Finishing Well

Introduction

Philippians Chapter 3 deals with the doctrine of Salvation. The theological term for this is the doctrine of Soteriology and the major question under consideration in the study of soteriology is, “How is the sinner saved?” There are three phases of salvation. Justification, sanctification, glorification. The first phase is justification by faith alone. Paul discusses this in verses 1 - 9 of Chapter 3 and, together we looked into this doctrine as we learned that that the doctrine of Justification by faith alone is the foundation of Christian joy and assurance.

Last time I mentioned one key figure in the reformation and in the rediscovery of the doctrine of justification by faith alone. There were many throughout Europe who were used by God to reform his Church. Luther in Germany, Zwingly and Calvin in Switzerland, and Thomas Cranmer in England. Cranmer is an interesting historical figure, simply because his was a cautious and careful person whose character isn’t suited to being a rebel. Yet, he is arguably the most famous of the reformers in England because he is the architect of the Church of England, also known as the Anglican church. However, before Cranmer was a reformer, he was a lecturer of Old and New Testaments at Jesus College Cambridge. He would hold this fellowship for 30 years before a chance encounter with King Henry VIII propelled him into the limelight. King Henry VIII was by 1522 and after 13 years of marriage to Catherine of Aragon seeking a divorce for various reasons, the most important of which is that Catherine couldn’t give him a male heir to the throne. The problem for Henry, though, was that the Church of Rome would not allow it for theological reasons. Another reason for Henry wanting a divorce from Catheryne was the arrival of Anne Boleyn to his courty, a charismatic, well-educated person from France. Anne was a converted evangelical and would become a critical influence to King Henry. Anne Boleyn carried a copy of William Tyndale’s book, “The obedience of the Christian man and how all Christian rulers ought to govern”. This book was regarded as heretical at the time and banned in England. King Henry, through Anne, read the book, which influenced his view on two key issues. Firstly, everyone (including leaders in the Church) were equal under the law of God in the bible. Secondly, Tyndale argued that all people were subject to the earthly power of the King and that the King was not subject to the external power of the Roman Catholic Church.

Cranmer met King Henry for the first time while away from London and tutoring the children of an aristocratic family known as the Cressy’s. Henry was out hunting and lodging on the land of the Cressy family. Over dinner one night, while discussing the matter of the divorce, Cranmer suggested that the King could do what he pleased and that he was not responsible to the Pope in Rome. Kind Henry then invited Cranmer to write his thoughts on the issue of divorce down in the form of a treatise, a document that would lay the ground work for Cranmer to become one of the King’s trusted advisers. In 1533, to the surprise of everyone, Kind Henry made Cranmer the archbishop of Canterbury. Cranmer refused to swear allegiance to the Pope and a new oath had to be drawn up for him. At this point, Thomas Cromwell had also introduced a bill that would see King Henry given supreme authority of all matters of Church and state in England, he was no longer accountable to the church in Rome.

Cranmer soon fell under the influence of reformers in Europe, and increasingly directed the Church of England in the direction of evangelical Christianity, which held to the doctrine of Justification by faith alone and rejected the authority of the Pope and of Roman Catholic doctrine. Cranmer would maintain his control over and influence in the Church well after King Henry VIII died. Now it must be said that King Henry was no friend of the gospel, he simply used theology to support his ideas when it suited him and rejected theological views that did not suit him. Towards the end of his reign, Henry was moving back in the direction of the Pope and Rome. After King Henry VIII died, King Edward the VI, the Son of Anne Boleyn and a convinced, and by all accounts saved evangelical, ascended to the throne. Edward once again moved England towards evangelical theology and Cranmer once again wrote and published many books, doctrinal statements, and even an English Bible, which became known as the great bible.

Cranmer’s influence and power came crashing down, however, when King Edward VI abruptly died at the age of 15. Soon after the death of King Edward VI, and the failed attempt at Making Lady Jane Gray Queen, Queen Mary I, the only surviving child of King Henry VIII was enthroned as Queen of England. It wasn’t long before Cranmer was arrested for treason and sentenced to death, Mary rejected evangelical doctrine and reaffirmed her and England’s submission to the Pope and Rome. What happens to Cranmer now is somewhat difficult to read. Cranmer was isolated from friends and family. He was left imprisoned in the Tower of London for nearly two years with the threat of death hanging over his head. It is during the period that Cranmer, under severe pressure and anxiety began to recant of his evangelical beliefs. One by one, Cranmer rejected his beliefs and embraced confessed belief in Roman Catholic theology once again.

So where does that leave Thomas Cranmer? Was he a Christian at all? It is a topic we will revisit later.

