Philippians 3:12-16: Pressing On

Pressing On
Philippians 3:12-16

Our Scripture Reading this morning comes from Philippians 3:12-16. Hear now the words of the Living and True God:

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. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 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. ¹⁶ Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

 May God bless the reading of his Word. 

In his novel, Great Expectations, Charles Dickens creates one of the saddest characters ever put to paper. He writes of Miss Havisham, a wealthy spinster, who never marries.  Years before, Miss Havisham’s fiancé stood her up at the altar.  But rather than press on with her life, she stays frozen in time.  She stays frozen on the day of her wedding.  For the rest of her life, she sits in her cobweb-infested mansion.  She sits in the room where her wedding should have taken place.  She sits in in her wedding dress.  She sits next to her uneaten wedding cake.  She preserves herself for the bridegroom who never shows.  Time continues.  But she lives in the past.  We see a similar sort of character in the movie, Napoleon Dynamite.  In that movie, Uncle Rico longs for the glory days of high school, when he lived the life of a star quarterback.  If only the coach had put him in at the end of that game, he believes that his life would have turned out differently.  Famously, he quips, “Don’t you wish you could go back.” He even buys a time machine in a desperate attempt for a redo.

Our text today suggests that we do not need a redo. Rather than live in the past, our text calls us to to press on, forgetting what lies behind, straining forward to what lies ahead.  Miss Havisham and Uncle Rico make for interesting fiction.  But they make for terrible reality.

For God does not call his people to live in the past. He has little use for spiritual Miss Havisham’s or Christian Uncle Rico’s.  Rather, he wants us to live out the main idea of our text: Christians press on towards Christ, maturing by revelation.

 Paul, writing from prison to the church at Philippi, expresses joy and confidence in ch1 that God advances the gospel, even through suffering. He urges Christians to live lives worthy of Christ: standing firm, unified with one another.  In ch2, he calls Christians to pursue harmony and humility, with Christ as the ultimate example of humility, who restores harmony between himself and his people, securing their salvation.  Because of this, Christians work out their salvation, for God works in them for the sake of their witness.  Then at the end of ch2, he gives two examples of faithful witness.  And as much as we appreciate and emulate faithful witness, we do not place our confidence there.  For Paul goes on to say in ch3 that Christians put no confidence in themselves, but in knowing Christ.  How do we do that?  How do we know Christ?  We see that in today’s text.

I. Christians Press On Towards Christ, 12-14

A. Christians examine themselves by Christ, 12-13a

“Not that I have already obtained this,” he says.  Not that I have already obtained what?  Not that I have already obtained perfectly knowing Christ in v8, not that I have already obtained perfectly gaining Christ and being found in him in vv8-9, not that I have already obtained perfectly knowing him and the power of his resurrection in v10, not that I have already obtained perfectly sharing in his sufferings also in v10, and not that I have already obtained the resurrection from the dead in v11.  In other words, Paul examines the so-called progress that he has made, and he realizes that he has a long way to go.  “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect.”  So, Paul acknowledges his imperfections.  If Paul can acknowledge his imperfections, we can acknowledge our imperfections.  But Paul does not stop there. 

Anyone can acknowledge their imperfections.  Many do.  You do not have to call yourself a Christian to realize your imperfections.  But Christians do not satisfy themselves with merely acknowledging their imperfections.  Instead, they do what Paul does in the next part of v12.  He says, “But I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.”  In other words, Christians do not satisfy themselves with merely living on past experiences.  They do not point back to some heavenly visitation.  They do not point back to some spirit-filled revelation.  They do not point back to some trying tribulation.  Paul experienced all of those.  In Acts 9, he had a heavenly visitation.  Christ met him on the road to Damascus where he received instructions that fundamentally altered the course of his life.  In 2 Corinthians 12, he had a spirit-filled revelation.  God caught him up into the third heaven where he received revelation too profound to express.  In 2 Corinthians 11, he had many trying tribulations.  He endured countless beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks, and other hardships.  But he does not satisfy himself with merely living on past experiences.  In fact, he does not point back.  He presses on.  Christians press on. 

Interestingly, the phrase, “press on” comes from the same Greek word used in v6 for “persecuting.”  In v6, Paul persecuted Christians.  You could say that Paul pressed Christians down.  But in v12, Paul presses on towards Christ Jesus.  Because Christ Jesus has redirected his energies.  When he met Jesus, his energies focused on pressing Christians down.  Until something happened.  Until Christ made him his own.  Had he known this gospel song, he surely would have sung it, “Jesus brought me out.  Turned my life around.  Now I’m on my way.”  He presses on.  Because Christ Jesus has made him his own.  But let me ask you this. —Has he made you his own?  If so, press on.  Make it your own.  Stop living on past experiences.  Stop pointing back to some heavenly visitation.  Stop pointing back to some spirit-filled revelation.  Stop pointing back to some trying tribulation.  Press on.  Make it your own.  But if he has not made you his own, move past merely acknowledging your imperfections.  Know Christ.  Ask Christ to make you his own.  Then press on.

