Introduction

If you have a Bible nearby, please turn with me to Philippians, Chapter 3. This part of the Bible, Philippians, is a letter written to a church that had started off well, but the people were getting distracted. They were experiencing conflict in the church. People who used to work well together were now hurt and bitter. And the pressures from the outside world were creeping in, too. The Philippians seem to have been struggling with motivation to press on toward the goal, and to persist in their faith.

So Paul wrote this letter to promote their progress and joy in the faith – to redirect them away from selfish ambition, to remind them of their partnership in the gospel, and to reignite their love for Christ. Paul wrote to them in a way that’s sincere and personal and relatable. And through Paul, here, God has also sent this letter to us, to encourage us to press on, to invigorate our daily steps of faith.

So this morning, we’ll continue working through Philippians, Chapter 3. I’ll be reading verses 12 through 16. But before I read the text for us this morning, please pray with me:

[Pray and Read Text]

Should Our Faith Result in Running or Relaxing?

When I was growing up, I had the opportunity to be a part of a Track and Field team. And one of the events that I was placed in, early on, was the 3200-meter run. Of all the track and field events, that was the longest – two miles long. If you can picture the size of a large track that loops around a standard football field – you had to run around that loop eight times in order to run two miles.

Now if you’re anything like me, running competitively already sounds unpleasant. Because it’s not just a pleasant little jog, where you can admire the landscape – but it’s a grueling, constant pushing to pass people, or to improve your time. But even worse, you have to run like that for two miles. And perhaps the most frustrating part is that after you’ve pushed yourself along for all that time – for two miles – you haven’t even arrived at a new destination! You’re right back to where you started!

And I bring this up, because racing relates to our text his morning. When Paul talks about his life as a Christian, he speaks about it in terms of competitive running. In verse 12, Paul says that he isn’t already perfect – you could also translate this word to mean that he hasn’t finished – he hasn’t reached his ultimate goal yet. But he presses on – literally, he’s saying that he runs after it. The same word is repeated in verse 14, along with other words that further develop the racing imagery. That’s how we should understand the Christian life. This isn’t just an idea from Philippians 3, here. Similar analogies are used in 1 Corinthians 9:27 and Hebrews 12, verses 1 and 2.

Now, to many of us, it may seem strange that Paul makes this analogy. Because if you were here last week, you’ll remember that Paul was insisting that doing good works and rituals like circumcision – they can’t make us right with God. God accepts people, not because of the work we do, but because of the finished work of Christ. Through faith in Jesus, we’re given a righteousness from God that’s perfect and complete. So nothing more needs to be done in order to deal with our sins, or to make us right with God.

But there’s a mystery here! Because if we’re made right with God, purely by faith in Christ – simply receiving and believing – you’d expect that Paul’s faith life would be pretty laid back and relaxed. But instead, he’s showing us that this good news is compelling him to earnestness and driven-ness instead. So how do we explain this? Why is Paul racing, instead of just resting? What is he running for?

In our text this morning, Paul describes his running, and the race that lies in front of every Christian. First, in the front half of verse 12, he describes the Resurrection as our Goal. Second, later on in verse 12 (and also in verse 14) he describes the reasons why we pursue this goal. In verse 13, he describes the race mentality of faith – what it looks like for us to press on toward the goal. And finally, in verses 15 and 16, Paul explains the relevance this has for the life of the church.

So these will be my four points as we work through the text this morning: The Resurrection as our Goal, the Reasons Why We Pursue This Goal, the Race Mentality of Faith, and the Relevance this Has for the Church.

The Resurrection as Our Goal

So first, the resurrection as our goal.

It’s important to be aware, sometimes when you read the Bible you’re going to come across a certain category of words called pronouns. These are words like he, she, it, they – and also words like this or that. And when you see these words, they’re standing in a sentence in the place of some other noun. And we need to figure out what that other noun is, if we’re going to understand the meaning of the sentence.

So, notice for example, in verse 12, the text says, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own…” There’s a certain something that Paul has not already obtained, for which he is pressing on. And to figure out what this something is, we need to back up and remind ourselves what Paul has just been talking about. (We need to look at the context).

In verses 10 and 11, he’s just been talking about his earnest desire to be found in Christ, and to have a closer acquaintance with Him. He wants to personally know Christ, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings. Paul even wants to become like Christ, in his death, because he wants to share with Christ in his resurrection. The context indicates that the resurrection what he’s seeking to take hold of – in verse 12. Paul is eager to attain or to arrive at the resurrection of the dead.