I do want to say though, the Thomas Cranmer believed and defended the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Just so that we are all on the same page, I want to remind you of the doctrine this doctrine. Justification by faith alone is the one time event where God lawfully declares the sinner to be righteous in his sight. We see this beautifully laid out in Philippians 3:8B–9 “For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—” God declares the sinner righteous in his sight, not based on any inherent goodness of their own or good works that they perform, but based solely on the goodness and merit of the Lord Jesus Christ. This lawful declaration is a gift - an act of Grace - totally undeserved by the sinner and this gift is received by faith. That is justification and it is summed up so well in 5 Sola’s. The idea that we are justified by faith alone, through Christ alone, as a gift of Grace alone, according to the scriptures alone, to the glory of God alone.

But what then? What happens to the sinner, now a Christian, after he or she is justified?

The process that follows justification is known as sanctification. It is the life long process of moral change that occurs in the sinner, now a saint, as the word of God and the Holy Spirit combine to bring the sinner more and more into submission to the Lord Jesus Christ. The result is that the sinner begins to look more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ in what they say, think, and do.

Easton’s Bible Dictionary (Sanctification)

In other words, sanctification is the carrying on to perfection the work begun in regeneration, and it extends to the whole man (Rom. 6:13; 2 Cor. 4:6; Col. 3:10; 1 John 4:7; 1 Cor. 6:19). It is the special office of the Holy Spirit in the plan of redemption to carry on this work (1 Cor. 6:11; 2 Thess. 2:13).

I have titled this message, “Finishing Well”. The writer to the Hebrews calls on Christians to Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us”. The writer to the Hebrews uses the phrase endurance, Paul in Philippians uses the phrase “press on” twice and the phrase “straining forwards” to convey the same idea. We must keep going, we must keep trusting, we must keep clinging to Christ our Lord. But why? Why is it so important that my life changes to become more like Christ? Well that is what we will answer this morning.

Remember, when Paul wrote this book, he was an old man. He was nearing the end of his life. Within four years, he would be put to death in Rome at the hands of emperor Nero a result that he fully expected. Yet, in no way is Paul merely stumbling towards the finish line and his exit from world. Over the last two years, I have started to enjoy scented candles for two reasons. Firstly, they smell really nice (especially a scent called lang-lang) and, secondly I enjoy watching the dancing flame on the wick. Now when you first light a candle, the flame is tall and bright and it burns strong, but after a while the wax melts and begins to form a pool around the wick, the flame becomes smaller and smaller, weaker and weaker until it eventually dies. For many people, this is the story of their lives. They start out well and burn strongly for a time, but then slowly but surely fade and eventually die. Now, I am not talking about physical strength or beauty - that fades and their is no stopping it, even though we can delay it for a time with exercise and diet. I am talking about spiritual strength. How can we as Christians finish our lives burning strong for the Lord, with candles that do not faint and fade? Firstly, it is possible? I would argue from our passage that it is possible. The follow up question then, is how? How can the light of my faith burn strongly for the Lord until I die? How do I finish my race well? Three things:

1. Passion for Christ (12)

2. Past sins (vs. 13)

3. Pressing on (vs. 14)

4. A prize to live for (vs. 14)

1) A passion for Christ (12)

In verse 12, Paul expresses his desire for perfection, and that he is working hard to get there, but why? What is motivating Paul?

The answer is his love for the Lord Jesus Christ.

The foundation of sanctification, of inward change and an increasing desire to be holy as God is holy is a deep and enduring love for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:12 “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”

There are two ways of looking at the first phrase of this sentence.

Firstly, on the surface level Paul is clearly saying that he has not been glorified yet. The word obtained here means to take possession of something, or to grab hold of it. When Paul says “Not that I have already obtained this” he is speaking of glorification. He doesn’t yet have the promised crown of glory. The phrase “already perfect” adds further weight to this references Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” The word perfect here means to come to completion. Paul is saying that God’s work in him is not yet complete.

Secondly, if we dig a little deeper we see and incredible admission here by Paul. In verse 10 and 11, Paul expresses the deepest desires of his heart. He desires to ‘know Christ’ - a reference to a deep and intimate relationship - ‘the power of his resurrection’ - a reference to the redemptive power of Christ - that knowing Christ saves us from the power, penalty and presence of sin. He identifies with Christ’s sufferings and death in the hope of final and full separation from sin. But, while Paul desires perfection, while he longs for the resurrection and desires to fully know Christ in glory, he also recognizes that he remains a sinner in need of a saviour. As much as Paul expresses the ideal of knowing Christ and longing for the day of full and total union with Christ, he also admits his own shortcomings - he is not yet perfect. There is a humility about Paul here.

