Paul's Love Letter from Prison
A Study of Philippians - 9
We are continuing in chapter 3, and we are going to be looking at verses 12 to 21. If you don't have a Bible, don't worry as I shall be quoting verses as we go along.
In my previous talk we thought about Paul's EXAMPLE as he sought to be like Christ in his attitude and actions. This time we will think about Paul's ENDEAVOUR to continue and to make progress in his life as a believer. Someone has said that "In the Christian life there is: no standing still, no marking time and no resting on past achievements." That great Scottish explorer and missionary David Livingstone once said, in a letter to his missionary society, "Gentlemen, I am at your disposal to go anywhere, provided it be forward!"
The apostle Paul himself was always striving to achieve more for his Lord, so notice what he says in verse 12 of this chapter, "I press on". Another translation of the Bible puts it like this: "I pursue with vigour" or "I pursue strenuously." He goes on to say: "I take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." Paul never forgot that momentous day when the Lord Jesus Christ spoke to him from heaven as he journeyed to Damascus. He says here about that experience, that it was at that moment that Jesus took charge of his life and all that was to follow. One writer says about this, that "the purpose of this momentous meeting between Jesus and Saul of Tarsus was that from then on he would become a pattern saint; that God might show through him what Christ can do in a human life."
Paul was not yet perfectly like Christ. The process was still going on as he says in verse 12: "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on..." It was his supreme desire that he would become just like his beloved Master. This should be the goal of every true believer in the Lord Jesus, that we might be like Him!
In verses 13 and 14 Paul uses the metaphor of an athlete in a competitive race to describe his life and service for Christ:
"But one thing I do. Forgetting what is behind and straining towards the goal, I press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus."
An athlete who is keen on winning a race does not look behind, he keeps his eye on the tape and sprints to the line! This is the way Paul viewed his Christian life. I think there is a message and a challenge in this for all who have obeyed the call of Christ. When you became a Christian by personal acceptance of the Lord Jesus, you entered, as it were, the greatest race of all. The goal to achieve is to run life's race, which God has set before you, faithfully and obediently, and right through to the end. Writing to his son in the faith, Timothy, Paul could say towards the end of his life:
"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing."
That's 2 Timothy chapter 4 verses 7 and 8.
The reward for commitment and consistency will be the crown of righteousness, awarded by the Lord Himself!
Note Paul says at the end of verse 14 of our chapter that all these things result from God's upward call to him as His servant. This is a personal call to all who would follow Christ. It is a call which requires each one of us to look away from ourselves, and from earthly ambitions, to higher spiritual goals and attainments for our Lord.
Look now at verse 15 where Paul stresses the responsibility of all his readers in Philippi to follow his example and instruction in these matters. He says: "All of us who are mature should take such a view of things...."
He implies that this is what is expected of mature believers who are growing in their knowledge of Christ and likeness to Him. He goes on to say that God will make these things clear to them if they will allow Him.
Then in verse 16, Paul, reminds his readers that they should live up to the divine revelation they have been given. This, of course, includes us. In our day we have, in the Bible, the complete written word of God to guide and teach us. All true believers in Christ have within them the Holy Spirit of God whose ministry to us is to reveal God's truth and to bring to our remembrance those things which we have learned of Him. We who belong to Christ and to whom this truth has been revealed, should make this evident by the way we live our lives day by day.
In verses 17 and 18 of Philippians chapter 3, Paul sets before us an important contrast. In verse 17 he says:
"Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you."
Firstly, he encourages the Philippians to be followers or imitators of him. We should note here that only someone who was living a consistently godly life, as Paul was, could say such a thing. Someone has said that the beauty and grandeur of Paul's character are illustrated at every stage in his history, in his labour for the Lord and in his letters. He mentions others who were living the same kind of life as he was, and he encourages them, and us, to observe them with a view to following in their steps.
Secondly, the contrast comes in verse 18 where Paul mentions those whose lives are NOT to be followed. They are described as enemies of the cross, and in verse 19 as those whose "god is their stomach, and their glory is their shame." The goal of these people is to satisfy their own bodily desires, and they boast about things of which they should be ashamed. "Their mind", says the apostle, "is on earthly things"; they live as though they were going to live on earth for ever.
There's another important contrast in verse 20. Speaking of the Christians Paul says: "But our citizenship is in heaven." In other words, the believer in Christ has no continuing place here. He is a pilgrim - or as one friend of mind puts it, " we are only tourists here!" The Christians true home is in heaven with our Saviour and with our Heavenly Father. From heaven we eagerly await the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, and what a prospect that is for every believer. How wonderful it is, whatever our present circumstances, to reflect on Jesus' promise found in John's Gospel chapter 14, where he says:
"I am going to my Father's house to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am."
Finally, for this page, note verse 21 of our chapter where we discover a most wonderful promise, true for all who belong to Christ, but especially precious to those who may be suffering bodily weakness. We are all subject to age, suffering, sickness and death and limitations of the body, but we have this assurance:
"The Lord Jesus Christ by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body."
We say in response, "Amen Lord, so let it be!"