Pressing On

Philippians 3:12-21

Philippians 3:12–21 NASB 2020

Not that I have already grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore, all who are mature, let’s have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that to you as well; however, let’s keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. Brothers and sisters, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I weep, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who have their minds on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our lowly condition into conformity with His glorious body, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

We dive into verse 12, from the context of what had just preceded. Paul counted all things as loss for the “surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Verse 8). Within that knowing, Paul added he would “attain to the resurrection of the dead.” (Verse 11).

Paul made note that he had not grasped (or obtained) to the resurrection of the dead yet. He was still in the flesh, in the world. Being saved, Yes. But, not yet perfected.

None of us are perfected yet. That will not be until a time when we receive our new heavenly bodies. Bodies which do not fight against the Spirit, against God. For now we must continue in this life fighting the daily struggle against sin and our flesh.

Conversation with Andrew.

Praying and Being distracted with the Flesh.

Since none of us have obtained it yet, what does Paul say?

He presses on. He does not stop. Why?

(2nd Half of verse 12): “if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus.”

CSB: “Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.”

Message: “I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me.”

The beginning of verse 13 also aides us in understanding what Paul is after. He has not taken “hold of it yet.” He has not yet been made perfect or has attained to the resurrection of the dead. Paul did not think he was glorified, perfected, or anywhere near that. Paul’s humbleness often led him to the conclusion that he was a work in progress.

Sometimes we lift these pillars of the faith up in our lives as these spiritual giants. Peter, John, Paul, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, Justin Martyr, Martin Luther, John Calvin, R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, Chuck Swindoll, Alistair Begg, etc.

They are only men, flawed and sinful men who press on toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. From what I have studied and gathered about the men I just mentioned, their goal was and has always been, to teach the truth about God’s Word. They are not looking for a pedestal or to be made famous. They do not push an ideal or agenda of a political leader or cultural norm. They are not here to please people, they are here to share hard truths. There goal is to point people to Jesus Christ. Do you get that is all that matters, at the end of it all, the only thing that matters is whether or not you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ! He is the authority, not man. And not one of these men, Paul included, would consider themselves as having authority. They pointed, and point, men and women to Christ alone.

Why?

So you can have “Faith in Christ Alone.” Not in man, not in a King or President, not in a Pastor, not in a parent--In Christ Alone!”

There are many pastors and leaders who want you to follow them and their way. Scripture shows what happens when we elevate and follow others and not God Alone.

Turn to...

1 Corinthians 3:5-7

Do not say you follow me, or any other Pastor!

Paul, in his letter to the church in Corinth said:

The 2nd part of verse 13 Paul said, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.”

Living in the Past No More

Paul earlier mentioned his status as a Jew, how important he once thought he was. How he believed what he did and who he was made him righteous (good enough). None of that mattered. He chose to forget those things that he believed made him righteous and better than everyone else.

His focus was forward, “to what lies ahead.” He is reaching out, he is pressing on, he is seeking to gain eternity with Christ in the resurrection.

Are there ‘former things’ (failures, sins, false idols, past achievements, habits, distractions) which hinder you from pursuing Christ with the same passion of Paul?

But Paul was not sitting around. He was on the move. He was pressing on, he was....

Focusing on the Goal

Observe verse 14...

The prize. He presses on for the prize. What is the prize? “The upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” If you believe, if you have faith in Jesus Christ. Then, you too, are to press on for the prize. The upward, the eternal destination, the final destination, the call of God in and through Jesus Christ.

Ladies and Gentlemen, make no mistake about it. You are on a journey, a path, a marathon, that leads to God’s upward call, if you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ. If you have not heeded the call of Christ in your life, if you have not embraced Him choosing you to be with Him, then your journey, your path, your marathon, is leading to destruction. (We will come to this in a moment in verse 18).

Notice what Paul wrote to the church in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

How many of you are just coasting? Walking the race? Run toward the prize. Live the disciplined life of a follower of Christ.

In 1 Cor. 9:27 - Paul made a bold statement.

This leads us to verse 15-17 of our passage today.

God will constantly challenge you in your walk. That is why we need to “Work out our salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who is at work in you.”

Walk This Way

Walk in the manner of love, walk in the manner of the Christian life, as laid out in Scripture.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

If you do not know what love is, if you do not know what integrity is, if you do not know how to be an example of following Christ. Then you are not reading His Word, you are not engaged with other Christians in helping you grow. You are not actively engaged in Bible Studies, and serving, and giving, and Christian community.

