PHILIPPIANS 3:12-21

May 18, 2020

PASSIONATELY PURSUE THE PRICELESS PRIZE

Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV) 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.  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, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14 (AMPC) Not that I have now attained [this ideal], or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own. I do not consider, brethren, that I have captured and made it my own [yet]; but one thing I do [it is my one aspiration]: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward.

SUSAN: Paul is saying that he hasn’t grasped or completely perceived all the ramifications of the truths that he is teaching. Jesus had “laid hold” of Paul, had called him to be adopted into the familyship of God for a purpose. Now Paul is trying to be a reflection, a picture, of the purpose for which he was called by Jesus.

SUSIE: Paul has not achieved complete sanctification as none of us will this side of Heaven, but he is continuing to move forward rather than “backsliding” into his former way of life. He is leaving the past behind. He cannot change his past, nor can we change ours; but we can move forward living out the salvation Jesus purchased for us on the cross. By the power of the Holy Spirit, we can become more and more molded into the image of Jesus.

Romans 8:29 (AMPC) For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.

Susan: Paul is leaving behind his past claims to fame, his intellectual pedigree, and his extreme legalism as well as his sin.

SUSIE: What is in our past that we need to leave behind? We need to repent and turn from our sin and leave our past sins behind. They have been paid for on the cross.

Isaiah 38:17 (NIV) “Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.”

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV) “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” 

SUSIE: You would do well to read the rest of this chapter of Hebrews.

SUSAN: Sin is a thought that is dwelt upon and nurtured into action that is contrary to the will and the heart of God.

James 1:14-15 (VOICE) When a person is carried away with desire, lured by lust, and when desire becomes the focus and takes control, it gives birth to sin. When sin becomes fully grown, it produces death.

SUSIE: We need to cease dwelling on impure thoughts. We need to leave Satan and his temptations behind, to flee him and turn to the Lord.

Luke 4:5-8 (NIV) The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

James 4:7 (KJV) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

SUSIE: We, like Paul, need to leave behind and forget our own claims to self-righteousness. We can become quite prideful of our “accomplishments” for Jesus instead of remembering that without Him we can do nothing.

John 15:5 (VOICE) I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you abide in Me and I in you, you will bear great fruit. Without Me, you will accomplish nothing.

SUSAN: We need to remember that all the glory, all the claim of accomplishment is His alone. We are merely instruments or vessels in the Master’s hand. His Holy Spirit fills us up and is poured out to bring honor and glory to Him as well as bless others.

Galatians 6:14 (KJV) “But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.”

John 7:38 (AMPC) He who believes in Me [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Me], as the Scripture has said, ‘From his innermost being will flow continually rivers of living water.’”

SUSIE: We need to leave behind our selfish way of life and follow Jesus, to lose our life in order to find it in Him.

Matthew 16:24-27 (NASB) Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.  For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds.

SUSIE: And as we have seen previously, we are to do what God has called us to do without complaining. 

SUSAN: Leaving grumbling and negative attitudes behind is paramount for cutting off the pathway to complaining. 

SUSIE: We also need to quit constantly complaining about others. For example, I am tempted to complain about those who complain all the time. LOL

SUSAN: We need to cease obsessing about others’ inconsistencies and focus on our own journey with the Lord.

James 5:9 (VOICE) “Brothers and sisters, don’t waste your breath complaining about one another. If you judge others, you will be judged yourself. Be very careful! You will face the one true Judge who is right outside the door.”

SUSIE: Whew! We have a lot of junk to leave behind in the junkyard! And just like I need to periodically clean out my closet, we need to examine ourselves occasionally to see if there is a build-up of these things that should be tossed. 

SUSAN: Many times, we stuff our junk instead of purging it. We put our negative attitudes, our sin, our pride into a dark closet to hide it from others; but the Lord knows it is stuffed in there. It is important not to hoard the negative things because they weigh us down and cripple us in our walk with the Lord. They prevent us from or in the least slow us down from fulfilling our purpose which is to bear good fruit.

2 Corinthians 13:5 (MSG) Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay, that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it.