But in doing so, acknowledge what Paul acknowledges in the first part of v13.  He says, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own.”  In other words, he does some self-examination.  But he does not morbidly introspect.  He does not run the race, taking his pulse or temperature every five minutes.  But he does acknowledge that he has not arrived.  He will take the rest of his life to press on.  He will take the rest of his life to make it his own.  He does not rest on his laurels.  He does not live on past experiences.  He does not act passively.  He presses on, actively and continuously.  He works out his salvation.  But he does so, acknowledging his imperfections.  We might like to think of Paul as some kind of super saint, as someone altogether different from us.  But like us, he has a journey to complete.  Like us, he has a race to finish.  Like us, he has a fight to win.  And he did.  Until his dying day, he pressed on.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones says, “I suppose that most of us—some of us especially—tend to idealize the Apostle’s life to such an extent that it almost becomes of no value to us as an example and illustration of Christian living.  But here, in these few words, Paul disabuses our minds of any such ideas.”  In other words, Christians should not idealize other, more mature Christians.  For no Christian has arrived.  When Christians idealize other Christians, we put them out of reach.  And when we put them out of reach, we put God in a box.  Meaning that we act like God cannot do with us what he does with others.  We compare ourselves with others.  Peter did this.  In John 21, he compared himself with John.  But we also excuse ourselves from godly callings.  Moses did this.  In Exodus 4, he excused himself from God’s call to serve as God’s mouthpiece.   Thankfully, neither lived on past experience.  Otherwise, we never would have heard of them.  They pressed on.  And so do we.  For no one has arrived.  If we had arrived, we might have reason for pride.  But since we have not arrived, we have reason to press on.  Meaning that we have no reason for pride.  Christians examine themselves by Christ.  But we do more than that.

B. Christians concentrate on Christ, 13b-14

He says, “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.”  Again, he presses on.  Christians press on.  How?  We press on by forgetting what lies behind.  We press on by straining forward to what lies ahead.  But in calling us to forget what lies behind, Paul does not call us to amnesia or memory loss.  He does call us to press on.  Where? —Toward the goal.  Why? —For the prize.  What prize? —The prize of the upward call of God.  What is that? —God’s kingdom.  Heaven.  Your inheritance.  How do we get there? —In Christ Jesus, it says.  Christians concentrate on Christ.  Well, what did Christ do? —He made us his own.  And now that he has, we have an upward call.  Whether God calls us to this employment or that employment, this spouse or that spouse, this place or that place, this decision or that decision, Christians have an upward call.  Christians have a purpose.  Christians press on towards Christ.  But too often we satisfy ourselves with downward pursuits.  Rather than concentrate on Christ, we concentrate on creaturely pursuits.  Rather than press on, we stall.  We stagnate.  We stifle the Spirit.  But we have an upward call.  Not that we have made it our own.  But one thing we do.  We press on.

The older we get, the more tempted we become to look back at what lies behind.  We rest on our accolades.  We value past accomplishments.  We relive the glory days.  Or we regret missed opportunities.  We lament poor decisions.  We miss those who died.  But what does Paul say?  Forgetting what lies behind.  Press on.  Can we live in the past? —Only with nostalgia or regret.  Did you know that physicians used to consider nostalgia a psychological disorder?  They called nostalgia an afflicted imagination of longing.  Affliction.  We cannot live on nostalgia.  Believe me, I have tried.  And neither can we live in regret.  Because we cannot fix the past.  We cannot change what happened.  We can only repent.  We can only strain forward to what lies ahead.  We do not get a redo.  Certainly, the past can inform our future.  But it cannot imprison our future.  Too often when we look back, we trip up.  But too often when we strain forward, we move up.  Press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.   

Did you know that the Great White shark needs to continuously swim to breathe?  Now, not all sharks have to swim to breathe.  But the Great White shark, among a couple of others, do.  And the faster they swim, the more water pushes through their gills, providing them the oxygen they need.  In other words, they move or they die.  Now, if you want to know how they sleep and move, you should ask Elliot Scheib, or any other kid in the congregation who loves science, who probably knows more about this than I do.  At all times, this shark moves, or he dies.

