Read Philippians 3:12-21.

Introduction⤒🔗

What was home run king Hank Aaron’s advice to baseball slugger, Cecil Fielder, or any other slugger who would seek to break the home run record? Hank says,

The only thing I could tell him is to stay focused. He has to stay focused on what he has to do. A lot of players, not only ballplayers, but also football players and basketball players, live off what happened last week. A lot of players hit three home runs and say, 'Hey, I could live off of this for two or three weeks.'¹

Hank Aaron’s advice to home run sluggers: If you want to be successful, if you want to break records, stay focused and don’t live off of the past. Keep pressing on. Stay focused and keep pressing on, that is the same formula the Apostle Paul gives for successful Christian living.

Rather than becoming complacent, we are required to press on in our Christian life. Because we have not yet attained unto full spiritual maturity, let us be diligent to press on in our Christian life in accordance with the admonition we find here in Philippians chapter three.

Press On in Your Christian Life, Towards the Goal←⤒🔗

The Apostle Paul testifies that he presses on in his Christian life “to the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (vs. 14). “The prize” is defined as “the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” The Apostle Peter defines that high calling in the following way: “[God] has called you to His eternal glory in Christ” (1 Pet. 5:10). God’s “eternal glory” is His majestic splendor; the radiance of His being and divine nature. A glimpse of Christ’s eternal glory was revealed to the disciples at the time of our Lord’s transfiguration:

After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. ²There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.Matt. 17:1-2

Referring to this incident, Luke declares, “Now Peter and they who were with him...saw his glory” (Lk. 9:32).

Paul presses on toward the goal because he has not yet arrived; he acknowledges, “[It is] not that I have already obtained this or have already been made perfect” (vs. 12). Scripture defines the Christian life as being a dynamic, progressive experience with Christ: “we...beholding...the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from [one degree of] glory to [a greater degree of] glory” (2 Cor. 3:18). Scripture portrays the Christian life as a race to be run or a journey to be completed: “let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ²Let us focus our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith” (Heb. 12:1-2). Anticipating his departure from this earthly life, the Apostle Paul gives the following testimony to young Timothy: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). Conversion and public profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are not the culmination of the Christian experience, but the beginning; it is the entrance into the Christian life, it is the embarking on the Christian journey. By way of illustration, public profession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is like gaining entrance to the tollway that leads to the Paradise of God, it is not the culmination of the journey.

Paul presses on toward the goal because he has been claimed by Christ: “I press on so that I may take hold of that for which also I have been taken hold of by Christ” (vs. 12). What Paul is saying, is, “I press on so that I may claim the prize, because I have been claimed by Christ Jesus.” It is Paul’s relationship to Christ and the salvation Christ provides that is the incentive and the power for developing the Christian life and pursuing the goal. This is in keeping with the Apostle John’s divinely-inspired teaching,

Beloved, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³Everyone that has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. 1 Jn. 3:2-3

Again, by way of illustration: If you possess a winning lottery ticket, it is the possession of that ticket that gives you the incentive to protect that ticket and cash it in; the certainty of its value and your claim to it creates the incentive and diligence.

Paul presses on toward the goal with a great sense of urgency. There is strenuous exertion: “I press on,” like an Olympic runner going for the gold medal. There is single-minded exertion: “I do this one thing: forgetting the things that are behind and reaching for the things that lie ahead, ¹⁴I press on to the goal.” When Paul speaks about “the things that are behind,” he is referring to his triumphs and progress in the Christian life, not his failures. Bear in mind Hank Aaron’s comment: "The only thing I could tell him is to stay focused. He has to stay focused on what he has to do. A lot of players, not only ballplayers, but football players and basketball players, live off what happened last week.” Note, too, that in Paul's pressing on toward the goal there is critical (i.e. necessary) exertion: “I press on so that I may take hold of [or, claim] the prize.” Hebrews 12:14 exhorts the Christian: “Follow after [or, pursue] peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no man shall see the Lord.” Living out the Christian life is not an “extra-curricular activity” for serious Christians, it is mandatory for anyone who would inherit the kingdom of heaven.

