Opening illustration: Show a video of 2 events during the 2012 World Olympic in London.
Do you ever consider the Christian walk to be difficult, like it is always an uphill climb? Maybe you’re doing okay, but does there still seem a long way to go? Perhaps you have even become weary and tired or even a little frustrated at times? I have felt that way at times.
Ever wish God would give you some sort of spiritual zap by which you would be immediately transformed into someone who would always say and do the right thing with a perfect attitude? That would be nice, wouldn't it?
Ever wonder why some people seem to have it all together while you’re still trying to find all the pieces, much less put them altogether? That is just a misconception, because no one has it altogether, including the Apostle Paul, as we will see our study today. Let us turn to Philippians 3 in our Bibles.
Introduction: Paul was addressing the people of Philippians who were already saved (believers). In our Christian life we are on a pilgrimage. We will come across all these difficulties. There is a problem for how some people take this analogy. They come into difficulty, struggling with the idea of Christianity and whether they want to make their commitment to Christ and all these temptations come to them and finally they make their commitment to Christ. Somehow they have gotten confused. They think now their pilgrimage is over and they have finally reached the Celestial city. That is not the way the Bible portrays our Christian pilgrimage.
The Bible talks about the Christian life as a pilgrimage. When you become a Christian you have only begun the pilgrimage. Once you become a Christian, then you are called to press on in Christ toward the great goal of becoming like Jesus.
There may be a struggle in coming to Christ, but no one should consider that when they become a Christian they have arrived. No, the journey has just begun. There is a saying; Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven. That saying may be true, but it is not an excuse for a sinful lifestyle.
We recognize that nobody has arrived and Christians are not perfect. We are on a journey to become more like Jesus Christ. Christian maturity does not come instantly. That is why there are many, like those in the current discipleship class, who discipline themselves and work hours weekly in Bible study, prayer, improving relationships and in scripture memorization. Because Christian maturity is a process and requires discipline, to become more like Jesus Christ.
Paul's goal was simply this: to be like Jesus. What a goal! Therefore, I believe that we should be dissatisfied until we have the image of the Son of God conformed in us. Paul was not self-satisfied. He didn't think he had arrived.
There are two basic statements that every growing Christian will agree with -
• We have failed in the past. That is, we have fallen short of God's goal for our lives.
• We are dissatisfied with our present spiritual state. That is, we want to become more like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Therefore you have to decide who you are: Are you in the fight as a contestant, or are you on the sidelines as an observer? The contestant pursues for the prize (Gold medal) whereas the observer just watches others receiving the prize but himself / herself doesn’t attain anything.
Now, How to go for the gold?
1. Be Challenged to Pursue Perfection (v. 12) - Undergo Rigorous Training
This verse is punctuated by a word and an idea, whose meaning is not difficult to understand in the Greek original but is difficult to transfer in English. The word is ‘Perfect.’ Paul is not speaking as though he were already perfect but in v. 15 he brings it up again but addresses to those who are perfect. The Greek word is teleios which has interchangeable meanings. This signifies what we call a philosophical and abstract perfection which in fact is a functional perfection. It implies an adequacy for some given purpose. It is used to mean one who is mature in mind as opposed to a beginner in Christ. When used in the context of Offerings, it means without blemish and fit to offer God. In the early church it quite often used to describe martyrs. A martyr is said to be perfected by the sword, and the day of his death is said to be the day of his perfecting. The idea is that a person’s Christian witness and maturity cannot go beyond martyrdom.
Therefore Paul says here that he is by no means a complete Christian but continues to be challenged and presses on giving us this vivid picture.
• Paul is saying that he is trying to grasp that for which he has been grasped by Jesus Christ. He had experienced that with Christ on the Damascus road. His testimony was probably more dramatic than any of us, yet he had not arrived. He was just called to a pilgrimage of becoming more like Jesus Christ. Paul was not satisfied only with having this encounter with Jesus Christ. For Paul that was only the beginning. That was only the start of becoming more like Jesus. Every man is grasped by Christ for some purpose … and therefore every man must all his life press on so that he may grasp and realize that dream and that purpose for which Christ grasped him.
Spiritual growth requires an ongoing lifetime commitment. Paul wrote this instruction because there were members of the church at Philippi who thought they had arrived. They thought that everything was where it needed to be in their life and they did not realize they need to continually be challenged (press on) in Christ. For Paul, the main purpose of his life was to be challenged in Jesus Christ. For him everything related to the goal of being more like Christ. We need to remember this when we get discouraged and when we wonder if it is worth it to press on. We have troubles and our world seems to cave in. Is it all worth it? The answer is yes.
