I recently had the privilege to speak to a group of ladies from another church. When I received the invitation via text I was preparing to fly out to see my dad. He didn’t have much longer to live so time was of the essence. I believed that the Lord laid on my heart to speak on Philippians 3:12-14. This text is so familiar to God’s people but I couldn’t get it off of my mind. I wanted with all my heart for the Lord to bring His word to these women. Sisters in Christ yes but absolute strangers to me. Only the omniscient God could guide and direct with clarity and accuracy.
“Not that I have already obtained it [this goal of being Christlike] or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on so that I may take hold of that [perfection] for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [heavenly] prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.“
These verses continue the testimony Paul began in verse 4. He first spoke about the past in which he had abandoned all confidence in his own works, and religious pedigree. He then shares how he trusted in Christ alone for salvation. Now he shares with the Philippians his present experience. It was one of passionately pursuing a distinct goal. Paul knew that the Lord Jesus had a purpose in seizing, apprehending and laying hold of him.
First it was to make him a special messenger to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15). But it was also for the purpose which Paul has already stated: ‘that I may know him’ (v. 10). The Lord Jesus seized and saved Paul in order to bring him into an intimate knowledge of himself. A knowledge that would increase throughout Paul’s life and culminate in perfect knowledge at death.This goal was also to realize ‘the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus’ (v. 14).
Paul’s goal was to keep moving onward and upward in his knowledge of and fellowship with the Lord. He was laser focused in the pursuit! I can only imagine how Paul longed to hear “well done good and faithful servant from the One he loved!
Focus and determination seem to be in short supply these days. We have so much to distract and entertain us. Anything that might prove to be less than good vibes often sends us in a different direction. Even in the church folks are living such cluttered and fragmented lives. We often embrace the “as long as it feels right” approach discipleship. We want happiness and satisfaction but are scattering our time and energies over a wide range of interests and activities. We want to try a little bit of everything, and we don’t want to miss out on anything. We hear so much about the perils of social media. We have convinced ourselves that we are products of the age and we can’t break free.
Paul shows us that the singular priority that makes life worth living, the Lord Jesus Christ, and giving ourselves unreservedly to Him . Paul maintained an ongoing objective. (It’s not about me)!
In Gal 3:20 he wrote, I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
Paul was all to familiar with disappointment, discouragement and desertion! A small snippet of what this follower of Christ endured is in the word. Look again at 2 Cor 6:4-10, and 2 Cor 11:23-28. How does that measure up to the church today?
Listen to what he writes in 2 Cor 4:16-18 16 “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.“
I pray that I would stay the coarse and all who read this post would join with me. And may the Lord help us to live out the words of this hymn.
I’m pressing on the upward way,
New heights I’m gaining everyday;
Still praying as I onward bound,
Lord, plant my feet on higher ground.