The Apostle Paul presses on toward the goal and he declares that we must do the same: “All of us who are mature should have this attitude” (vs. 15a). All of us, like the Apostle Paul, must exhibit the same focus and commitment to developing the Christian life. Paul goes on to write, “if you have any different attitude, God will certainly reveal that to you” (vs. 15b). That is to say, if some part of your life is “off track” and not in accordance with God’s purpose, God will let you know about it, and He usually does so by means of the gracious convicting work of the Holy Spirit. Referring to the Holy Spirit and His ministry, the LORD declares through the Old Testament prophet Isaiah, “when you turn aside to the right or to the left, with your ears you will hear a voice behind you saying, This is the way, walk in it” (Isa. 30:21). The Lord Jesus declares, “As many as I love, I rebuke and discipline” (Rev. 3:19).

Paul exhorts us, “let us live in agreement with the level of maturity we have attained” (vs. 16). Let us maintain the degree of spiritual maturity we have attained, let us not slip back from that level. On the contrary, let us strive to advance yet further and attain an even greater degree of spiritual maturity; we are to stay focused and continue to press on towards the goal.

Press On in Your Christian Life, Don’t Be Like the Enemies of the Cross←⤒🔗

In verse seventeen, Paul urges us to actively imitate his conduct and take special note of those people who are doing so in their lives: “Join in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who are walking in accordance with the model you have in us.” It is not the “successful,” nor the influential, nor the wealthy; rather, it is those who are devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ that are singled out for consideration and imitation.

Vibrant, sincere, devout Christians are to be singled out for consideration and imitation as role models because there are so many other people whose lifestyle identifies them as “enemies of the cross of Christ” (vs. 18). By their conduct, these people demonstrate that they and their lives are directly opposed to and in active opposition against the whole purpose of the cross of Christ. They demonstrate themselves to be “enemies of the cross of Christ,” in contrast to the confession, the attitude, and the lifestyle that is the characteristic of the true Christian: “far be it from me to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by means of which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world” (Gal. 6:14). Paul's testimony is the testimony of every true Christian. Note, too, the admonition of the Apostle James: “You adulterous people, do you not realize that friendship with the world is enmity against God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (Jas. 4:4).

Who are these people of whom the apostle writes and whom he identifies as “enemies of the cross of Christ”? The fact that he contrasts them with devout Christian people and that he weeps over them, seems to indicate that they were present within the church. Scripture teaches that there are people who understand the dynamics of grace, but fail to comprehend and appreciate the purpose of grace. That is to say, they understand that by the grace of God the cross of Christ has provided the means of forgiveness for sins; but they fail to comprehend that the cross of Christ at the same time provides the means of salvation from sin: “What shall we say, then? Shall we continue sinning so that grace may abound? ²God forbid. We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³Do you not realize that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” (Rom. 6:1-3)

Paul provides the following character sketch of those whom he identifies as “enemies of the cross of Christ.” He tells us, their “god is their own appetites,” (literally, “their god is their belly”). These people are dedicated to serving their own appetites, satisfying the lusts and desires of their sinful nature, (especially as those desires manifest themselves in physical, fleshly passions), rather than serving Christ. They “glory in their shameful conduct.” Those things God defines as shameful, (vulgar speech and humor, deceit, greed, immorality, etc.), they practice with confidence and even brashness. They are the same as those described by the LORD through the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah: “Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them, declares the LORD” (Jer. 6:15).

