Philippians 3:12-16 *Sanctification Again

Introduction

A man named Pete is going to have a son. During the pregnancy the dad has not yet picked a name for the boy. At the birth the doctor delivers the baby and asks what the name is. Pete says “The boy is named after me.” So the doctor says back to him “Peter, then.” Pete says no thats not it. The doctor says confused, “Pete?”. Dad says no, he is named AFTER me. I am Pete and he is Repeat.

Pray

Read the passage

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Following Paul’s Example

15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Provide a brief overview of what the main point is and why it is necessary to cover.

The last time I spoke we were in Philippians 2:12-13 talking about sanctification. We haven’t changed subjects but we have changed chapters. Based on this passage I’d like to talk again about what we should be doing in response to what Jesus has already done.

I think the Lord has led us to this passage because it fits our group well. Most of us here are seasoned believers but not all. No matter the specific stage in our walk we all may need to be reminded why we do what we do.

The main point is that no matter where we have been (good or bad) and no matter where we are now (good or bad), Christ only calls us forward to Himself. If we are seeking Him, then He will lead us closer to himself.

The concern that this passage addresses is that we may lose focus on Christ if we look to our own accomplishments or failures, especially if we dwell on them. But we can be assured that if we look to Christ and focus on Him as our singular focus, then he will correct us in any ways that we come short and will lead us to Him in the end.

Sanctification again: We need to do our part in what Christ has already done for us.

12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me

Provide background and context.

Paul has just finished in vv. 1 through 11 giving an overview of his impressive resume regarding his achievements as a religious jew. He checked all the boxes as a man who should be impressive. Paul had the right family, the right education, the right career. He was an Ivy League super WASP of the day. But he wanted to make sure that his church knew that this was not a real benefit because none of it was Christ. He says back in verse 8 that whatever were formerly counted as gains he now counts as loss for the sake of Christ. Paul says that compared to knowing Christ and being found in Him, everything else is worthless garbage. Paul goes on to say that he wants to know Christ intimately to His life, death, and resurrection.

We have in our culture today some interesting parallels with the Philippian culture. Several hundred years prior to the writing of this letter, the city itself was founded and occupied by Rome because of its local gold mines and location along a trade route (read: wealthy). The Philippians were physically safe because of the Roman army and the local geography. They were living an an economically abundant culture because of the gold, flowing trade market, and the fertile soil. At this point in their history the church in Philippi was about 20 years old. They had established members, customs, and traditions. Does any of this sound similar to 2021 America? We can relate to these people.

Commentary

Starting our text in verse 12 Paul says that he “has not yet obtained all this”. He has the honest humility to say that he is not there yet. Consider that at the time of this writing Paul has been saved for about thirty years. He has founded churches and done miracles and brought crowds to Christ, but he tells us that he is still learning and still on the path to further and deeper intimacy with Christ.

Paul recognizes that there is a difference spiritually between where he is and where he wants to be.

He says that he wants to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of him. He makes the distinction to specifically say that he is working because Christ saved him to do so. This is in the same vein as what we looked at in chapter 2 where Paul taught us about “working out what God is working in.” We are saved by grace alone through faith alone but sanctification requires effort and a daily serving of want-to.

The greek word that Paul uses here for “take hold” is an action verb. It means to catch, capture or appropriate. To bring this down to my level, the white trash translation is “gimme that.” It’s the only paraphrase bible that comes with a tank top.

This is how Paul describes both his conversion and his current quest for knowing Christ. A literal translation of this verse could read “but i pursue it if indeed i may seize it, because indeed i have been seized by Christ Jesus.”

The last phrase in v12 literally translates to “because i was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” The bible will not let us foster a sense of independence. We love because He first loved us. We work because He works in us. We can make the life, death, and resurrection of Christ our own because he first made us His own.

The more we come to know Christ, the more we will know our need to grow. If at any point we come to the realization that we have arrived at the conclusion of Christian understanding, all we have done is given up on the pursuit of intimacy with our creator. If we were to say that we are satisfied with our current results than we are well on the way to stagnation. When Paul in the previous verses says that he wants to “know him and the power of his resurrection, and share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” this is a humble tension. Paul wants to stretch and grow. Jesus said in Matt 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” This is the state that Paul is describing himself in and the same that we should find ourselves in.

