Forging Ahead

Series on Philippians

VII Pressing on to the Goal

A One Thing I Do, Text: 3:12-14

Title: Forging Ahead

Introduction

This entire text is about running a race. In the 1950’s they made me run as a member of the wrestling team to build my endurance. I hated it. If you go into the office of the pastor you will see wonderful pictures of his track career, But for obvious reasons neither the Pastor nor myself are going to win any races. Maybe Paul couldn’t either. But the metaphor Paul uses was familiar to his readers and he frequently referred to the Christian life as a race. We may not be physically qualified to run a marathon, but we can win spiritually through Christ.

I The Reserve

Paul writes in verse 12, Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. It sounds like Paul is speaking with reservation, doubt and fear, He is not. Let us understand that Paul is speaking in a context of legalistic righteousness. Remember he said earlier that he had fulfilled the law with respect to legalistic righteousness. His pharisaical friends believed they had arrived. When Paul says he had not obtained all this he is correcting them. Their obedience to the law does not qualify them for the resurrection. The Pharisees in contrast to the Sadducees believed in the resurrection of the dead and they thought their obedience to the law would get them there. Paul is saying I am not racing for obedience to the law, but for the goal for which Jesus Christ took hold of me which is the full salvation and resurrection assured by his sacrifice and righteousness. In other words, Paul could not obtain the victory, but Jesus took hold of him and did, and that is why he is pressing on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of him.

II The Rule

The rule is found in verses 13 and 14, Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on. The rule is, forget what is behind and press on. If you have ever seen a footrace you know that in a dash the worst thing you can do is look behind. It changes the whole configuration of your body and slows you down. Your only focus can be on the finish line. As to forgetting what is behind, there was an interesting cartoon in the Tribune last Sunday. “B.C.” by Johnny Hart always focuses on philosophical and religious concerns, mostly from a Christian perspective. So the cave man in this past Sunday’s cartoon is writing a poem. “Don’t forget to remember, not to forget. There are so many things to remember and so many things to forget. I keep forgetting the things I did well, and remembering those I regret. If I could just forget the ones I regret and remember the good ones forever, I could always be bad, but exceedingly glad, because my total recall would be never.” This is irony of course. In reality we often remember the bad things better than the good. This is to our benefit, because as Paul has said the good things are rubbish in God’s sight anyway. The bad things remind us of our sinful corruption. After the fact we want to say, “How could I have done that?” But according to Paul the liberating thing about knowing Christ is that the past is gone, forgiven and pardoned. Whether we consider deeds good or bad, all are past. This is Paul’s point. Move on. Looking at what is behind you only impedes your progress to the goal. One of my favorite verses, and everybody has several, is Lamentations 3:22,23, Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.They are new every morning;great is your faithfulness. If you read the great devotional book of the Bible, the Psalms, you will see rejoicing in the morning. In Psalm 59:16 we read, I will sing aloud of your mercy in the morning. The point is that the past is gone and you have a new start, a new life, a new opportunity because of Jesus. Forget what is behind and strain forward.

III The Race

And so the conclusion of the matter in verse 14, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. And so you run the race to reach the goal. And what is that goal? Peter sums it up in I Peter 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. This defines the prize. Jesus had already been revealed and Peter is writing after the fact. Thus the revelation of which he speaks is still future. It is the grace of the resurrection. We share in Jesus ‘ glory. Paul calls the crown a crown of glory. We are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. He stands at the throne of God and says behold me and the children you have given me. Salvation is a free gift and we are great at emphasizing that in our me-first culture. How do you know you have the gift? The preacher told me I did. The Elders said I did. I went forward at a meeting. I made a decision. But here and in I Corinthians Paul reminds us that there is a prize to be won. I Corinthians 9:24-27, Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. This is how you know that you are saved. You are in the race. Fifty years ago at Swarthmore my wrestling coach said to me that in two days I would be wrestling at 137 lbs. I weighed about 143. I beat my body and made it my slave to make that weight. Jesus is the coach and you are already on the team. However your devotion to the cause will be measured by your willingness to suffer. Do you think that if I failed I would feel like an honorable member of the team? We read in the Westminster Confession, “Such as truly believe in Christ, and endeavor to walk in all good conscience before him, may, without extraordinary revelation, by faith grounded upon the truth of God’s promises, and by the Spirit enabling them to discern in themselves those graces to which the promises of life are made, be assured.” The framers of the Confession of Faith also remind us that, “The grace of justification, the free gift of salvation is never alone in those who receive it, but is always accompanied by all the other saving graces.” Thus the spirit enables us to discern in ourselves those graces. This is what Paul means when he speaks of the witness of the Holy Spirit with our spirits that we are the children of God. This is not some mystical revelation, nor is it based on some intellectual assent to the gospel in the past. The Spirit witnesses through our ability to discern in ourselves the graces to which the promises of life are made. This is genuine assurance of salvation.