuing the Person of Jesus leads to formalism and religion.
The Holy Spirit is not just a dispenser of miracles or the sovereign giver of spiritual gifts. While such are true realities, they do not define nor encapsulate His fullness. He is a Person who is just as much God as the Father and the Son. Jesus calls Him the “advantage,” noting that it was actually to the disciples’ benefit that Jesus departed so He could send the Holy Spirit to dwell with them and be in them. He stated, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you” (John 16:7).
There are so many incredible books and teachings out there on the Holy Spirit right now,25 so rather than try to repeat what has already been written, I simply want to encourage you to be intentional about developing a relationship with the Holy Spirit. He is the only way we will ever truly know God. He is the gateway to knowing the Son, and, ultimately, the catalyst to imitating the Father. Paul calls the Holy Spirit the Spirit of Jesus Christ (see Phil. 1:19). When we intentionally pursue relationship with the Holy Spirit, He reveals Jesus to us and, as a result, we get to know God the Father in a greater way.
Behold the Face of Jesus Christ
The “face” of Jesus refers to the example of Jesus. Everything about the Son of God should be regarded as precious to us, from His words to His works to His actions. We are given eyes to truly see who Jesus was and what He was like only through the enabling of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit makes us aware of our need for Christ to begin with, as such a decision is utterly impossible without His divine intervention. Once we are saved, however, the Holy Spirit has a strategic mission for believers—one that we often neglect. The Holy Spirit’s agenda is not to keep us focused on the method of redemption (the cross) but on the inheritance of redemption—the unveiling of the Person, example, and model of Jesus Christ. Jesus said of Him, “He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:14-15).
The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to Jesus in a fresh way. By no means am I downgrading the cross or the redemptive work of Christ here. He is forever the worthy Lamb who is eternally deserving of our worship for that significant and utterly spectacular act—Calvary. However, while living on the earth, we must tap into what this act of redemption has provided for us so that we can steward this glorious inheritance. Because we have received the same Spirit that was in Christ, we have been invited and empowered to fulfill Jesus’ words: “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21)..Right after giving the disciples this commission, “He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:22).
The Holy Spirit gives us revelation of who Jesus is on earth and what He accomplished because of the Spirit’s anointing in His life. In return, the same Spirit empowers you and me to model what we see demonstrated in Jesus’ example. However, the main emphasis is not just in the demonstration. Many today rightly focus on doing what Jesus did, but we must begin by looking at who Jesus was and who He ultimately revealed. Everything Jesus did was intentional about revealing a Person—Father God. This is the essence of what it means to follow the model of Jesus.
The outcome of us doing His supernatural works and walking in sustained breakthrough is never enhanced comfort. It is not just about needs being met, although He is full of compassion and love. It is not just so we can live healthy and whole. While we celebrate the immediate and direct blessing the supernatural works of Jesus have in our lives and in the lives of others, the main emphasis is always the unveiling of the Father.
The Holy Spirit’s agenda is not to keep us focused on the method of redemption (the cross) but on the inheritance of redemption—the unveiling of the Person, example, and model of Jesus Christ.
Encounter the Father
This brings us to the Father. It is amazing how, apart from the Holy Spirit, we really cannot see or know the Father. The Holy Spirit is the great revealer of Jesus Christ, and it is the face, words, works, and model of Jesus that all usher us into an encounter with the Father.
Even though Philip was staring at the very answer to his question, he still asked for Jesus to show him the Father. Jesus responded by saying,
Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves (John 14:10-11).
These are some of the most loaded words in all of Scripture. How do we respond to them? Bill Johnson often comments that any revelation of God the Father that contradicts what Jesus revealed about Him should be called into question. The words and works of Jesus are, scripturally speaking, the most accurate representation and unveiling of the Father’s likeness, character, and nature available to mankind.
Christ is the exact likeness of the unseen God (Colossians 1:15 TLB).
The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God (Hebrews 1:3 NLT).