If you’ve been around Christianity for a while, resurrection will be a familiar idea to you. After Jesus Christ died on the cross, in our place, to suffer the penalty for our sin, he rose again on the third day. The Bible makes a big deal about Jesus being resurrected from the dead! But it’s important to understand, this resurrection wasn’t just resuscitation. It wasn’t just a temporary resurrection of the old body, but Jesus now lives forever, in a radically renewed body. He’s now entirely immune to decay and death. And if you’re in Christ – if you’ve been joined together with Christ, by faith – then his ongoing life with the Father confirms that that’s what your future is, too. Your salvation will be brought to completion on that day when you’re raised with Christ into immortality and glory.

The Bible affirms there are several aspects of our salvation that we already have possession of, through faith in Christ: forgiveness of sins, being counted as righteous before God, having the Spirit of adoption. But the resurrection is an aspect of our salvation that we don’t have full possession of right now. There’s an extent to which we can know something of this new resurrection life now, spiritually. Through faith in Christ, you and I aren’t who we used to be. There’s a principle of new birth and new life at work in us. But being raised from death, with a new body, into a new kingdom, in a new heavens and earth, to experience new heights of joy in the near presence of God – that’s not here yet. Paul identifies the resurrection as his goal, as something that he’s still seeking to obtain.

We’ve already seen, working through Philippians, that Paul is concerned about being ready for the day of Christ. And this is why. Because the day of Christ is when the resurrection will take place. Throughout this letter, Paul indicates that that’s the goal he’s pressing on for. Christianity isn’t only a message about what Jesus has done in the past. But there’s a future orientation to Christianity we should be just as passionate about. The resurrection of Christ certainly functions as grounds for our faith – but more than that, it’s also intended to be the goal for our faith. Thus, Paul says, “Not that I have already obtained this, or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own…”

The Reasons Why We Pursue This Goal

Now, this being said, I suspect that many of us probably don’t think about the resurrection as something that we’re aiming at or running toward. Most of us probably just view it as some sort of inevitable event that’s going to happen to us. But here in the text, there are few different reasons why it’s right for us to think of resurrection as a goal to be pursued. This is my second main point: the reasons why we pursue this goal – the goal of resurrection.

Paul doesn’t imagine that “pursuing” or “pressing on” is a meritorious work to earn these spiritual blessings. Christ has purchased all the tickets, and has made all the reservations. Nothing more needs to be paid or performed to gain lifetime access to the King of the Celestial City.

And yet the Bible is clear that our faith can’t be inactive. Because as James 2:26 says, “Faith apart from works is dead.” God fully expects that our faith will be vibrant and alive. We aren’t just told about the spiritual blessings that are ours in Christ, but we’re also urged to put them on, and pursue them. When God gives saving faith to his people, it’s a faith that presses on to take hold of more of Christ, and his benefits. Being a Christian not only involves enjoying what we already have received in Christ, but also exerting ourselves and enduring until we’ve received all of his promises. This is what Paul is showing us, by his example.

And Paul gives a few reasons why pursuing the goal of resurrection is important.

The first reason why we should pursue the resurrection from the dead is because there is no greater goal for the Christian to live for. Notice verse 12, again, when Paul says, “Not that I have already obtained this, or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own.” Notice, in Paul’s mind, attaining to the resurrection of the dead is equivalent to being made perfect – to being complete, to reaching the finale. And Paul is trying to help us understand, then, that the resurrection is the finish line of finish lines. Being raised, to live forever with God, to glorify and enjoy him forever – that is humanity’s chief end. We can’t really speak of any goal beyond that one. That final resurrection, from death to eternal life, will bring you and I into our final state. This really ought to be our highest goal, if we recognize what the resurrection is.

And we need to understand, if attaining to the resurrection – being raised with Christ – if that isn’t your highest goal, something else will be. The goals you have are going to determine how you live. If your greatest goal is to be wealthy, you’ll devote your time and energy to generating money. If your greatest goal is to be healthy, you’ll devote your time and energy to exercise, and chasing down new diets and supplements that will extend your earthly life. If your greatest goal is to be popular, you’ll devote your time to relationships. If your greatest goal is to have fun, you’ll devote your time to recreation. You and I are all going to press on toward something. What will it be?

