Untitled Sermon
Philippians 3:12-4:1
His denial of perfectionism contradicts not only those Jewish Christians in his day who were claiming and promising perfection by way of membership in the Jewish people, but also perfectionists in every age who are advertising their procedures as the way to procure instant perfection.
The pressures of the surrounding pagan culture dampen and even extinguish the enthusiasm and determination of Christians to press on to maturity in their obedience to the call of God. Many succumbed to these pressures, gave up their commitment to Christ, and fell back into the popular immorality of their culture
Paul’s dramatic imagery of his race cuts both ways: perfectionists who claim to have already arrived at the goal and libertines who have dropped out of the race are both called to get back on track and press on