LIVING IN CHRIST
(Philippians 1:12-26; 2:1-13; 3:7-21; 4:4-19)
Part 3
PRESSING ON in CHRIST
Philippians 3:7-21
May 2006
Introduction
A. The peace of Progress
The title of today’s message is “Pressing On in Christ.” part 3 in our sermon series Living In Christ. Through this text we will know something of what it takes to remain faithful to Christ when they feel like giving up. Using images from the athletic world. Paul will inspire to run in the face of weariness. We should be motivated both by our promised reward and by the consistent example of faithful Christians such as Paul. Like them, let us “press toward the mark of prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14)
Illustration: Traffic jam
As Christian we are on the way toward the home prepared for us by the Lord who has gone before. But are we really moving in the right direction? Or have we stalled in our progress? Is it possible that some difficulty has moved us away from, rather toward the Lord who waits to welcome us home? Today’s text from Philippians 3:7-21 points us to the way of progress and peace, guaranteed to get us home safely under the direction of Jesus.
B. Sermon Background
Chapter 1 present Jesus as the focus and goal of Paul’s life: “For me to live is Christ” (v.21). Chapter 2 presents Christ as the perfect example of self-sacrificing spirit that will build the Church in peace and unity.
Chapter 3 opens with an exhortation to “rejoice in the Lord.” Then Paul warns of certain false teachers who are encouraging people to put their “confidence in the flesh” rather than in Christ. He proceed to list some of the items in his background that gave him reason to be proud of.
1. The Goal Is Christ (3:7-11)
In verses 5 and 6 the apostle has noted that his “bragging rights” in relation to the Jewish law were far better than those of others who depended on the law for the acceptance of God.
A. Counting Everything Loss (vv.7-8) Paul recognized that any part of his background or reputation that encouraged reliance on anything but Christ for his salvation was a handicap to him. The more desirable those items had been, the greater would be their potential to become a hindrance. They must now move from the “profit” side of his personal and spiritual ledger to the loss side for the sake of his relationship with Christ.
So, Paul here is talking about a business transaction that involved a profit column and a loss column. There were certain things which he felt were in the profit column which he switched over to the loss column when he met Christ. In fact, he says very clearly in verse 7, "Whatever things were profit, those things I have counted as loss." Now what you have here is a transaction. You have the Apostle Paul spending a life time accumulating spiritual profits and filling up a column of spiritual profit banking on that column of spiritual profit to earn him salvation.
And what Paul is saying is that I am willing to give up trusting what was once valuable to me as a means of salvation to trust Christ instead. It is an exchange and that’s what salvation is. It is self-denial. Jesus said, "Deny yourself and follow Me." In other words, consider all that you have attained as useless, worthless and follow Me
A Christian should ask himself occasionally which of his “assets” have become liabilities because they compete with Christ for top priority in his time and attention.
Read verse 8.
To know and serve and be with Christ is a blessing so great as to be sought at any and all costs. It begins with considering the information about Jesus found in the gospels; it moves to an acceptance of Jesus as Savior and Lord; it then grows into the kind of intimacy described by Paul as the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. Thus does one become prepared for the further intimacy of an eternity with Jesus.
Note that Paul was not promising some price that he would pay; he was giving a sober account of what he had already paid. His position in the Jewish community; his family and friends; his home with all its comforts and security- these and other assets has been tossed aside that he might win Christ.
“Whenever something is of tremendous value to you, and you cherish its beauty or power or uniqueness, you want to draw other’s attention to it and waken in them the same joy. That is why Paul’s all consuming goal in life was for Christ to be magnified.” (Don’t Waste your Life, pp.65 – john piper)
Paul constantly counting all things as loss and as waste in order to win Christ. The word “consider” is in present tense; it is continuous action. When a person has made the decision to seek after Christ- to learn all he can about the righteousness and perfection of Christ.
Did Paul miss those things he tossed aside? To the contrary, he rejoiced in his glorious exchange, regarding the losses as dung, or material for the garbage can. Paul is saying all of my profit column I saw to be manure, useless, waste, get rid of it. It has no value.
