In Phillipians 3:8, Paul writes:

‘… I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.” [NIV]

The word ‘knowing’ is critical here. Without the word ‘knowing’, Paul would have lost all things simply because God (Christ Jesus) is great (of surpassing worth).

If God’s most praiseworthy aspect is that He is great, then we rightly owe him everything and He is entitled take everything from us. And Paul would be right to praise God for His greatness and to acknowledge God’s right to take anything and everything from us.

But Paul doesn’t do that. He praises God for the gift of knowing Him, and all that this entails – forgiveness from God, peace with God and joy from God. Paul gladly lost all things because he had already received something of far greater worth.

This means that God is a giver, not a taker.

And that’s why Christ Jesus is worth knowing.