It is a burden God placed on my heart after seeing many fine, committed Christians suddenly drop out of circulation in terms of Christian life and service because of a perceived sense of having “paid their dues” or having “finished the race”. The Christian life is not something we do, it is what we are. How can we drop out of being what we are? I like the words of Dr. Billy Graham who said, “I don’t read anywhere in the Bible where it talks about retirement.” There is a real danger in our Christian life when we think we have reach a spiritual plateau and need not progress further in running the race. This is what I mean by the danger of spiritual satisfaction. It should not be confused with the Fruit of the Spirit, which bring contentment and peace and are produced by abiding in Christ. Thus, a person can have the peace of God, which passes all understanding, and deep inner joy and still be spiritually dissatisfied in his/her walk with the Lord. It is called a Holy dissatisfaction and it is essential in maintaining not only a healthy Christian life but also a healthy local church.
I’ve heard it said if we are not moving forward in our Christian life, we are coasting backward. There should be no ”status quo” in your Christian life. The “status quo” is really the “status woe” for the Christian and the death nail for the church. Many churches are dead today because they are filled with “status quo” Christians who cry “status woe” when they are put on the “status go” to do something for the Lord. They are content to use their past accomplishments for the Lord as an excuse for doing nothing for the Lord in the present and succeeding. But, the Apostle Paul had some incisive words in Philippians 3:12-14 for believers who used their perceived sense of spiritual satisfaction as an excuse to drop out of mainstream Christianity:
“12. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. 14. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Here, I believe the Apostle Paul shares with us three eminent dangers of spiritual satisfaction. The first danger of spiritual satisfaction is that it DENIES OUR CONTINUAL NEED TO GROW IN CHRIST. I read in a message one time that when Spain led the world (in the 15th century), their coins reflected their national arrogance and were inscribed with the words “Nothing Further.” It meant that Spain felt it was the ultimate in all the world. Yet, after the discovery of the New World, Spain quickly realized they were not the end of the world and changed the inscription on their coins to read “More Beyond.” Which motto, better expresses our Christian life or that of our church: “Nothing Further or “More Beyond”? Many Christians and churches are responding today by saying, “Sorry, nothing further.”
Just as an acorn is a complete oak tree, but still far from being complete in its development as an oak tree, so the true child of God is also complete in all parts as a Christian but not yet complete in all the stages of development in faith. Colossians 2:10 says, “And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” Thus, we are complete in Christ but the Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 2:12 we must work out the completed work God has worked in: “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” And the Apostle Peter exhorts us with the similar words: “But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Pet. 3:18)
One who is spiritually satisfied fails to recognize that these developmental stages are going to continue until the day of Jesus Christ. Listen to the Apostle Paul’s words in Philippians 1:6: “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” Thus, Paul says in verse 12: “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus”. He speaks from such spiritual maturity and purity that we might expect he has conquered all these difficulties and sees himself as having “arrived”; but he assures us in this is not so. There is no perfectionism in Paul. The best men in the world will readily own up to their imperfections. Why? Because wherever there is true grace, there is a desire of more grace, and a pressing towards the perfection of grace.
Paul is saying we are not there yet. Absolute perfection is not possible in this life but the spiritually satisfied person by his very actions deny this truth. Thus, we must avoid false fronts. When Paul says “I follow after” he means I pursue with vigor; it implies active and earnest endeavor. I wonder how many of us are making an active and earnest endeavor in church fellowship and service, private time with the Lord, and sharing our faith? When Paul says
”…if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus”, he means a passionate longing after Christ or to be all he can be in Christ. Given these reasons, Paul never permitted himself to be satisfied with his spiritual attainments. He compared himself with himself and with Jesus Christ. Yet, there were some in Philippi as there are in the church today that think they have reached spiritual perfection here and now. They are comfortable in their ignorance and such a position often becomes an excuse not to grow. It is better to do great things for God and fail than it is to do nothing and succeed! The Apostle Peter admonishes us to “…grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Remember, we can never exhaust God’s grace, knowledge and the ways He wants to manifest His love to us—they are unlimited.