B. Having His Righteousness (v.9) Paul sought to win Christ, to win His righteousness and His perfection. The one thing in life that Paul sought was the righteousness and perfection of Christ. The phrase in him describes a vital and intimate relationship with Christ that begins in time and continues throughout eternity. Paul knew that no matter how good he could become, he could never be perfect. His only hope for living forever is Christ.
He had to trust Christ; he had to focus his heart and life – all he has and had – upon Jesus Christ.
Paul recognizes the hopelessness of his position under the law and recognized that salvation comes from God through Christ.
C. Knowing Him (vv.10-11) To know Christ was Paul’s constant passion and purpose. In order to attain such an intimate acquaintances, the apostle was willing to share to the greatest possible degree the experience of his Lord and Savior. If he was to experience the POWER that raised Christ from the dead, he would need to follow Jesus through the giving of his life daily in service to God, and also through a willingness even to die in the service of Jesus.
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
To know Christ is to know the fellowship of sharing in His suffering. Most of us are willing to share in the blessing of Christ but we want nothing to do with suffering of Christ. We shrink from the ridicule, questioning, and abuse He had to bear.
Daily Christian living is daily Christian dying. It means dying of comfort and security and reputation and health and family and friends and wealth and homeland. These may be taken from us any time in the path of Christ- exalting obedience.
The way we honor Christ in death is to treasure Jesus above the gifts of life, and the way we honor Christ in life is to treasure Jesus above life’s gifts. This is why Paul wants to know the FELLOWSHIP of the Lord’s suffering.
Illustration: A Unique Fellowship
It may surprise us to bear him speak of the fellowship of Christ’s suffering. Yet when Christians suffer for Christ’s sake, they share a unique fellowship with Him.
To know is to be made conformable to His death. Jesus Christ subjected himself totally to God.
Read verse 11.
Paul sought an eternal experience with Christ: he sought to be resurrected from the dead.
The resurrection to life with Christ is a goal worth more than whatever can be invested in striving toward it.
ATTAIN here signifies the arrival at a chosen destination. Paul had hi eye on the goal and was on his way to reaching it. This does not mean, however, that eternal life is achieved on the basis of one’s personal effort. It is a gift from God to be accepted and received. Its value increases as the recipient grows in his familiarity with the Provider.
11. The Approach Is Commitment (vv.12-16)
A. Pressing On (v.12) Paul describes himself as not…already perfect. He was not yet a finished product of God’s workmanship. That, however, did not keep him from PURSUING his goal patiently to the end. “I follow after”: as a patient hunter tracts his game, so Paul resolved to stay the course with dogged persistence.
Paul “PRESS ON” or he pursue just like running a race. There was no place for walking, much less for sitting or lying around in comfort, complacency and lethargy.
"I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." The theme here then is pursuing the prize. The analogy is that of a runner who is running to win in order that he might gain the prize. The spiritual point here is the matter of pursuing the spiritual prize. If you will, Paul is talking about Christian effort toward growth.
Peter wrote in 2 Peter 3:18, "Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." He was saying the same thing Paul is saying here. There’s a growing process. When you’re saved you receive the knowledge of Christ, you receive the righteousness of Christ positionally imputed to your account, you receive the power of Christ in your life, you receive the fellowship of Christ in communion with Him, you receive the glory of Christ but not in perfection. And so there must be growth. There must be the pursuit of the goal. There must be the running of the race. That’s his point. The pressing toward the mark.
You say, “Well why bother about it, I am assured of my salvation anyway? So why bother about growth? I should say it’s a moot statement, because if you are indeed a Christian, you have a desire to grow. It doesn’t mean because you are guaranteed of your presence with Christ in heaven, you will just stand still. Having been born into the family of God you are born with a hunger, in fact in many cases an almost insatiable hunger. There is a built-in desire and drive and longing for growth.
Let us pursue growth for it:
• Glorify God
• Verifies regeneration. It makes demonstrable the fact that you are truly changed because you’re in the progress of making it visible that your life is being changed
• Adorns the truth. It lets you literally wear the truth of God so others can see it.