One commentator writes:

The present tense Paul used describes an ongoing, grasping, strenuous pursuit. It is a gritty, “I will not be denied,” rough-and-tumble pursuit—a sublime violence—which Christ approved and approves of. He said, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12). This is how it was with John the Baptist when he burst from the wilderness clad in his leathers, fiercely heralding the kingdom. So it was with the paralytic’s friends when they tore through the roof in Capernaum to get him to Jesus (cf. Mark 2:4). Gracious, loving violence.

Brothers and sisters, if you have been seized by Christ and are in the grip of his grace, you must press on in your own hot, grasping pursuit of an ever-deeper knowledge of him. The gospel allows no room for a bland, middle-class ethic that strives to be neither hot nor cold (cf. Revelation 3:14–16). We are all called (every mother, daughter, father, son) to a single-minded, determined pursuit of Christ.

If you have been grasped by grace, God is speaking to you right now. Do you hear him? Pursue! Seize! Take hold of Christ as he has taken hold of you. This is the only way to live. No fainting hearts permitted. - Hughes

Application: So Far, So What?

The christian life is to be vigorous and intentional. We are to work out what Christ has already worked in us. Paul is writing to established believers, he is not talking about salvation but sanctification - growth and progress in Christian life and service. Whatever resume we may have does not qualify us, only the dedicated pursuit of Jesus will bring us the intimate relationship with Him that is there waiting for us.

13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Humility

Paul here nearly repeats himself from verse 12. He emphasizes two points. The first is that he admits he is not perfect yet, the second is that he wants to keep trying to win the prize that he is called to: knowing Christ.

Focus

Paul has a single-minded focus on Christ. See James 1:8. “The double minded is unstable in all his ways.”

Paul says “one thing I do…, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Paul has one job, he is not distracted. Jesus gets his full attention.

"Too many Christians are too involved in “many things,” when the secret of progress is to concentrate on “one thing.” It was this decision that was a turning point in D. L. Moody’s life. Before the tragedy of the Chicago fire in 1871, Mr. Moody was involved in Sunday School promotion, YMCA work, evangelistic meetings, and many other activities; but after the fire, he determined to devote himself exclusively to evangelism. “This one thing I do!” became a reality to him. As a result, millions of people heard the Gospel...I press!” This same verb is translated “I follow after” in Philippians 3:12 , and it carries the idea of intense endeavor. The Greeks used it to describe a hunter eagerly pursuing his prey. A man does not become a winning athlete by listening to lectures, watching movies, reading books, or cheering at the games. He becomes a winning athlete by getting into the game and determining to win! The same zeal that Paul employed when he persecuted the church (Phil. 3:6), he displayed in serving Christ. Come to think of it, wouldn’t it be wonderful if Christians put as much determination into their spiritual life as they do their golfing, fishing, or bowling? There are two extremes to avoid here: (1) “I must do it all” and (2) “God must do it all!” The first describes the activist, the second the quietist, and both are heading for failure. “Let go and let God!” is a clever slogan, but it does not fully describe the process of Christian living. What quarterback would say to his team, “OK, men, just let go and let the coach do it all!” On the other hand, no quarterback would say, “Listen to me and forget what the coach says!” Both extremes are wrong." - Wiersbe

Paul says that he is “forgetting whats behind.”

Certainly you’ve heard the phrase “Don’t look back, you’re not going there.” A real world application of that would be to say that focusing on the rearview is a fantastic way to crash your car or miss your turn.

Lk 9:62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Lk 17:32 Remember Lot’s wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.

Gods word to us here is the same as it was to Israel. Ex 14:15 “Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” They dared to want Egypt back after God had brought them out of miserable slavery. God says what no therapist can, get over it.

I read somewhere once that in baseball one of the greatest attributes of a successful pitcher is a short memory. While he is on the mound he cannot be thinking of the balls and strikes he has already thrown. He can only focus on throwing the next strike after the next strike after the next. This is an important concept for all of us and that is why it is included in the scripture. We cannot have a focus on the past while at the same time performing to our fullest in the present. We must always focus on the very next step.

There are ways in which Christians should remember the acts of God in the past, but Paul knew that he must not dwell on the past; its failures and sins have been forgiven, and its achievements in the service of Christ must not allow him to rest on his laurels. He wanted rather to be found straining towards what lay ahead, and to express this he uses another very strong word, applicable to an athletic context or a chariot race; every fibre of his being was set on the goal and purpose of his Christian life. - Foulkes

Straining

an insidious complacency in little improvements and small attainments is not unknown among Christians. It is, one may fear, a common impression among us that we are fair average Christians,—a feeling perhaps not so cherished as to make us boast, but yet so cherished as to make us feel content. And, alas! the very meaning of Christianity was to inspire us with a spirit that would refuse so to be contented. - Rainy

Paul was still actively pressing toward Christ and working for the kingdom. He had by no means reached the height of his relationship with Christ. There must never be a stalemate in our spiritual growth or a plateau in our progress. There is always more work to be done.