The second reason we should seek to obtain the resurrection is because this is the purpose for which Christ obtained us. In the second half of verse 12, Paul says, “I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own.” The Greek Grammar of this verse is a little complicated. But the text here suggests that Christ made Paul his own, so that Paul would take resurrection from the dead to be his own. Christ’s goal for Paul is resurrection. And since this is true, Paul has decided that his goal for himself needs to be resurrection, as well.

We make a mistake if we think that Christ’s goals and plans aren’t important for shaping how we live. He isn’t saying, “I have a good plan for you – therefore, keep on living in whatever way you find to be convenient or lucrative for your earthly self-interests.” Instead, he’s urging us, “I have a good plan for you, so turn your boat around! Let me put wind in your sails, to bring you to the New World – a land of opportunity and new beginnings.”

Christ’s purpose for should get us excited! He’s placed a treasure map in our hands, and we’re quickly closing in on riches that are unspeakably wonderful. His heavenly throne room, filled with the blinding radiance of divine glory – he’s giving us entry into it, to live there forever. His plans for us far exceed the most extravagant dinner date, or the most exotic family vacation. Christ is ushering us into a new age, a new state of existence, a new kingdom. Shouldn’t this be exciting? Shouldn’t our dreams and desires be aligned with the Christ’s purposes for us?

And because Christ has taken hold of us, to raise us to new life, we can be all the more confident that straining ahead toward the resurrection won’t be in vain. Christ will lose no one out of his hands. No one will be forgotten.

The third reason why this is important is because God intends to work through our faith, and the activity it produces, to keep us safe until the day of the resurrection. From a human perspective, Paul presses on – and it’s important for us to, as well. God has given us ordinary means that he works through to sustain and strengthen our faith – reading the Bible, and praying. We should exert ourselves in these things. Yet from God’s perspective, as we saw a few weeks ago, in Chapter 2, verse 13, “It is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” We should labor to press on, trusting that God is faithfully working in his children to preserve them for the resurrection.

There’s one more reason, though, why pressing on toward resurrection is important here. And that’s because Paul recognizes that there are principles of our new life in Christ that we can take hold of now. If we’re wanting to be raised to perpetual holiness and sinlessness – which we should be – that’s something that we can and should start embracing now. Multiple times in his letters, Paul explains that those who are in Christ have died to their old selves, and that they have been raised with him to a new manner of life. Romans 6, verses 3 and 4; Galatians 2:20, also in Ephesians 4, and Colossians, Chapters 2 and 3.

As Christians, because of the resurrection, we are no longer laid low and lifeless in sin. The Spirit of resurrection has been poured out on us, to enliven our hearts with new affections, and to enlighten our minds with clean thoughts. How can we go on living in deadness? How can we go on, making peace with secret, sinful desires in our heart? How can we go on, exploring dark paths that lead to death, when Christ has shown us highways that belong to life?

We’re able to gain a foretaste of that new life now. We can enjoy something of life with Christ today, as well as victory over temptation, and the blossoming of true righteousness and holiness in our hearts. As much of the resurrection Paul can grab hold of today and now, he wants to press on to have it and live in it. Why wouldn’t he? As much as possible, he’s seeking to live as a citizen of heaven, to put on the mind of Christ, and to pursue blamelessness – these are all things he can do now, that are connected to the promise of resurrection. And these are precisely the things Paul has been urging the Philippians to do so far in this letter. He wants them to run eagerly and expectantly toward the day of resurrection.

Paul wants us to see, here, if we have a right understanding of the Christian good news, it won’t lull us into laziness and apathy. But it will spur us forward. We’ll be driven to keep exerting ourselves to walk in newness of life – to run in the good paths that God has laid out for us – even when we don’t feel like it, even when it’s hard. Because we know the resurrection is coming.

The Race of Faith, How we Press on Toward The Goal

And in verses 13 and 14, Paul gives us a brief description what this running looks like. This is my second point – the race of faith. Paul says, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind, and straining to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

So there are two key descriptions of his race that Paul mentions here. First, he describes his running by saying that he’s forgetting what’s behind. Paul has already told us something about his former life, back in verses 5 through 7, which we saw last week. He used to boast about being a circumcised Jew. Or being from the prestigious school of the Pharisees. Or keeping the external requirements of the law to a T. Paul used to boast in those things. But now, he realizes that his moralism was actually a sinful lifestyle. It was a way of rejecting his need for God. And so Paul wants to forget his mistakes in the past.