You love is of the world. Your love is not manifested in the ways of Christ, but in the ways of self. Each day you have to fight your flesh. Each day, you have to choose to obey and follow Christ. Each day you must sacrifice for His Kingdom.

Your role is an ambassador of Christ. An ambassador represents the One True King; in all you do. You are either an ambassador and citizen of God’s Kingdom or you are one of the world.

Who are those who walk as a citizen of the world?

Read what Paul wrote in verse 18-19.

Those of the world are enemies of “the cross of Christ.” Everything it stands for. You belong to Christ, through the cross, if you follow Him. Ladies and Gentlemen, everyone, and I mean everyone, who is of the world, and not of Christ is an enemy of Christ and by extension you. Now, make no mistake, our struggle is not with flesh and blood, it is with the Prince of the Power of the Air, of the Dragon, of Satan. He is the one we are ultimately up against. But, that does not change the fact that the world is in enmity against those whom belong to Christ.

You might be married to a non-believer. You may work with non-believers. You may go to school with them. They are in the leadership of our cities, our state, our country, and in leadership around the world. You may also know some very “good” people in your life. At the end of the day, when all is said and done, they are enemies of the cross. They do not want what is best for you. It is an illusory position to behold, into believing that people of the world (those not of Christ), have your best interest at heart. If they knew fully they would end up in the Lake of Fire, they would absolutely hate you. It is a fact that they are in denial of the truth, that Jesus Christ is Lord and their end is destruction.

What is Paul’s response to the enemy? He weep’s over them. For their end is destruction. It hurts Paul to the core that there are people who do not have faith in Christ.

Jesus loved His enemies, He ate with them. He told us to love them. Why? I think for 1) Our hearts, 2) Compassion, 3) They may come to know the truth through your love.

This is why we represent Christ in the manner in which we do. We are ambassadors and citizens of God’s omnipotent Kingdom. We belong to a host of those whom have come before us, we are watched by the angles.

The author of Hebrews wrote:

Hebrews 12:1 CSB

Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us,

And because we belong to Christ Jesus… There is no more living in the past.

Paul made a clear distinction of the Kingdom we belong to in verse 20:

Paul noted about our...

True Citizenship

Follow what Jesus said to His Disciples in John 15:18-19

They hated Jesus first, because He is not of this world. Just as you are not of this world. Jesus was the greatest immigrant to ever live.

Turn to John 1:11. Jesus came to His own people, the nation of Israel and they rejected His truth. Interestingly, much of the world at the time did not care about Jesus. The Romans saw Him as more disruptive than anything else and they wanted to appease the Jews so they would, shut-up, so-to-speak.

Verse 18-19 talk of those of the world, those who hate followers of Jesus Christ. Why? Because we are not citizens of the world. We are, if I can use a popular term today, Immigrants. When we look at the Old Testament, Abraham came to Canaan, and although it was promised to him by God, the people in the land were not having any of it. They allowed him to camp there, but it was not his home.

When the Israelites entered the promised land under the leadership of Joshua, they were not wanted there. There were wars, and still the Israelites did not succeed in maintaining their land. And to this day, the people have tried to kick the Israelites out. Why? Because they believe it is their land. Their home.

The way of the world is to hate immigrants. Hate those that don’t fit in to you country, your land, the world. This happens in every country and time in the world. Just look at history. Most every nation came at the cost of conquering and killing. By kicking out those who they chose to hate, instead of love. By the way it never ends well for anyone.

But, if your citizenship is in heaven, if you belong to Christ. The world will cast you out. But, you have a permanent home, in Christ, with Him for eternity. A place where you are not an immigrant, you are not a stranger, and you are loved eternally and unconditionally.

Verse 21 highlights the glorious description of what awaits those whom have placed their faith in Christ Jesus.

We will be conformed into a glorious, wondrous, perfect, beautiful, unashamed body. Have you ever thought that it was His power that transforms you. Think about it. It is not some mystical unknown magic trick. You are perfected, you are glorified, by His power.

In the world and all the false religions and ideals, it is what man must achieve, by his limited power. Then somehow, magically, the universe knows what to give that person. How weird is that? How do false (fake) gods know how to transport your soul, your spirit to the afterlife? What kind of mystical nonsense is that?

Everything is subject to Christ. And it is by His power and blood that you have been called to be with Him for eternity. Where is your faith? Where is your citizenship?

If the answer to either of those questions, is “In the World.” Than you need to seriously evaluate your life.

If your faith is in Christ, that He is Lord, that He is the King, and that you belong to Him, a citizen of heaven and not of the world. Then praise be to God alone. Amen?