Those are the times we are called to be challenged (press on). We are to be more like Christ and continue to look ahead to the finish line. Paul wants to make this point so clear. He does this through an illustration. He talks about the imagery of the games. He talks about one who is running a race. The race could only be won when the runner gives the race his full attention.
Illustration: Sometime ago I read the biography of one of the great Christian Missionaries of all times, William Carey. He said that if there is only one thing that he wanted to be remembered for, it was that he was nothing special. He had no special intelligence, but when people wondered how he and his team of two others translated the Scriptures into forty languages it wasn’t because they were greatly gifted. He said it was because they were ones who could press on.
He called himself a plodder who was one who continually had the goal of becoming more like Christ. That is what we are called to in the Christian life. We all need to know that God has called us for a purpose and we only realize our purpose when we keep our eyes fixed on Christ and press on. We need to become plodders and press on. We need to keep our eternal perspective. To grow in Christ will require commitment. It is going to mean commitment to Bible Study. It is going to mean service in the local church. Pressing on in Christ will require a commitment to prayer. It requires discipline to grow spiritually.
When they ran the race in those ancient games they would take the victor’s prize of a wreath and put it at the finish line. So for those who were running the race, they could see the prize before them. It would motivate them to run in a way in which they might win. The goal of becoming more like Jesus Christ is before us and for Paul that was his great all-consuming goal.
2. Forget your Past and Focus Forward (v. 13) - Concentrate on your routine alone
Paul said there are many things, but this one I do. I strain forward in the race, the pilgrimage of becoming more like Jesus Christ. He said I forget what is behind and strain forward for what is ahead. Paul’s reminder is clear. You have not arrived in your Christian life and you need to continue in your spiritual disciples in your life.
We need to forget the past. Paul had a past where he persecuted Christians. He was in hearty agreement when Christians were put to death. He could have allowed himself to become paralyzed because of sorrow and grief over his past. But Paul says those things of the past I put behind me. I forget about what is behind.
• Paul is forgetting the things which are behind so that he will never glory in any of his achievements and he will never use any task that he has achieved or any deed that he has done as an excuse for relaxation in the future. In effect Paul is stating that the Christian must forget all that he has done and remember only that which he has still to do. In the Christian life there is no room for a person or the body of Christ which desires to rest upon its laurels. He says he is reaching out to things which are in the front. The word here is very vivid which is used for a racer going hard for the tape. It describes him with eyes for nothing but the goal. It describes him with arms almost clawing the air, with head forward, and with the body bent and angled to the goal. It describes the man who is going, as we might put it, flat out for the finish.
So many Christians have wasted much of their lives thinking if only they had been faithful, things might be different. The call of Scripture is to put that behind and to take today for what it is. To say from this moment on I am going to be straining forward in the race of becoming more like Jesus Christ. Forget what is behind and has been wasted. Also we need to forget, in a sense, the great victories that we have had. Those victories might tempt us to think we can coast along in our Christian life.
Can I say: We had this dramatic experience with God and have seen numerous people come to the Lord, now it is time for me to sit back and let others get involved. Where is the pursuance and motivation?
3. Have a Disciplined Lifestyle (v. 14) - Stay in your Lane (push yourself)
Could you imagine an athletic team that would rest in their past? They had won the great championship last year. This year they have decided not to practice. They will just go into every contest and tell the opposing team, we were the champions last year, so we are just going to walk in here and expect to win. They would never last as champions. If they are to continue to stay champions it will require they continue to discipline themselves and to get better.
In the Christian life there is a call to continued discipline … to continue to be challenged and press on. We need to be single-minded about this. We need to learn not to be distracted by so many things all around us. We need to single-mindedly keep our focus on the really important things. The things that really matter, the eternal things.
Illustration: We can become distracted and look away from the goal of becoming like Christ. If you saw the movie Chariots of Fire, then maybe you remember the great runner Abraham. He had won so many races. His coach held up such discipline. But he finally lost one of the races because he looked to the side. Just as he was about to finish the race he looked to see where the competitor was. His coach said to him, that look cost you the race. He was not single-minded on the finish and the prize that lay ahead.
That is similar to what Paul is calling our attention to here. He is calling us to be single minded toward the goal of becoming like Christ. Yes there are many things that are good. But there is only one thing that is really best. Those are the things that count for eternity. We make our lives more like Jesus.