He doesn’t want to brag about those things. He doesn’t want to keep circling back in self-pity and regret. No, forgetting what’s behind, Paul is determined to run forward. And that’s how we need to race ahead, too. Keep in mind, Paul isn’t saying that we should never reflect on God’s mercy toward us in our early life, or learn from previous mistakes. But the point he’s making here is that our faith should be forward-oriented and hungry for progress, rather being aimless, stagnant, or stuck in the past.

And this relates to the second key description that Paul gives us of the Christian race. He says that he’s straining to what’s ahead. If you’ve ever seen a 100 m dash, or some other sprint, you’ve probably noticed that when runners reach the finish line, at the very last moment, they strain their necks forward. Or they lean across the line. They’re reaching as far forward as they can. And this is the mental picture that describes how Paul’s running his race – not just at the finish line! – but the length of the whole race, he’s straining to what’s ahead.

I know that all of you know what it means to exert yourselves. I just want to make sure that we continue to exert ourselves with the right order of priorities. How serious are you about putting away your irritability, your gossip, your pride, your lusts, your lack of self-restraint – how long will you continue to be indifferent about these things? Remember who you will be in the resurrection – strain toward it. Isn’t that what you want anyway?

It’s important to note here – Paul isn’t doing this out of slavish fear. There’s no taskmaster, standing over him with a whip, demanding more of him. Rather, all of Paul’s motivation is from love and joy – from the prize, mentioned in verse 14. The victor’s crown! The champion’s trophy! Paul has his eyes fixed on the everlasting happiness and holiness that’s ahead of him. And this is why he’s committed his whole life to making progress toward the resurrection, and all that Christ has for him in it. He’s not just meeting a requirement. Paul’s straining toward the reward.

The Relevance This Has for the Life of the Church

And in the last two verses of the text, Paul explains the relevance that this has for the church. And not just the church in Philippi, but our church, too – for Fellowship Reformed Church in Mount Pleasant, MI – and for all the churches, everywhere. Straining ahead toward the day of resurrection is something that we, as Christ’s church, are intended to do together.

In verse 15, Paul says, “Let those of us who are mature think this way” – that is, “let’s acknowledge that we haven’t yet arrived. And with that awareness, let’s be straining toward the resurrection of the dead, and the ways of righteousness in his kingdom, and the glory of his likeness. “Let whose of us who are mature think this way.” And then Paul goes on: “and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have obtained.”

From these last two verses, here, it would seem that some of the people in the Philippian church had a distorted understanding of what maturity meant. It’s not entirely clear what the issues were at that time. Some of them, perhaps, thought that maturity meant that they were no longer sinful. Others may have thought that they were “mature,” because they had been baptized, or because they had gained some sort of church office, as an elder or a deacon – and so they no longer had any need for continued growth or refinement. But whatever the issue was, it would seem that some people in the Philippian church thought they had arrived. They no longer needed to strain toward anything. They were all set. Or so they thought.

But you may remember, in verse 12, Paul admits that he’s not perfect. He hasn’t reached any sort of goal. And here, he wants to make sure that the church understands what true Christian maturity looks like. Someone who’s mature in Christ is continuing to strain ahead – to have a deeper affection for Christ, and a closer correspondence with Christ, and a truer resemblance to Christ. Mature Christians don’t find contentment in a stagnant spiritual life. They don’t boast, as though they’re already complete – as though there’s nothing left for them to pursue. There’s an openness to being corrected, an awareness of the need to reconcile, a humility in their service, and an earnestness to draw the attention of others to Jesus.

No one in this church has “arrived.” Certainly not me – but I can also confidently say that you haven’t either, because that’s clear from our text. Chances are, at some point you and I are going to say the hurtful thing we shouldn’t have said, and we’re going to neglect to say the helpful thing we should have said. And so this means we need to be ready to forgive each other. We also have lapses in our knowledge and wisdom. We may still have disagreements about finer points of doctrine, or about what we think is practically best for running Sunday school classes, or ministering to college students. But whenever we disagree, we can remember that we are all works in progress. For as long as we are still waiting for the resurrection, we have not arrived.

“If in anything you think otherwise, “ Paul says, “God will reveal that also to you.” God will show you that you are still in need of growth. God will continue to remind you to strain ahead for greater conformity to His Son. But even though we are works in progress, that doesn’t mean we have no knowledge, or that we have nothing to offer to the world. Make sure you are firmly convinced of the precious good news you have received from God! Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Saved out of death – saved into unending, invincible life! Let us hold fast to what we have attained. Don’t ever be ashamed of the resurrection – but make it your highest aim to be raised, to be found in Christ.