13:5 Examine . . . Test. See 1 Cor. 11:28; Gal. 6:4. Paul’s words help clarify the doctrine of assurance of faith. Paul asks the Corinthians to examine their own lives for evidence of salvation. Such evidence would include trust in Christ (Heb. 3:6), obedience to God (Matt. 7:21), growth in holiness (Heb. 12:14; 1 John 3:3), the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23), love for other Christians (1 John 3:14), positive influence on others (Matt. 5:16), adhering to the apostolic teaching (1 John 4:2), and the testimony of the Holy Spirit within them (Rom. 8:15, 16).

Reformation Study Bible

1 Corinthians 11:31-32 (VOICE) But if we took care to judge ourselves, then we wouldn’t have to worry about being judged by another. In fact, the Lord’s hand of judgment is correcting us so that we don’t suffer the same fate as the rest of the rebellious world: condemnation.

Q – Is there stuff you need to clean out of your life in order to move forward with the Lord? Is there ample evidence of Jesus being the Lord of your life—i.e. the Fruit of the Spirit, attitudes and actions in  keeping with the word of God?

Philippians 3:15-16 (NIV) 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.  Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

Philippians 3:15-16 (CJB) Therefore, as many of us as are mature, let us keep paying attention to this; and if you are differently minded about anything, God will also reveal this to you. Only let our conduct fit the level we have already reached.

SUSIE: Mature believers are those who have left behind their pasts . . .

SUSAN: (attitudes and behaviors that do not reflect the work of Jesus on the cross and His resurrection) . . .

SUSIE: . . . and are moving forward in the power of the Holy Spirit. The view we are to take is that of the preceding verses 12-14. Paul is confident the Holy Spirit will convict those who do not understand this yet. The Holy Spirit indwelling us is also Who enables us to leave the past behind and to press on. We need to live up to what the Lord has already revealed to us as we continue to listen and study to learn more.

SUSAN: Mature believers hunger to go deeper than the milk of the word. They are devouring the meat of the word and teaching, discipling, others from the milk. We need to press on, press toward, be in pursuit of the goal of Christlikeness. We need to be sure we are implementing and obeying those truths God has already revealed to us. We need to be “doers” and not “hearers” only.

James 1:22 (KJV) But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

James 1:22 (VOICE) Put the word into action. If you think hearing is what matters most, you are going to find you have been deceived.

Q – Do I take time to examine my own relationship with Jesus and whether there is evidence in how I live to show others that I am a Christian? Am I living up to all the Lord has already revealed to me through His word? Am I yielding to the Holy Spirit’s prompting and becoming more like Jesus?

Philippians 3:17 Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.

SUSIE: Our ultimate role model is Jesus Christ, but Paul served as a mentor to many in the early church. We still need godly mentors today, those who live according to the scriptures. We do not place our total trust in them because we are all human and will fail at times. Our trust is in Jesus, but we can learn from people He places in our lives to encourage and disciple us.

SUSAN: Those who are mature believers should be eager to pass on what they have learned and understand from Scripture. As God equips mature Christians they should be bursting at the seams with desire to help equip those who are young in the faith to serve and share Jesus.  Many should be mentoring—discipling—newer believers and emulating Christ-likeness for them. This is not only a job for those called to full-time ministry. It is their privilege to equip the body to equip each other.

Ephesians 4:11-12  (VOICE) It was the risen One who handed down to us such gifted leaders—some emissaries, some prophets, some evangelists, as well as some pastor-teachers—  so that God’s people would be thoroughly equipped to minister and build up the body of the Anointed One.

Q – Do you have someone you look up to and follow—someone who is known for following closely with the Lord? Is there anyone who is looking to you as a mentor for their walk with the Lord?

Philippians 3:18-19 (NIV) For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things.

Philippians 3:18-19 (CJB) For many — I have told you about them often before, and even now I say it with tears — live as enemies of the Messiah’s execution-stake. They are headed for destruction! Their god is the belly; they are proud of what they ought to be ashamed of, since they are concerned about the things of the world.