• Grants you assurance. When there is spiritual progress in your life there is the sense that you belong to God because you can see His work and your calling and election become sure
Our goal in life is to be consistent with Christ goal for my salvation. He saved me for a purpose that purpose of His in saving me has become my purpose in my spiritual progress. You see? That’s a very, very significant truth. The reason Christ redeemed me has become the goal of my life. My will is now His will.
B. Forgetting and Expecting (vv.13-14) What a thought to grasp all at once! Any athlete knows that when you’re running in a race you have to fix your eyes on something ahead of you. You cannot watch your feet or you’ll fall on your face. You cannot watch the people around you or you will trip or somebody will pass you on the other side. Your focus is straight forward on the goal that is ahead. And that is precisely what he is saying here. In making maximum effort there’s a concentration point beyond you upon which you focus. Let us consider its most important elements one by one:
• Brethren. Paul regards them as equal with him in the family of God. He and they had shared in the opportunities and responsibilities of the gospel. We share in them, too!
• Paul had not yet apprehend his goal: he did not claim to have laid hold of his reward. He had not yet crossed the finish line in the Christian race, but he is committed to going all out in order to reach it.
• This one thing! This is it! Nothing else matters! Paul was so focused.
• Forgetting those things which are behind. This could include much of the “dung” from Paul’s past. None of these should divert his attention from the opportunities before him. Let’s go, let’s move. The pursuit of Paul is to be like Christ.
• Reaching forth. As a runner learning, straining and extending himself to the limit. Paul was exerting effort the utmost effort to reach the goal.
• I press toward the mark. Paul was not following a general compass direction of “living a good life.” His eyes were fixed on a specific goal. What is God’s purpose for us in Christ Jesus? It is to be conformed to the image of Christ. What is the prize? To be made like Christ. Like Christ. The goal is the prize, the prize is the goal. So Paul says, "Look, the goal of my life is to be like Christ and that’s also the reward of my race.
The verse concludes with Paul’s description of his goal: the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. On reaching that goal Paul would receive the everlasting, never-fading crown of righteousness” (1Corinthians 9:25; 2Timothy 4:8) given to those who are “faithful unto death” (Revelation 2:10). If there is anything more wonderful than being “in Christ,” it will be the joy of being “with Christ”
Illustration: Facing Forward
In a more symbolic sense, there is always the temptation to look back or faced backward – that is to live in the past. Sometimes this desire is attributed to nostalgia for supposedly better days.
Facing forward offers many advantages. One’s eye is focused on the future opportunities, not on past failures.
C. Preserving the Gains (vv.15-16) Having presented clearly his own position and perspective, the apostle recommended the same course to the perfect (or “mature”) Christians among his readers. Paul kept his mind on growing and maturing in Christ. All believers are ordained by God to be perfect in Christ Jesus, and we shall be perfected in the glorious day of redemption.
Let us, therefore, as many as are ordained by God to be perfected, keep our minds on perfections. The phrase "have this attitude” means to think this way, or be intent on this, or set one’s mind on this. On what? Pursuing the prize.
Look what else he says. “If anything you are otherwise minded.” Meaning, if some have differences of viewpoint still remained, Paul would have leave the matter to God, trusting that He would REVEAL what the less mature needed to know. Such individuals required further teaching, perhaps by experience, perhaps by a more complete understanding of Christ and His word, or perhaps by the example of mature Christians.
He simply says I have to leave you to God. If you’re ever going to get the message and you won’t get it from me, then you’ll have to get it from God.
Read verse 16. Even those not yet ATTAINED the level of maturity that others have should not stand around doing nothing while God is bringing them “up to speed.” Let them walk, or live, by the truth they have already learned. Thus they will not lose the ground they have gained, but will be in a position to advance – learning more, doing more, and growing more toward the likeness of Christ.