The second danger of spiritual satisfaction is that it RESTS ON PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS RATHER THAN RESPONDING TO PRESENT CHALLENGES. God had some harsh words in the Bible for a certain rich man who wanted to live off the fruit of his past accomplishments. Listen to the words of the rich man and God’s response in Luke 12:19-20: “And I (the certain rich man) will say to my soul. Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” My friend, the psalmist says: “Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;” (Ps. 92:13-14) Listen again to Paul’s words in verse 13: “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.” Because Paul realizes that he had not “arrived,” he concluded his only option was to press on; there is no turning back for him. Paul had put his hand to the plow and was not about to look back. Remember the words of Luke 9:62: “And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Resting on past accomplishments rather than responding to present challenges, results in a loss of vision. It destroys ingenuity and creativity. It is dissatisfaction, which strives men on to greatness. Necessity is the mother of invention. If we are contented with the way things are, we will never strive to make them better. Nehemiah says it best, my friend: “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” Satan wants to make us content to take a break in God’s great work so nothing else gets done. He wants God’s work to stop and he will do what he can to persuade God’s children to leave it.
Paul focused on “those things which are before”, and would not let those past accomplishments which are behind distract him from the challenge at hand which is the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. “Forgetting those things which are behind” means to be “no longer influenced by.” We break the power of resting on past accomplishments by living for the challenges of the present. Also, when we live in the present anticipation of the future, we will grow and develop in Christ. We must not let those things, which are behind distract us or detour us, whether they be “good” things or “bad” things. Instead, we must not let the past accomplishments keep us from what God has in front of us.
Hebrews 12:1,2 says “…lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith.” Satan would have us live either in the past or in the future. I say future, as well, because some Christians are satisfied they will go to heaven so they use that “future hope” and “precious gift” as an excuse for not serving or growing in the Lord in the present. In essence, they have a misunderstanding or no understanding of the difference between gifts and rewards or what Paul means by the term, “prize”. God wants us to press on to meet the challenges in the present, because the present is where eternity touches us. Paul knew that a race is won only in the present, not in the past or in the future. Thus, he forgot the past accomplishments, which were behind so as not to be content with present measures of grace; he was still for having more and more of God’s unmerited favor. Remember Paul’s three gains in life were “to know Him (Jesus Christ), the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.” As a result, we find in verse 13 that the Apostle is “reaching forth”, which comes from the Greek word, “epekteinomenos.” It means to stretch oneself forward or bearing towards a point: it is expressive of a vehement concern. It presents a picture of a runner who strains every effort to press forward in a race.
Finally, the third danger of spiritual satisfaction is that it COSTS US TO FORFEIT THE PRIZE. Listen again to Paul’s words in verse 14: “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” He says “I press” which implies a very intense behavior and “the mark” means that upon which one fixes his gaze. Paul is saying that we should run the race of life to the glory of God. We must get down on the racetrack and start living for Him! We don’t want to be ashamed at His appearing. The Apostle John warns us about the critical need to continue abiding in Christ: “And now, little children, abide in him: that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” (1 John 2:28). We must act because God never forces a man against his will to be conformed to the image of Christ. It is our responsibility.
What is the prize Paul speaks of ? Salvation is not the prize because you have Christ or you don’t—it is a gift to be received by faith. The prize is the upward call of God; the prize is the call itself, not the benefits that come from the call or any other thing; the prize is being able to run the race at all, working with God as a partner to do the work of His kingdom. Second Corinthians 6:1 says, “We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.” Why would anyone want to give up such a “prize” when God still allows time for us to have it? Notice it is a privilege. Paul refers to it as the “the high calling”. The call is the prize we should fight for, run for, wrestle for, and aim for—it is what will reward all our pains. As everything else, this upward call of God is only “in Christ Jesus” (vs. 14). Paul was pressing on for what Jesus wanted; his effort was put forth to do God’s will, not his own until his time of departure had came.
May your prayer and mine be God will grant us a Holy dissatisfaction which will cause us to long to be more like Christ everyday. Remember, walk so close to God that nothing can come between. Jesus paid it all, all to Him we owe, give Him the Glory!