If we want to make the pursuit of the knowledge of God practical, this is how I would sum it up: first, we intentionally cultivate and develop a relationship with Holy Spirit. He is God on earth and the chief revealer of Jesus Christ. Second, as the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to us, those questions about who God is and what His will is are constantly answered. Jesus is not only our redeemer, but He is also the revealer. He shows us the Father. In fact, He is the exclusive representative of the Father, as He makes it crystal clear that “no one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). This statement is both redemptive and revelatory in nature. No one can get to the Father except through Jesus, the Messianic bridge-builder; and no one can understand, encounter, and intimately know what the Father is like except through the revelation and model of Jesus.
That Scripture does not lose its relevance once we enter the Kingdom. If anything, the treasure trove of the knowledge of God truly opens up once we cross Calvary’s bridge into the Kingdom and begin the eternal journey of knowing this glorious God. Jesus follows up by saying, “If you really knew Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on, you do know Him. You’ve even seen Him!” (John 14:7 MSG). When we see the Father and know Him as He is, we become ready to imitate Him. This is what positioned the apostle Paul to walk in the supernatural dimension of breakthrough that we read about in the New Testament.
The words and works of Jesus are, scripturally speaking, the most accurate representation and unveiling of the Father’s likeness, character, and nature available to mankind.
This chapter has been a radical call to pursue the foundation of breakthrough faith—the knowledge of God. Jesus’ blood removed every single barrier, obstacle, and hindrance to us knowing the Father. It’s only when we know God that we are able to know how to demonstrate our faith because we become positioned to imitate the One we are intimate with. When we imitate God, speaking how He speaks and releasing His solutions over the obstacles in our lives, we start walking out a supernatural lifestyle of breakthrough faith. Again, it all begins with knowing Him and this is where we have missed it.
The devil has done everything he possibly can to prevent the body of Christ from pursuing the knowledge of God. He is well aware that when our eyes lock with the Lover of Our Souls, our hearts will burn and our taste for anything less than God Himself will be utterly ruined.
We cannot misunderstand the purpose of salvation. If we miss the goal of the Christian experience, we will consistently fall short of enjoying a lifestyle of sustained victory through exercising faith. Salvation is not simply about going to Heaven some day. Salvation is not just having a relationship with Jesus. I know this may sound shocking, but hear me out for a moment—these are all blessings and by-products of salvation. They are the wonderful benefits of salvation. Salvation and eternal life begin with this fundamental cornerstone, as defined by Jesus Himself: “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3).
To know God is to relate to Him and relate with Him—accurately. When we assume salvation is about relationship first, then there is a strong likelihood that we will attempt to relate with a God we do not know, do not really desire to know, or know inaccurately. The knowledge of God actually fuels our relationship with Him. To relate with God and enjoy deep communion with Him is to be transformed into His likeness. To be transformed into His likeness is to imitate Him, and to imitate God is to walk in breakthrough faith.
Breakthrough faith is about knowing God and behaving like Him through imitation. The Lord is summoning us to participate in a great quest that rivals any adventure our minds could possibly conceive. Remember, the deeper the intimacy with God, the more accurate the imitation. This is the starting place of breakthrough faith—a people who deeply know, accurately imitate, and powerfully represent King Jesus in the earth.
When our eyes lock with the Lover of Our Souls, our hearts will burn and our taste for anything less than God Himself will be utterly ruined.
In the next section we will continue to build on this pillar of the knowledge of God. God’s acts reveal His character and, in turn, demonstrate His ability. We celebrate that God is able; but to walk in breakthrough faith, we must combine two vital revelations: God is able and God is willing!
The most radical quest of our lives is pursuing the knowledge of God through intimacy and friendship with Him. This is what made the apostle Paul a dynamic ambassador of the Kingdom. More than pursuing miracles or breakthrough, his single radical pursuit was the very face of God as revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ. To know God is to desire deep friendship with Him. Such intimacy produces imitation, and by imitating God, we walk in a sustained lifestyle of breakthrough faith.
After God’s Own Heart by Mike Bickle
Drawing Near by John Bevere
Face to Face With God by Bill Johnson