Keep moving along the path that has brought you to where you are in your spiritual progress. Wherever you are spiritually by the same principles that got you there, keep moving ahead. Consistency, conformity, live up to the level of your present understanding
111. The Company Is Chosen (vv. 17-21) No one travels the road of life alone, but each must choose carefully his fellow travelers.
A. Follow Good Examples (v.17) Note what Paul said: he and others followed Christ ever diligently; therefore, they were dynamic examples as to how people should walk and live. The most important aspect of his example was his steadfast imitation of Christ.
What does Paul mean? Was he claiming perfection – for men to follow? NO! What he means is that he was a dynamic example…
• In forgetting the things that were past
• In straining toward the thing that lay behind.
• In pressing toward the prize.
“So, in the pursuit of the prize, the Word, prayer, following a spiritual model, you move along and God brings enough trials in to your life to perfect you, to knock the dross off so that you’re pure. Paul says, "Look, in Christ I have much, I have great gain but I have no perfection in terms of my practical living. That I must pursue with all my might." (John MacArthur)
Mark them: take notice of faithful folk around you whose way of life is worthy of being observed, appreciated, encouraged and followed.
The goal then of every Christian’s life is to be like Christ. That is the goal. That is the thing which we pursue. That is the purpose of our time here and that is the pursuit of our sanctification.
B. Shun Bad Examples (vv.18-19) Who are the enemies of the cross? It seems best to take the verse for just what it says: there are many who walk as “the enemies of the cross” – no matter who they are, whether within or without the Church. So, Paul was very concerned even with the Philippians that they understand the threat of false teachers.
Some of you, perhaps, have been exposed to the teaching of Oneness Pentecostalism that believe in all the facts of the gospel but teaches that water baptism is required for salvation. They are not friends of the cross; they are enemies of the cross because anything that adds anything to the cross obliterates the cross. Where you bring law, says Paul, grace is no more grace. And where you have works, faith is no more faith. They are not friends of the cross; they are enemies of the cross because anything that adds anything to the cross obliterates the cross.
C. Live in Hope (vv. 20-21) Christians live in the world and are involved with it; yet they are not of it. Their real home is far away. They must guard against becoming naturalized wordlings, giving this temporary residence top priority. The believer’s life is to be heaven-centered, for his citizenship is in heaven.
The believer’s life is to be focused upon the return of Christ. We view heaven as our primary preoccupation. This is what motivates us. We’re concerned to see the Savior. We’re concerned to hear "Well done" from the Savior. We’re concerned to be rewarded by the Savior. We’re concerned for eternal glory, that’s their preoccupation.
And this is the focus of life that is required if we’re going to pursue Christ’s likeness. Christ is a heavenly being. Christ is of heaven, from heaven, in heaven, heaven is His place, He is ours, and heaven is our place. If preoccupied with Him, we’re preoccupied with heaven. It matters little to us what happens here, it matters a lot to us what happens there. He is there, that’s our place.
It is a goal worthy of our utmost attention!
Reflection
Where, we may ask, is a race in which one participated may enjoy the “thrill of victory” without causing others to experience “the agony of defeat”? The answer is easy. The win-win outcome in most natural among those in Christ who are determined to “press toward the mark” – as Paul did.
Paul fought the good fight against the power of darkness. He had finished the course. He was ready to receive the winner’s crown, which the righteous Judge will bestow, “not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2Tim. 4:7)
What “assets” do we have that may well be “liabilities” because they compete with Christ for top priority in our lives?
Why do you think it is so important to identify good examples in determining our life’s goal? Would you consider heaven our goal or our reward fro knowing Christ? What kind of things do we often have trouble forgetting and leaving behind? How can we do that?
Prayer
Thank you, our Father, for Jesus – “the way, the truth and the life.” May we never lose sight of Him as the goal worthy of all our striving. Lord God, take us to Yourself. But until that day, may we be faithful to serve, knowing that the only reason we’re here is not to become citizens of the world, not to become preoccupied here, not to lay up treasure here but simply to serve You and to pursue the Christ likeness that makes us a testimony of Your grace until the day when we are made like the one we love. In Christ’s dear name we pray. Amen.