“The more holy a man is, the more humble, self-renouncing, self-abhorring, and the more sensitive to every sin he becomes, and the more closely he clings to Christ. The moral imperfections which cling to him he feels to be sins, which he laments and strives to overcome. Believers find that their life is a constant warfare, and they need to take the kingdom of heaven by storm, and watch while they pray. They are always subject to the constant chastisement of their Father’s loving hand, which can only be designed to correct their imperfections and to confirm their graces. And it has been notoriously the fact that the best Christians have been those who have been the least prone to claim the attainment of perfection for themselves.” (Charles Hodge, cited by M. G. Easton, Illustrated Bible Dictionary and Treasury of Biblical History, Biography, Geography, Doctrine, and Literature (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1893), 602.

So Paul explicitly states that he is not perfect and implicitly acknowledges his own imperfections. But he doesn’t wallow in despair. Instead he says, “but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own”. Paul is motivated to pursue perfection, to work towards holiness and righteousness because of his love for the Lord Jesus Christ. He expresses this so well in Galatians 2:20

Galatians 2:20 ESV

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

and in Romans 7:24 - 25

Romans 7:24–25 (ESV)

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Brothers and sisters, if we are to be changed by Christ we must recognise our need for Christ. And when we recognise our need for him, then we must pursue him, we must trust him, we must know him, and love him. Sanctification begins with a deep and enduring love for Christ.

Sins of the past (vs. 13)

It is interesting that Paul says that he forgets what lies behind. Why does Paul say that?

The word forget is an interesting choice of words here. Usually when we forget something, it is accidental or because we haven’t thought about it or considered it. Usually forgetfulness is the opposite of being deliberate or intentional. Yet, Paul here is suggesting that the word ‘forget’ can be deliberate and intentional. That he deliberately forgets what lies behind.

The phrase ‘forgetting what lies behind’ is very similar to what is written in Hebrews 12:1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,”

What lies behind for Paul is guilt, shame, and regret. Paul, by his own admission, was a persecutor of the Church (send countless Christians to prison) and was complicit in the murder of Steven. There is no doubt that Paul carried that guilt and shame with him. Yet he doesn’t dwell on the sins of the past or allow them to prevent his growth in grace. Like the famous hymn writer (Charitee Lee Smith) says,

When Satan tempts me to despair, and tells me of the guilt within, upward I look and see Him there who made an end of all my sin. Because the sinless Savior died, my sinful soul is counted free; for God the Just is satisfied to look on Him and pardon me; to look on Him and pardon me.

Paul knew that Christ had put an end to all his sin, Charity Lee Smith knew it and wrote it down so beautifully in that song. The question is do you know it? Do you know that Christ has saved you from your sin? If so, then lay the sins of the past behind you, they have been forgiven in Christ. Don’t allow them to prevent your growth in grace.

Pressing on (vs. 14)

The idea of “pressing on” or “straining forward” is used three times in our passage. It has the idea of moving forward despite opposition and difficulty. This phrase carries with it the idea of a soldier pressing on, striving forward, straining ahead.

1 Timothy 4:7–10 “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come”.

If you have ever watched world war two documentaries you will have seen soldiers on the front lines moving forward under great difficulty. Hardship comes from two places for a soldier. The first cause of hardship is external - the weather conditions (extreme heat, extreme cold, wind, and rain) and your enemies stationed in front of you and firing upon you. The soldier must fight these external forces if he is to be victorious. The second cause of hardship is internal, the fear of failure, the fear of death, the pain and suffering caused by fighting in harsh environmental conditions and from seeing your fellow soldiers struggle and suffer.

Now as much as soldiers experience hardship on two fronts, Christians also do battle with hardship on two fronts. The first is external, the hardship of life, the death of loved ones, the hurt and pain of broken relationships - Christians press on through these. The second is internal, pressing on despite doubt and fear, despite temptations to sin and the guilt and shame that follows sin. Paul says he presses on through these.

But why? Why does Paul press on and endure these hardships? What motivates Paul?

A prize to live for (vs. 14)

Philippians 3:14 “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Paul tells us what his goal is, “It is the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”. The word prize here is the same word used in 1 Corinthians 9:24 “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

There are some questions about this prize that we need to investigate:

What is the prize?

In the context of this passage, the prize is two-fold. Firstly, it is the Lord Jesus Christ himself. The bride groom of the Church who will present the Church to God in purity, washed clean of impurity and sin in his own blood. We will know Christ even as we are fully known. It is being in his presence for all eternity, separated from the pain and suffering that characterises life on earth. Secondly, it is the resurrection from the dead that Paul speaks of in verse 11. Paul says that he desires to attain the resurrection from the dead by any means possible.