When we are running the race it is not time to stop and check our watch, tie our shoes or listen to the cheering crowd. When we are in a race it is time for us to be single-minded and press on. Paul is pressing on towards the goal, until the end and encourages us to do the same. We need to keep our focus on things that really matter. Did you know that God has a purpose for your life? God has put you on this earth for a reason. He has a purpose that he has only for you. God has something exciting in store for you, but you must trust him. You must continue to press on. To do this we must develop a spiritual maturity.
What race are you running in? What is your goal? What will be your prize? Christian, what crowns do you want to win? Don't let the things of this earth, the wood, hay and stubble which will be burned up, keep you from God's rewards.
I can assure you that you will grow and can even be confident of receiving rewards from God if you will do the following. Recognize the areas you still need to grow. Put your maximum effort to pressing on to grow and become more like Christ. Do not let yourself become distracted by sin or anything that hinders. Keep the goal in view and keep in the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus in focus.
Illustration: An athlete must practice self-denial in order to win, and be successful. They must go through months and years of rigorous training. They must exert great effort, even to the point of pain (going over the edge). What would motivate a person to do this? What would motivate a Christian to deny self and sin, and keep making progress toward Christ likeness? Notice in Paul says in v.14, “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” The ultimate object of the race is the “prize” of victory. The word translated “prize” (brabeion) is used only twice in the Greek New Testament. It refers to the award to the victor in the games. When an athlete won a contest, he was called up to receive a laurel wreath, a crown of victory (stephanos). In the Olympics today, the winner of an event is called up to the highest level of the platform to receive the gold medal.
4. Grow in and to Maturity (v. 15-16) - Observe the Rules & Regulations
In our salvation we have been called in Christ. Now we must live up to that calling and develop a spiritual maturity. We must press on in single minded service to Christ. Spiritual maturity is not instant. There are times when we call for immediate decision. We ask people to commit their lives to Christ on the spot. We never make a call to instantly receive spiritual maturity. This comes by a process. It is a process. It is an ongoing commitment to Jesus Christ.
We obtain salvation but we continue to seek spiritual maturity. We must recognize that we need to press on as we have to work out our salvation. We begin to reach the mark of spiritual maturity. Spiritual maturity is not looking for shortcuts. Spiritual maturity is committing to the Christian life for the long term … to look to Christ in the good times and hard times and to press on. That is what the call is. God’s purpose for you will mean keeping your eyes fixed on Jesus.
Apparently we are aware that Paul is addressing the antinomians here, who denied that there was any law at all in the Christian life. They declared that they were within the grace of God, and that, therefore, it did not matter what they did … God would forgive anyway and they were quite safe. (There are no doubts that many such so called Christians and majority of churches follow the same pattern today). No further discipline or effort on our part was necessary. Paul is insisting that to the end of the day the Christian life parallels the life of an athlete pressing onwards to a goal which is always in front.
We should have that goal that Paul had to become like Christ. We have the same call to press on. Maturity is being teachable and being willing to listen to what God has to say to us. It does not matter if you have been a Christian for forty years or for just forty days. The key to spiritual maturity is being teachable before God. Be willing to move on, to press on to grow in Christ. It will mean forgetting what is behind and straining to what is ahead … to become Christ-like.
It is a matter of priorities. It is a matter of finding out what is really important in your life and going after it. Spiritual maturity is a growth process, so we need to be willing to press on. Are you willing to be challenged? Are you willing to be single minded in becoming like Christ? You must press on in Christ.
Paul concludes this section in v. 16 with the simple statement, "however, let us keep living by that same [standard] to which we have attained." Essentially, Paul is telling us to be consistent and do not go backwards. To continue to use the running metaphor, it means to keep going forward in your lane. Don't waver. Don't stray. Stay on track.
Application: If we are to succeed in the Christian life and honor God by the lives we live, then we are going to have to run the race His way. We will have to run with our eyes upon Him. We will have to learn to turn a blind eye to the allurements of the world and a deaf ear to the siren song of compromise. If we will attain the prize of Christ-likeness, then we will have to pay the price of dedication and struggle. It will be a hard fought victory, but in the end, when we see His face, it will be worth it all!
How well are you running this evening? Are your eyes on Jesus alone? Getting your focus solely on Jesus will give you the direction you need to successfully run the race for His glory and your eternal benefit as you run for the ultimate prize!
