That I May Know Him: Philippians 3:10

By Luther Ridgeway

The title of this book is That I May Know Him. I am confident it will help the reader have a better understanding of some extraordinary and wonderful things. It introduces the reader to four basic primary things to focus on.

These four basic primary things are: the Way, the Place, the Time, and the Name. They are made available to us through the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. They have been searched out and prepared to help us live the kind of life that we should live. This was done before the foundation of the world. That we should be holy and without blame before him in love.

In order to believe, trust, and have complete faith in someone, you must know them. These four things can help in knowledge and understanding. This is the goal for writing this book entitled That I May Know Him. I honestly believe that after the reader finishes looking through and examining these four things, their understanding and confidence will be enlightened, knowing that they are being guided by the truth, which will also helps bring them to the right place in life.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 12, 2022
• ISBN: 9781098092672

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That I May Know Him

Philippians 3:10

Luther Ridgeway

Copyright © 2021 by Luther Ridgeway

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

All Scriptures used were taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version.

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

The Way

The Way/Truth and Grace

The Way/Righteousness and Mercy

The Place

The Place/Love

The Place/Faith and The Gospel

The Place/The Holy Ghost

The Time

Time/Salvation and Glory

Time/Barnabas and Paul

The Name

Name/The Lord Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus our Lord

Name/Our Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ our Lord

Name/The Word

Name/The Ancient Landmark

Chapter 1

The Way

The Way

The writer of Proverbs says, "Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me (Proverbs 30:8). God already knows what is best for us, which he has prepared and searched out before the foundation of the world. Paul writes, According as he hath chosen us in him [Christ] before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love" (Ephesians 1:4).

That I May Know Him

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord. (2 Peter 1:2)

God hath prepared for them that love him a way to receive all these wonderful blessings, which are in the kingdom of Christ and of God (Ephesians 5:5). The Apostle Peter writes, For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:11).

Given unto Us All Things

Jesus is our Lord. We must know him. Peter writes,

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. (2 Peter 1:3–4)

Those who are called must know Jesus. But unto them which are called, the apostle Paul writes, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24). God knew what we needed before he created the heaven and the earth.

Him [Christ] being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. (Acts 2:23)

That I May Know Him

In him (Christ), we have been given everything we need that pertain to life and godliness.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. (Proverbs 3:23)

Endued with Knowledge

James writes,

Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. (James 3:13–16)

Wisdom That Is from Above

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. (James 3:17–18)

Whence Then Cometh Wisdom

Job asked the question:

Whence Then Cometh Wisdom? And where is the place of understanding? Seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air. Destruction and death say, We have heard the fame thereof with our ears. (Job 28:20–22)

Hath been Hid in God

That I may know him, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God, Jesus had to be brought forth. So Paul writes,

And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery; which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 3:9)

Seeth Under the Whole Heaven

God understandeth the way thereof, and he knoweth the place thereof. For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven. (Job 28:23–24)

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8)

Christ came forth from the Father (John 16:28). He is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

This is the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding that was needed.

To make the weight for the winds; and he weigheth the waters by measure. When he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder. (Job 28:25–26)

These are the things that Christ used to build the church. The church had to be built with things that are everlasting: the gospel, joy, the kingdom, life, love, grace, mercy, righteousness, truth, our Lord is forever.

Christ Prepared and Search Out

Then did he see it, and declare it; he prepared it, yea, and searched it out. And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding. (Job 28:27–28)

And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 3:9)

God Did by Him

The Word says,

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Ye men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know. (Acts 2:21–22)

The Determinate Counsel

Before anything was made, these things had to be search out. The Word says,

Him [Christ] being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. (Acts 2:23)

So Job writes, "For he looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven" (Job 28:24). This wisdom is from above.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us [the church] with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. (Ephesians 1:3–4)

Before the World Began

Through Christ, we are blessed. We have been given everything we need pertaining to life and godliness. Paul wanted to know him. He writes,

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. (2 Timothy 1:9)

The Promises of God

Paul [writes that he is], a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began. (Titus 1:1–2)

The apostle Peter writes, "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you" (1 Peter 1:20).

Wisdom Is a Tree of Life

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding. (Proverbs 3:13)

She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her: and happy is every one that retaineth her. The Lord by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. (Proverbs 3:18–19)

Keep Sound Wisdom

By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew. My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion. So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck. Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble. (Proverbs 3:20–23)

I (Wisdom) Was Brought Forth

For this reason, wisdom (Christ) was brought forth. The Word says,

I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there was no depths, I [wisdom] was brought forth; when there was no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: (Proverbs 8:23–25)

Christ the Power of God

In the book of John, the Lord is speaking saying, I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father (John 16:28). But unto them which are called, the Apostle Paul writes, "both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24).

All Things Were Made by Him

The wisdom of God has been with us from the very beginning. The Word says,

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. (Genesis 1:1–2)

The Apostle John writes,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. (John 1:1–4)

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (Genesis 2:1–3)

The Lord God

These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord