“Forgetting what’s behind. Straining for what’s ahead.”
April 1, 2001
The Rev’d Quintin Marrow
St. Anne’s Episcopal Church
Oceanside, California
The Text: Phil. 3:8-14
In sixteenth-century France, the start of the new year was observed on April first. It was celebrated in much the same way as it is today, with parties, music and dancing into the wee hours of the morning. Then 1562, Pope Gregory introduced a calendar for the Christian world—the Gregorian calendar—in which the new year fell on January first. There were some people, however, who hadn’t heard or didn’t believe that the date for new years had been changed, so they continued to celebrate the beginning of the year on April first. Others played tricks on them and called them “April fools.” They sent them on a bogus mission, or “fool’s errand,” or tried to persuade them that something false was true, and something true was false. Thus the origins of April Fool’s Day.
April first—the date today—used to be about new beginnings. And new beginnings are certainly what St. Paul is concerned about in our epistle lesson for today from Philippians chapter 3. Writing in verses 13 and 14 of chapter 3 he says: “But one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Forgetting the past—with all of its failures or achievements—and focusing on one grand passion, being found faithful in Jesus Christ; that’s what the Apostle is describing. And that is the kind of living we are called to: forward looking living. Forgetting the past. Laying aside its failures and accomplishments and making knowing Christ and making Him known the central focus of our lives. That is victorious Christian living. That is genuine discipleship.
Living like this, of course, involves a decision; it’s a life choice involving the sacrifice of some things. But God never asks us to sacrifice a thing that He doesn’t replace with something far better. When we exchange something of ours—something of the flesh—for something of God’s—something of the Spirit—it is always a trade up. In Mark 10:28 Peter says to the Lord, “See, we have left all and followed you.” So Jesus answered, verses 29 & 30, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for my sake and the Gospel’s, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time…and in the age to come, eternal life.”
As we shall observe in Phil. 3, Paul describes the sacrificial laying aside of all his advantages, achievements and accomplishments—both worldly and religious—so that he would gain Christ. Moreover, he reveals what Christ gave him in replacement in his life for what he sacrificed; namely, a new standing with God, a new hope and a new purpose for living.
But first some background. Paul’s letter to the Philippians is unlike most of his others in the New Testament. A majority of his other epistles are polemical; that is, they were written to correct a problem, give information or instruction, or pass along some doctrinal imperatives to a divided congregation. Not Philippians. Philippians is a love letter from a friend to his friends. Paul writes it to thank the Philippians for their generosity in sending a much-needed monetary gift, to commend one faithful friend, Epaphro-ditus, to them, and to relay news of his imprisonment in Rome. The predominant theme of the letter is joy. That word and its derivatives are used 16 times in just 4 chapters.
Nevertheless, even amidst this encouraging letter, Paul warns the Philippian believers to beware of false teachers creeping into their church unawares. Specifically, he warns them to beware of the Judaizers, a group of Christianized Jews infiltrating new Gentile congregations and teaching that faith in Christ plus circumcision and obedience to the Mosaic Law were necessary for salvation. Paul recognized this for what it was: an assault on and finally an abnegation of the Gospel of free grace. If anything is added to the gospel of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ’s cross alone, the gospel disappears. And what replaces it is always, always, always a salvation that depends on human effort, human good works, human merit, or human accomplishment. And that good news, as Paul stingingly points out to the Galatians in his letter to them, is no good news at all.
Notice verses 2 & 3: “Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation! For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Jesus Christ, and have no confidence in the flesh.” The dogs Paul speaks of are not cute little Toto from the Wizard of Oz, but wild dogs ravishing God’s flock with false teaching.
And Paul moves next to describe what he sacrificed and laid aside to gain Christ, as well as what Christ gave him, and gives to every believer who follows the Apostle’s example, in return.
If anyone could gain salvation by human effort, it was Paul. But by showing what he laid aside to gain Christ, he forever puts a bullet in the brain of the wrongheaded notion that we can gain merit with God and everlasting life through our own effort.
Verse 4 and following:
Though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so:
And what follows now is a litany of all Paul’s human advantages, achievements and accomplishments. They are weighty indeed. Look. First, his religious pedigree was flawless. Verse 5: Circumcised on the 8th day, of the stock of Israel. Second, his hereditary advantage was perfect: of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. Third, he was at the top of the ladder vocationally: concerning the law, a Pharisee. Fourthly, verse 6, his piety was above reproach: concerning zeal, persecuting the church. Finally, his good works were impeccable: concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
If anyone was going to get there from here by human achievement, advantage or accomplishment, it would’ve been Paul. But notice verse 7:
But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
There it is. All human effort. All religious service. All hereditary advantage is worthless. Faith in Christ is all in all. “But my family is 6 generations Episcopalians!” I was of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews! Worthless. “But I give time and money to the church!” Concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. Worthless. “But I was baptized an Episcopalian!” Circumcised on the 8th day. Worthless.
Worthless. Worthless. Worthless. We are justified—made right with God—by faith in alone, by God’s grace alone, because of Christ alone. Salvation is God’s loving work of grace from first to last. We come to Christ broken, sinful, blind, dumb and helpless. And we call out, “Lord, have mercy on me.” At that very moment, heaven is ours. Forgiveness is ours. Christ is ours. Life is ours. Nothing in my hand I bring. Simply to thy cross I cling.
All past human achievements, failures, accomplishments and advantages are worthless apart from faith. Paul says so. And he ought to know. Verse 8:
Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.
The Greek word Paul uses for all of his human advantages and accomplishments, which is translated in our English text with the word “rubbish” or “refuse” is the word skubalon. It means anything form garbage to human waste. In fact, the KJV translates it as dung. Worthless. Worthless. Worthless. Paul sacrificed all his human merit and heredity and fleshly advantages to gain Christ by faith. And he considered them worthless in comparison to his prize. Paul laid aside his human gains, and God replaced them with spiritual gains.
First, Paul got a new standing with God. He received the righteousness of Christ, which he obtained through faith apart from works.
Verse 9:
And be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
Every penitent sinner is saved the same way in God’s economy. He is forgiven all his sins because Christ was punished and died form them on the cross. He is then credited, or has put to his account, the perfect righteousness of Christ, which Jesus merited by His sinless life. Even Abraham was justified in anticipation of Christ’s life and cross. In Gen. 15:6 we read: “And Abraham believed God”—notice, it doesn’t say believed in God, but believed God, put his whole faith and trust in God—“and it was counted to him as righteousness.” And Paul reminds us in Romans chapter 4 that it isn’t just for Abraham’s sake that words were penned, but for everyone who comes to Christ by faith.
When God the Father sees us, He sees not our sinful nature and wicked deeds. He sees not our past sins. Christ died for them, and we have been freed from them. When God looks upon us, He sees the perfect righteousness of Christ in which we have been clothed. That’s why Paul addresses all his letters to the “saints”—literally, the holy ones. In and of ourselves, we are sinners. But because of His Son’s life and atoning death, and because of our faith in Him, God credits us with righteousness. He declares us righteous and treats us as righteous. We are accounted righteous only for the merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works or deservings, our Articles of Religion say. Martin Luther rightly said that Christians are simil iustes et peccator: at the same time righteous and sinner. Our righteousness is an alien righteousness, earned by another and given to us a free gift.
The Apostle writes in Titus chapter 3:
For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared toward man, not by works of righteous-ness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Paul left behind his own human advantages. He got a new standing, a new righteousness, with and from God. So can you.
Secondly, he got a hope and a new life. Verse 10:
That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.
When we come to Christ by faith, the Bible says that we are born again. God plants the Holy Spirit in us and brings life to our spirits that were dead and trespasses and sin. Our old sinful nature, the one we inherited from Adam, gets crucified with Christ. And our job is to daily die to sin and live to righteousness.
In Romans chapter 6 Paul reminds us that all those who have been baptized into Christ—literally joined to Him—have had their old sinful natures crucified with Christ. And, as God raised Jesus from the dead, even so we have been raised to walk in newness of life. “Therefore,” he says, “likewise considers yourselves dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
That’s the being conformed to death that Paul is on about. And that’s the resurrection—being born to righteousness—that he means.
But that’s not all he means. Paul says in I Corinthians 15 that if we have hope in Christ only for this life we are of all men most to be pitied. But we don’t. We have hope in Christ for the next life as well.
Someday, when Christ returns again in glory, He will resurrect and glorify—literally, perfect—the bodies of all those who have died with faith in Him. Then death, sorrow, pain, sickness and sin will be judged and eradicated. And we will live forever with Him. That’s what we hope for. Not floating around on clouds with harps, halos and wings. But living in perfect love and peace, in glorified and eternal human bodies.
That, by the way, is why the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is foundational to the Christian faith. Because God raised Jesus from the dead, we know that He will raise those who are “in Him” as well.
Paul laid aside his human achievements. He got a new life now, and the hope and assurance of a new life to come. He got the resurrection life. So can you.
Finally, Paul got a new purpose for living. Verse 13:
But one thing I do, forgetting what those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Paul is using athletic language here. He is describing a runner, who jumping from the starting block, keeps his eyes focused only on the finish line, and as he runs, stretches and strains to cross it first.
In Paul’s day, the Olympic games were held in two cities, Athens, a city called Agon. It is the exertion displayed in the games of that city which gave us the English word agony.
We abandon human effort to gain Christ by faith. Then we struggle, labor, pray, sacrifice and cooperate with God’s Holy Spirit in our own sanctification, our own road to holiness. We are passive recipients in justification. We are willing accomplices in sanctification. We must lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily besets us, and run with patience the race that is set before us; looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.
On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. Turn your eyes upon Jesus. Look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.
Paul laid aside all human accomplishment. And God have him one grand passion: to know Christ, not just in his head, but in his heart, and to make Him known.
You can have a new standing with God—righteousness from God by faith. You can have a new hope and a new life—regeneration and resurrection. You can have a new purpose for living—knowing Christ and making Him known.
Romans 10:9-13 says:
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation….For whosoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
You must lay aside all your human advantages, accomplishments, failures and achievements and receive Christ by faith. Nothing in my hand I bring. Simply to thy cross I cling. Today can be a day of new beginnings for you…no foolin’.
AMEN.