1 Corinthians 15:42–57 ESV

So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Who receives the prize?

Those who have put their faith fully and finally in the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember the three processes of salvation. First comes justification, then comes sanctification, finally comes glorification. To receive the prize, you must first be justified. You must first put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Than you must be sanctified. There must be a process of change in your life, where you are putting to death that which is evil in you as you learn to depend upon the Lord Jesus alone.

Those who have been justified and sanctified are then glorified. Christians who endure to the end, who persevere in Christ throughout their lives. They receive the prize. They are glorified.

Romans 8:30–31 “And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

3. When is the prize received?

The prize is received after we die. While we experience the benefits of salvation, the full measure of the prize is only experienced after we die. Death is final test that we must all trust the Lord Jesus Christ through.

Applications:

Until the day of your death, the Lord is not finished with you.

Now that we have seen that the doctrine of justification is complimented by the process of sancification and that both are necessary for glorification. Let us revisit the story of Thomas Cranmer with the view to making some applications to our own lives. Though Thomas Cranmer did sign a number of documents denying his belief in the evangelical Christian truths during his time in the Tower prison, there are some important things to bear in mind. First, Cranmer was under severe physical and psychological stress and had been denied human contact for nearly two years. He was also constantly tormented with the threat of death, was made to watch the executions of both Hugh Latimer and Nicholas Ridley, and was publicly humiliated and stripped of his title as the Archbishop of Canterbury. For the most part, Cranmer held his nerve and his faith, but his resolve began to weaken towards the end. Secondly, the Lord didn’t leave Cranmer to make a shipwreck of his faith. On the 18th of March 1556, Thomas Cranmer signed another document denying his beliefs in the evangelical faith. He also prepared his last sermon that he was to give at the Oxford University Church before his execution. But, on the morning of Saturday the 21st of March, as Cranmer was signing the last of his recantation letters, he was interrupted by a letter from his sister. The note appeared to revitalize him and he said for all to hear, “God will finish what he has started”. Not long after that, Thomas Cranmer stood before the audience at the Church and with great courage, courage that had deserted him in the weeks leading up to this event, he boldly spoke out for the gospel, declared his belief in the sufficiency of Christ alone for salvation and denied the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. He said, “as for the Pope, I refuse him as Christ’s enemy, and anti-Christ, with all his false doctrine”. Not long after that Cranmer was lead away and burned at the stake. The Lord was not done with Thomas Cranmer and if you have breathe in your lungs, and blood in your veins, then the Lord is not done with you either. It is a wonderful reminder of the truth that Paul teaches to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:11 - 13

2 Timothy 2:11–13 ESV

The saying is trustworthy, for: If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.

2. Until the day of your death, your work on earth is not done either.

Thomas Cranmer’s work on earth wasn’t complete until his final defense to the university Church in Oxford moments before his death. Similarly, though Paul was stuck in prison in Rome desiring to be released to go to be with Christ for eternity, his work on earth wasn’t complete either. After we come to faith in Christ, we have work to do for the Kingdom of God. That work isn’t complete until the Lord calls you home. Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Cranmer’s work was only complete at his death, Paul’s work was only complete at his death, brothers and sisters, your work on earth is not complete until the day of your death. What is it that God has called you to do? What work has he prepared for you to do? Find it, and do it with all your might until the Lord calls you home. We have no reason for idleness, no reason to slowly fade away like that candle in my classroom. No matter your age, from the youngest to the oldest, you have every reason to burn brightly for the Lord until the Lord calls you home. The Lord is not done with you yet.

3. In Philippians 3:13 “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead”. I don’t know what the struggles are that you are facing now, I don’t know what the future holds for you and for me. We face uncertain days for sure. But recognise this, that whatever the future holds, you can look forward to it with hope. Because beyond tomorrow lies the Kingdom of heaven promised to all those who belong to Christ. Whatever pain and suffering you are enduring now, whatever diagnosis you may have to endure in the future, whaever financial uncertainty you face, you needn’t have to worry too much, because all of it is temporary. There is a hope that transcends the troubles of this world, that goes beyond the pain, sadness, sickness, and hurt. There is a great hope that you can look foward to, one that Paul looked forward to. It is the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. This hope is wonderfully encapsulated in the Song “Because he lives”

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone; Because I know He holds the future, And life is worth the living, Just because He lives!

And then one day, I'll cross the river, I'll fight life's final war with pain; And then, as death gives way to victory, I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know He lives!

Brothers and sisters, you can finish the race well, because Christ finished his race well. Make him your own and look to the future with hope. The same hope that Paul had, the same hope that Thomas Cranmer Had.