Purposeful effort required: Sir Edmund Hillary did not summit Mt. Everest just while he was out walking around one day. He planned, he purposed, he worked. He had a single minded focus. He struggled and failed and went back at it.

If one word had to describe this verse then I think a good choice would be “clarity.” Paul knows who he is, what he has to do, and where he is going. If we would have this same mindset as Paul then how many of our so called problems would become irrelevant?

As Paul ran, he shifted into the high gear of forgetfulness—forgetting his achievements and his failures. Paul ran in the liberating freedom of his “one thing” (v. 13). He was flying in his forgetfulness.

There is instruction for everyone here across the spectrum of age and experience. For those who have some miles on them and are battle-worn and perhaps have some striking accomplishments, God calls you to selective amnesia so that you will not be lulled from your stride. For all, young and old, do not look back. Lift up your eyes. Look straight ahead. Focus. - Hughes

15 All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. 16 Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

The “mature” christian man may not be accurately defined or measured by how long ago they were saved or have been attending church but perhaps more accurately by how well that man understands the difference between his attainment and Christs ideal. In part, the truly mature christian may be the man who is bent on intimacy with Christ. If you or I have any spiritual attainment to speak of then lets not think differently than Paul regarding the worth of our achievements or whether they place us close enough to perfection. The mature christian is the man who knows that he has not attained enough and devotes his life to closer intimacy with Christ.

In the second half of verse 15 I honestly thought that what Paul meant was basically “if you disagree with me, God will show you that you’re wrong,” that may not be the nicest sentiment but it is one that I can relate to. Fortunately the real message is much more gracious than that. Paul means to say that the believers who are serious about their faith should be taking the same mindset at Paul and pursuing the “one thing” with singleminded devotion. All should be seriously working for what Christ worked for, our righteousness and upcoming resurrection.

What Paul is basically saying in this verse is that he is certain that the mature believers will agree with him about pressing toward the goal and anyone that disagrees will come around eventually.

KJV uses the term “thus minded” instead of mature.

And now he teaches them that to be thus well aware how far we are from the true completeness, to be thus reaching out to it, is the true perfection of our present state: he only is the perfect Christian who is “thus minded”; who knows and feels how much remains to be attained, and gives himself up to the effort and the race under that inspiration - Rainy

Paul says “let us live up to what we have already attained.” We must act, think, and live in a way that is consistent with how mature we are. Remember that while we are living we will be known by our fruits and when we die we will be judged according to our actions good and evil. If Christ has saved us and made us new men then we must live like it. Each stage of progress depends on the way in which we deal with the position now attained, with what the Holy Spirit has taught us, and with the experiences God has brought us through.

Are we, says the Apostle, come to a point at which we may be thought to be—may hope we are—experienced believers, well acquainted now with the salvation and the service, men in Christ? Then as we would ever act in a manner answerable, at this stage, to the gospel and to our position under the gospel, let us be thus minded; forgetting that which is behind, reaching forth to that which is before, let us press toward the mark. For at each stage of progress much depends on the way in which we deal with the position now attained, with the views which have opened to us, and with the experiences that have been acquired. This may decide whether the stage reached shall be but a step towards something better and more blessed, or whether a sad blight and declension shall set in. There are Christian lives to-day sadly marred, entangled and bewildered so that one knows not what to make of them, and all by reason of failure to be “thus minded.” - Rainy

Conclusion

We are called to relentlessly press on toward the finish line for the full and complete gain of Christ, and our sharing in His resurrection and perfection. Whether you are old and experienced or young and ambitious we are to live our lives in pursuit of the “one thing.”

Let us live up to what we have already attained. Jesus has already completed the work of salvation and given us every spiritual blessing. You and I have to work during the duration of our stay here for Him.

We are to be consistently humbled by the contrast between what we are and what we desire to be. If we truly love Jesus it will drive us toward him, it will make us strain to be closer to Him.

If Paul was still working out his own salvation, so should we be.

The christian life is to be vigorous and intentional. We are to work out what Christ has already worked in us. Paul is writing to established believers, he is not talking about salvation but sanctification - growth and progress in Christian life and service. Whatever resume we may have does not qualify us, only the dedicated pursuit of Jesus will bring us the intimate relationship with Him that is there waiting for us.