In today's passage, Paul is going to show how there is joy to be had not by being content and complacent in your spiritual life, but by pressing on.EXPERIENCE JOY BY PRESSING ON
I. DON’T BE SATISFIED WITH WHERE YOU ARE UNTIL YOU GET TO WHERE YOU ARE GOING (v. 12)
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.
In this verse, Paul reveals something very important about himself. Though he was more of a Jew than any of the Judaizers and even though the Christians at Philippi look to him as an example of what it means to be a follower of Christ, Paul says, "I am not there yet spiritually. There is still more work to be done in my life."
Paul goes on to say for emphasis in v. 13, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.” Paul wants to stress to the Christians at Philippi, “I am not content with where I am because I am not yet where I need to be spiritually.” Because he is not yet where he needs to be spiritually, instead of taking a break from this pursuit, Paul goes on to say, “I press on to lay hold of what is lacking in me.”
Now some of you may be saying to yourself when reading this, "That’s a negative pessimistic way of looking at things. Why not focus on accomplishments rather than what’s lacking?" The answer is because focusing on what is lacking will be what will drive us and push us to press on.
II. DON'T FIXATE ON THE PAST BUT STRAIN FORWARD TO THE FUTURE
13 But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
The “one thing” Paul refers to in this verse is “pressing on.” “Forgetting what lies behind” and “straining forward to what lies ahead” are the participles that explain how Paul is going to press on. In other words, Paul is saying the one thing I do is “Press on” and how I do it is by “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.”
First he says, “I press on by forgetting what is behind.” The past has a way of creeping back into our lives and hindering us spiritually. If there was anybody with a checkered past it was Paul. In Philippians 3:6, he made mention of the fact that at one time he had persecuted the church. The fact that there were Christians put in prison and some killed because of Paul could have easily haunted him to the point of hindering him from pressing on.
Not only do we need to put the bad stuff behind us--we also need to avoid being too focused on our past success. The enemy is crafty in that he would love more than anything for you to be so focused on your past successes for God that you are hindered from any new ones in the future.
III. AVOID PUTTING FORTH EFFORT WITHOUT PURPOSE (v. 14)
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
In Paul's life you see both maximum effort and clear purpose. Though he truly works hard, all of his efforts are directed toward being like Christ.
There are some committed Christians who are very busy doing church related things, but if asked, might have a difficult time telling you the purpose behind doing these things. It’s very important that purpose accompanies effort, because effort without purpose results in burnout.
Paul says about his own spiritual walk, "I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air (1 Cor. 9:26)." Many of us, however, are doing just the opposite. There is to be purpose behind the effort we put forth and our purpose as Christians is to be pursuing Godliness. We are to be striving to become more like Christ and activities like Bible Intake, prayer, service etc. are simply the means to make us more like Him.
IV. ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO PRESS ON (v. 15)
15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.
Although it is tough to tell it in the Greek, Paul is being very ironical and sarcastic in this verse. The word “mature” means “perfect” in the Greek and is the same word Paul uses earlier in this passage when he says he has not yet attained perfection.
Paul here is saying very sarcastically, “Let those who are perfect think this way.” The reason he is saying this is because there were some in the church at that time who felt as if they had the Christian life all figured out. Paul gives a practical answer on how to deal with these people. He basically says, “Don’t be too hard on them.”
Paul understands that there are different people at different points in the race and treats them accordingly. Because there are people at different levels of spiritual maturity we first have to realize where we are on that spectrum and strive to grow. We then have to understand where others are and encourage them to press on in hopes that they will get straightened out with greater maturity.
V. NO MATTER HOW DIFFICULT KEEP ON KEEPING ON (v. 16)
16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained
Here Paul gives one final word on pressing on. He basically says, “Continue to put into practice the things you have learned." Like in any race, the longer you run, the more difficult it will be to continue.
In Galatians, Paul is writing to a group of believers who were living well for Christ, but soon after he had left departed from the path. Paul asks an excellent question to them in Galatians 5:7. He says, “You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth” (Gal. 5:7). In other words, "You were faithfully following God—what happened?" For the Christians in Galatia it was false teachers and their false doctrine, but is a good question for all who have stopped their pursuit of godliness.
Maybe you at one time were running a good race, faithfully following God and pressing on in godliness, but since have been sidelined from that pursuit. "What has hindered you from running well and pressing on to be like Christ?"
Though the walk does not always get easier staying on the path and pressing on is the way to true joy.