Philippians 3:18-19 (AMPC) For there are many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, who walk (live) as enemies of the cross of Christ (the Anointed One). They are doomed and their fate is eternal misery (perdition); their god is their stomach (their appetites, their sensuality) and they glory in their shame, siding with earthly things and being of their party.

SUSIE: Some feel Paul is referring again to the Judaizers, others to Gentile libertines as enemies of the cross of Christ. Either one could apply since both groups denied the power of our salvation in our earthly bodies. The Jewish establishment was so concerned with dietary laws and conformity to rules imposed above the Law that they denied the fact that Christ accomplished our salvation by His death and resurrection, and we do not earn it by keeping the Law but by God’s grace—“the divine influence upon the heart”G5463— that transforms us. The Gentile libertines were the forerunners of Gnostics who discarded any moral law. Therefore, they ate and drank any and everything to excess and felt no shame in sensual, sexual pursuits. They denied the power of the Lord to transform the believer into someone who could obey within this body of flesh. 

χάρις cháris, khar’-ece; from G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; including gratitude):—acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace(- ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy).

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible

SUSAN: These “enemies of Christ” did not believe that anyone could willfully (under the influence of the Holy Spirit) dedicate themselves to such a way of life. 

SUSIE: The Jews were concerned with outward ceremonies and traditions of men rather than the condition of their hearts, and the Gentile libertines were simply worldly to the extreme.

Q – Are there any temporal (worldly) things that impede my progress to the goal of conforming to the image of Christ?

Philippians 3:20-21(NIV) But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.

SUSIE: The Philippians prided themselves in being a colony of Rome with all the privileges that Roman citizenship afforded them. The church is a colony of Heaven! 

SUSAN: We should take great joy in our heavenly citizenship! Not only do we have citizenship, but we have a seat with our name on a place-card. 

Ephesians 2:6 (AMPC) And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

SUSIE: We have not just season passes, but eternal passes for a box seat with our Lord.

Ephesians 2:4-7 (NASB) But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

SUSIE: When Jesus returns for us, to take us to our home in the Father’s house and to that reserved seat, He will change our earthly bodies with all their problems into perfect bodies fit for Heaven. 

SUSAN: Many years ago, I was complaining to the Lord about not walking yet; and He said to me that the most pristine athlete had nothing on me and I had nothing on them. We were both the same. We were only fit for earth, highlighting that BOTH of our bodies would require changes to be fit for Heaven. I have not physically walked, but I walk with Jesus in the spirit, and God already sees me as seated with Him in Heaven. 

SUSIE: The Lord controls all things even now, but we sometimes have a difficult time understanding His reasoning. However, when He takes us to be with Him, our eyes will be opened to see clearly.

SUSAN: Right now, we use eyes of faith until the day that we know Him as we are known by him.

1 Corinthians 13:12 (VOICE) For now, we can only see a dim and blurry picture of things, as when we stare into polished metal. I realize that everything I know is only part of the big picture. But one day, when Jesus arrives, we will see clearly, face-to-face. In that day, I will fully know just as I have been wholly known by God.

SUSIE: To quote my former pastor, Dr. James T. Draper, “If that don’t light your fire, your wood’s wet!”

APPLY THIS TO YOUR LIFE:

  • Ask the Lord to show you the things, attitudes, behaviors you need to jettison from your life in order to follow Him more closely and know Him more intimately.
  • If you feel you have not learned anything new in the Word lately, could it be that you have not obeyed what God has already shown you? Inventory what you have learned in Bible study and ask yourself honestly if there are any areas of your life that need to be brought into compliance. (Ouch!)
  • Be sure you are following the right models. Look for someone who loves the Lord, knows the Word, and lives with integrity. Emulate this person as they emulate Jesus. Try to be this kind of influence in someone else’s life.
  • Beware of strong affections for the things of this world. Do not let the quest for things, prominence among men, or fulfillment of earthly desires overtake you and draw you away from time spent with the Lord.
  • Praise the Lord for the day you will be transformed into someone completely qualified to walk by His side in Heaven. Illness, disabilities, sinfulness, and any other fleshly flaws—proclivities of the “old man”—will not be present in the new body. Hallelujah!