In a way, our text suggests that our faith breathes much like the Great White shark breathes.  In a way, we move or or we die.  We do not rest on past experience.  We press on towards Christ.  But how do press on towards Christ?  How do we strain forward?  We saw how in v10 last week.  We know Christ.  We fix our eyes on him.  We know the power of his resurrection.  We share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.  But how does that happen in our day-to-day lives?  Might I suggest that this happens incrementally.  It happens in a myriad of little decisions that we make every day.  Like, do I respond in a Christlike way, when confronted by Christ-less behavior?  Do I read my Bible before I scroll the internet?  Do I speak kindly when others speak unkindly to me?  Do I give my worry to God rather than carry it myself?  Do I talk to that person who wrongs me, rather than about them?  Press on, incrementally.  You will fall back occasionally.  Repent.  Strain forward.  Do not live in bondage to your sin.  Live in freedom to Christ.  Incremental movements forward. 

Legendary basketball coach, John Wooden, emphasized the fundamentals to his players.  He emphasized simple things like how they tie their shoes properly.  And he went on to win 10 national championships in 12 years.  He said, “Little things make big things happen.”  Jesus himself says in Matthew 25:21, “You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.”  Incremental movements forward.  Which begs the question, “What will we do today to take an incremental step forward?”  How will we press on towards Christ?  In what way will we become more like Jesus?  We see it in our text.  Christians examine themselves by Christ.  Christians concentrate on Christ.  Can we, in a sense, forget yesterday?  In vv12-14, Christians press on towards Christ.

II. Christians Mature by Revelation, 15-16

“Let those of us who are mature think this way.” Now the word ‘mature’ comes from the same Greek word we find in v12 for ‘perfect.’  In v12, Paul confesses that he has not arrived at perfection.  But he does press on towards maturity, towards the day of his own resurrection from the dead in v11 when Christ will perfect him.  He calls us to think this way.  In ch2, v5, he uses the same word for think when he says, “Have this mind.”  In short, have the mind of Jesus.  Jesus made himself nothing.  Think this way.  Become like your Lord.  Think maturely.  But about what, specifically?  About everything he has said for the last several verses: know Christ, know the power of his resurrection, share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.  He wants believers to press on towards maturity.  Let those of us who are mature think this way.  But how do we get there? 

Before I answer that, notice that Paul recognizes that not every Christian does think this way.  For he goes on to say, “And if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.”  He recognizes that immature Christians exist, that some Christians think otherwise.  In other words, they think immaturely.  According to Hebrews 5, some Christians need milk.  Some Christians live unskilled in the word of righteousness.  Some Christians act like children.  Immature Christians got milk.  Mature Christians got growth.  But what do we do with immature Christians?  Do we call up the church security team and have them escorted down to the nursery until they grow up? —No.  Do we berate them? —No.  Do we shame them? —No.  Remember, he starts this chapter by calling them ‘brothers.’  In other words, he does not call them dogs, or evildoers, or flesh mutilators, like the false teachers he mentions in v2.  He calls them brothers.  They have not walked away from the faith.  They just have not really grown yet.  What do we do with immature Christians?  This verse tells us.  “And if in anything you think otherwise”—if you think immaturely about Christ—“God will reveal that also to you.”  God will reveal that.  Christians mature by revelation, revelation from God.

Brothers and sisters, we can argue with immature Christians all day long, pointing out the milk-baby qualities of their faith.  This rarely produces results.  Often it just shows our own immaturity.  Because we want to reveal.  But what does it say?  God will reveal.  We mature by God’s revelation.  God may use us to reveal truth to those less mature.  But we trust God’s revelation, rather than our own.  Let those of us who are mature think this way.  Now we could easily put ourselves in the mature category.  We could find other less mature Christians to compare ourselves with.  But let us not do that.  Instead, let us focus our energies and efforts towards pressing on.  Know Christ.  Know the power of his resurrection.  Share his sufferings.  Like Paul, lead by example.  But, again, Paul does not consider that he has made it his own.  He does not think he has reached perfection.  He does not think that he has reached full maturity.  Instead, he presses on.  Christians press on.  But this side of heaven, Christians never arrive.  But Christians always mature.  Here he calls us to maturity.  Back in ch2, he called us to humility.  Both go hand in hand.  Both have value.  A Puritan by the name of Thomas Watson says, “The more value anyone has, the more humble he is.”  Think of the opposite of that statement: the more prideful we are, the less value we have. 

So, we press on towards maturity in Christ.  We grow in humility.  As a result, we grow in value.  Because we grow in a correct understanding of God and ourselves.  God can use that.  We make it the goal of our lives to live out this upward call.  We mature.  We grow up.  We peel off the spiritual diapers of baby Christian living.  We stop hanging on to the dung, like we saw last week.  He says, “let us think this way.”  He says this in the present continuous tense.  Meaning that we actively and continuously do this.  We do not do it once, hoping it will stick.  We actively and continuously press on to thinking this way.  And if we do not think this way, God will reveal that.  Sometimes, that proves rather painful.  When our thinking does not align with God’s thinking, God gets our attention.  Hebrews 12:6 says that he disciplines those whom he loves. 

