Philippians 3:10 – “That I may know Him!”
What is an experimental knowledge of Christ? In his sermon “Experimental Knowledge of Christ” Thomas Boston defines an experimental knowledge of Christ as an inner spiritual feeling that comes from hearing and believing about Christ and his truths. It leaves a mark on our souls when we taste and see that the Lord is good for ourselves ( Psalm 34:8), just like the Samaritans’ did when they told the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, but because we have heard for ourselves that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.”
The gospel tells a good new story about Jesus Christ. Faith believes it and accepts him for what the word says he is. Then the person who believes does come and see. The Bible paints a beautiful picture of how perfect Christ is, and faith believes that he really is what it says he is. Then, that picture starts to be painted again in a Christian’s life, and it keeps getting clearer until he comes back to glory. Thomas Boston illustrates this experiencing Christ for ourselves to being the same as a famous doctor giving a friend medicines for all the illnesses he might get and then telling the friend that one medicine will help with that illness, another will help with that illness, etc. He knows them all, but then he gets sick. He takes the medicine that is right for him, and it works. Now the man has tried the cure and knows it works, whereas before he had only heard about it. That is why Christ is given as everything to a Christian, and that is how they use Christ for their own case. This is what it means to have our own experimental knowledge of Christ.
An Experiential Knowledge of Christ is knowing Peace with God
In John 14:6, the Bible says of Christ, “He is the way to the Father.” Now, the person who has tried many ways to get to God and be in relationship with him but has been turned away or couldn’t find a way to do so finally finds a way through Jesus Christ. He gives up everything else and relies only on his merit and prayers, and he is able to enter into relationship with God. This burning sword is no longer there, and the person who was still in front of a fire now feels like the sun is warming his soul. This is how we know about Christ through experience. Rome 5:1-2 says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” who gives us faith to enter this grace in which we stand and joy in the hope of God’s glory.
An Experiential Knowledge of Christ is Resting in a Clean Conscience
According to Hebrews 9:14, Christ’s blood “cleanses the conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” Now, an experimental Christian knows from experience that unrepented guilt stains the conscience, makes it hurt, and makes a person unfit to serve the Lord, just like dirty clothes make a person unfit to stand in front of a king. It makes a person not want to come before God and hurts his confidence; he tries to repent but forgets about Christ’s blood, but it doesn’t work. He believes in an all-powerful God, and even though his heart is anxious, nothing changed. Finally, he turns to God through Christ, throws his guilt on him, and bathes his soul in the sea of Christ’s blood. At that point, his heart melts for sin, his conscience stops hurting, his soul is ready to talk to God, and he can serve him like a son serves his father.
An Experiential Knowledge of Christ is Finding Satisfaction with Christ
Christ gives souls everything they need (Psalm 73:25). Habakkuk 3:17 and 18. This is something that everyone knows because they’ve heard it, but Christians know it for sure because it causes them to feel satisfied on a spiritual level. When all of his pleasures were in front of him, he would sometimes look at them all with holy disdain and say to himself, “These are not my portion.” His heart was freed from them, and he was ready to give up everything for Christ, who made his soul happy and gave him all that he needed. Even when everything seemed to be going wrong for him, he could find comfort, strength, and contentment in Christ, just like David did when he was in a tough spot. 30:6 of 1 Samuel. He went to be with his God and his Christ, and when he came back with Hannah, he had “a face no longer sad” (1 Samuel 1:18).
An Experiential Knowledge of Christ is Strength in Affliction
Christ helps his people deal with adversity and keeps them from sinking. He also lifts their heads when they pass through rough waves. 43:2 in Isaiah. Now, hardships happen to Christians, and they gladly take on their own load because they believe they can handle it. But his load is too much for him to carry. He fights with it, but it gets heavier as he fights, and he sinks deeper. Finally, he goes to Christ and says, “Lord, I thought I could handle this load, but I can’t. I will fall under it if you don’t help me.” “Master, save us, for we are going to die.” So he puts it on the great One Who Bears Weight, and it helps him (Psalm 28:7). The man couldn’t do anything when he thought he could, but he could do everything when he thought he couldn’t. 2 Corinthians 8:9, 10.
An Experiential Knowledge of Christ is Having Wisdom & Counsel
Christ has become “wisdom” for us. 1:30 in 1 Corinthians. The experimental Christian learns that when he relies on his own understanding, he gets lost in the middle of the day. All he gets out of it is calling himself a “beast” and a “fool” for his mistake. He is careful, though, and when he faces problems that he knows he can’t solve, he brings them to the Lord and allows himself to be led by the Lord as a blind man. To his surprise, the Lord leads him in a way he didn’t know, and he says, “Bless the Lord who gave him counsel.”
An Experiential Knowledge of Christ is Knowing Deliverance from Sin
Finally, 1 Corinthians 1:30 says that Christ has made us holy. Now, if a Christian gets comfortable and doesn’t use Christ, he is like Samson without his hair. When he wakes up, he finds that his case has been thrown out, that the sanctifying effects have stopped, that graces are lying dead, and that lusts are strong and full. He falls while wrestling with them, but he is still worse off until he faces himself, admits how weak he is in this battle, and renews his faith in Christ. Only then “out of weakness he is made strong, waxes valiant in battle, and drives the armies of the aliens from the land,” Hebrews 11:34. He loses faith in himself like a broken reed stuck in his hand. Even though the promise is right in front of him like a rod that has turned into a snake, unbelief tells him he is too scared to touch it. But he does, and he grabs the snake by the tail, and it turns into the rod of God in his hand.
An experimental knowledge of Christ, as described by Thomas Boston, is more then mere intellectual understanding or second-hand faith. It is a deeply personal, experiential daily walk where one comes to know Christ not just through words, but through lived experiences and a deep spiritual bond with him. This knowledge leads to peace with God, a cleansed conscience, satisfaction in Christ, strength in affliction, wisdom and counsel, and deliverance from sin. It embodies a transformed life where Christ becomes more than a figure in scripture, but a real and active presence in our daily lives, guiding and empowering us. It’s not just about believing in the stories or the teachings, but about becoming a witness ourselves to His power, His presence, His grace, and His love in own life.
