TEXT: Philippians 3:12-21 (CSB) – “ Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us. For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things. Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.”
We have taken the sideroads that spoke to us about “Mark and Walk” as Paul charged them to imitate him as he imitated Christ, and the one that warned them and us to “Mark the negative example.” We finished with the sideroad that reminded us of the concepts of citizenship, rapture, and renewal.
Now, after these sideroads, we come to the meat of the matter – pressing to the mark!
We must realize some important considerations to understand the importance of this admonition.
First, realize that we will never in this body be perfect or sinless. Paul here starts by reminding us – “Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.” Even the great Apostle Paul; recognized that he was not perfect. He even saw Jesus with his own eyes. He was a powerful evangelist and church-planter – and yet he was not perfect and he knew it.
This concept of being “perfect” in our daily life creates one of two problems for us. Either we find ourselves feeling sinlessly perfect, or we are too bad to be accepted by God.
Those who mistakenly believe that they are sinlessly perfect won’t strive to seek the perfection of Christ. They have set up their own yardstick and are doing quite well. God’s Word says to do this, you must be one of two things – you are either –
· Deceived – 1 John 1:8 – “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” Or they –
· Deny God – 1 John 1:10 – “If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.”
Those who on the other hand feel they are too bad to be accepted haven’t grasped the glory of grace!
This causes them to be discouraged. As we accept the Word of God, we find that Paul here is telling us don’t give up. Reach out to Jesus and He will hold on to you.
So, tomorrow, we will see the second important point with pressing to the mark that Paul gave the Philippian (and us) believers. We are called to focus and forget.
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