If God merely wanted to save us, he could have taken us directly to heaven.  No.  He wants to grow us in his likeness.  Romans 8:30 says, those whom he justifies, he sanctifies.  Those whom he makes right with God, he makes like God.  He matures us.  Let us think this way.  Let us think maturely. Think back to what it took to mature?  Mature thinking does not come naturally.  In fact, mature thinking does not even come eventually.  Meaning that we can go through life, and we can age, and we can still think immaturely.  Mature thinking requires self-examination: I do not consider that I have made it my own.  Mature thinking requires a degree of forgetfulness: forgetting what lies behind.  Mature thinking requires struggle: straining forward to what lies ahead.  Mature thinking requires concentration: I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  In short, mature thinking requires revelation.  God’s revelation: and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.

“Only let us hold true to what we have attained,” in v16.  Another translation says, “Keep living by that same standard.”  Or “Let us walk by the same rule.”  Meaning that we do not let up just because God saved us.  Hold true.  Keep the standard.  Walk by the same rule.  Stop marching to the beat your own drum.  Stop going your own way.  However God has revealed himself thus far, whatever we have attained, hold true to that.  We have not arrived.  So far, we do not understand everything this life has to teach us.  We hold true to what we do understand.  We do not let some new idea throw us.  1 Thessalonians 5:21 says, “Test everything; hold fast what is good.”  1 Corinthians 15:58 says, “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.”  Christians mature by revelation. 

Earlier in my life, I often struggled with immaturity.  Sometimes, I still do.  In that struggle, I often sought help and advice from the very same people who struggled as I did.  I sought help and advice from immature people.  And what did they do?  They reinforced my immaturity.  They reinforced my confirmation bias.  Because they thought and believed as I did.  I built an echo chamber.  In other words, I built an environment that reinforced my existing beliefs.  In 1961, President John F. Kennedy had his own echo chamber.  The C.I.A. presented him with a plan to overthrow Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro.  The best and the brightest gathered to advise him.  All of them proposed the same plan.  None of them questioned the plan.  They all politely and confidently built consensus.  They built an echo chamber.  They built an environment that reinforced their existing beliefs.  This resulted in the Bay of Pigs invasion, an invasion that failed catastrophically.   

I too built my own echo chamber.  I too built my own bay of pigs.  And they affirmed my thinking.  They affirmed my immaturity.  Eventually, I gave up childish ways…for the most part.  Eventually, I became a man...for the most part.  Eventually, I matured…for the most part.  But I have not arrived.  Maturity does not happen by reaching a certain age.  Maturity does not happen by building echo chambers.  Yet, every day we enter our own echo chamber.  We enter the internet.  Did you know that internet algorithms have built echo chambers for each one of us?  It has built an environment that reinforces our existing beliefs.  And we live in that reality.  The more we plug in, the more entrenched we become.  Friends, maturity does not happen by Google searches.  Maturity happens by God’s revelation.  Christians mature by revelation.  We do not mature by biased confirmation from others.  We mature by unbiased revelation from God.  How do we get this revelation?  He reveals it in his word.  Hold true to it.  Keep attaining.  Keep growing.  Keep reading.  Keep coming to church.  Keep maturing.  In vv15-16, Christians mature by revelation. 

Miss Havisham sat there frozen in time.  She preserved herself for a bridegroom who never showed.  But by God’s grace, the bridegroom of the Christian has shown.  Christ has shown.  Christians rejoice at the bridegroom’s voice.  Because he loved us and gave himself up for us, that he might sanctify us, having cleansed us by the washing of water with the word.  We press on towards him.  We do not live on past experiences.  But Miss Havisham did.  Until one day, her wedding dress caught fire.  She brushed too close to the fireplace.  The symbol of what held her back, her wedding dress, became her undoing.  The brittle fibers of that old dress had become so flammable that they ignited immediately.  One poet says, “Time is the fire in which we burn.” [2]  In the end, she burned to death.  She died a tragic figure.  She spent her life pining for a day that never came.  She could not move on.  Looking back became her undoing. 

Everyone outside of Christ will meet a similar fate.  Everyone refusing to press on towards Christ, God leaves to their own devices.  But what about us?  By God’s grace, Christians press on towards Christ, maturing by revelation.  Do we know Christ?  Do we press on, forgetting what lies behind, straining forward to what lies ahead?  Do we press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus?  Let those of us are mature think this way, and if anything, you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.  Only let us hold true to what we have attained.  Christian brother and sister, can we do that?