Paul goes on to say, they “set their minds on earthly things.” Their outlook and their concerns are like the people of this world: focused on this present life, not focused on the kingdom of God; they lack a transcendent perspective. Their attitude and perspective is totally contrary to that which the Christian is exhorted to exhibit: “So do not worry, saying, 'What will we eat?' or, 'What will we drink?' or, 'What will we wear?' ³²The Gentiles [i.e. the unbelieving world] are preoccupied with all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matt. 6:31-33). The Apostle Paul concludes his discussion of such persons by declaring, “their destiny is perdition.” This is in accord with the warning issued by the Lord Jesus Himself:

Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' ²³Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers!' Matt. 7:21-23

In his Epistle to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul issued a similar warning:

Do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked: whatever a man sows, he will also reap: ⁸the man who sows to please his sinful nature, shall reap destruction from the sinful nature; but the man who sows to please the Spirit, shall reap eternal life from the Spirit. Gal. 6:7-8

Press On in Your Christian Life, Because You Hold Citizenship in the Kingdom of God←⤒🔗

We are to carefully consider and imitate the godly life when we see it displayed in others (vs. 17), because as believers in Christ, “our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (vs. 20). We must realize that those who, like the Apostle Paul, live devout God-centered lives are showing us how we are to conduct ourselves as citizens of God’s kingdom, the kingdom of heaven.

The force of the apostle’s words in verse 20a is this: "you presently hold citizenship in the kingdom of God." From the moment we believe in Christ, we become a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, as Paul assured the Gentile believers who were a part of the church in Ephesus, “you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints [i.e. the O.T. covenant people of God] and members of the household of God” (Eph. 2:19). Indeed, from the moment we believe in Christ, we become a citizen of the kingdom of heaven, with all the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.

Scripture not only identifies the Christian as a pilgrim journeying to the kingdom of God, it also identifies him as presently being a member of a colony of heaven existing in this world. By way of illustration: The citizens of West Berlin were under the laws of West Germany, even though the city of Berlin was located in East German territory. As people who presently hold citizenship in the kingdom of God, we are obligated to conduct our lives in compliance with the laws of that heavenly kingdom, even though we are living in this earthly realm.

We are to stay focused and press on in our Christian life, because we hold citizenship in the kingdom of God, and thus are obligated to live by its divine standards, as opposed to the standards that are accepted by the world.

Conclusion←⤒🔗

"Stay focused and press on!" That’s the advice home run king Hank Aaron has for home run hitters who aspire to surpass previous sluggers and get their names in the record book. "Stay focused and press on!" That’s the command the Apostle Paul presents to us for successful Christian living, the kind that pleases God, is consistent with our divine calling, and obtains the final inheritance in glory.

Discussion Questions←⤒🔗

1. What does Paul testify about his Christian life? See Phil. 3:12a. What is it that he has not yet attained? See Phil. 3:10c. What was the result of our Lord’s death and subsequent resurrection? See Rom. 6:10. Can we possibly expect to attain sinless perfect in this present life; when will we experience it? See 1 Jn. 3:2,

[It is] not that I have already attained this or have already been made perfect; rather, I press on so that I may take hold of that for which also I have been taken hold of by Christ. Phil. 3:12

Paul testifies that he has put his trust in Jesus the Messiah ¹⁰so that I may know him [i.e. have a profoundly deep and personal relationship with Christ] and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death... Phil. 3:10

What Paul has not yet attained is “conformity to Christ’s death.”

...the death that he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life that he lives, he lives to God. Rom. 6:10

Christ’s death, and subsequent resurrection, resulted in the complete separation from sin and a life lived completely unto God.

Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when he is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. 1 Jn. 3:2

2. Nevertheless, what does Paul do? See Phil. 3:12b; note, also, Phil. 3:14. What does the writer to the Hebrews exhort us to do? See Heb. 12:14. Christian, do you realize that your active submission to the Holy Spirit in the process of sanctification (cf. 2 Cor. 3:18) is a necessary and vital part in this spiritual process that will ultimately result in perfect conformity to the righteousness of Christ on the day of Christ’s appearing?

[It is] not that I have already attained this or have already been made perfect; rather, I press on so that I may take hold of that for which also I have been taken hold of by Christ... ¹⁴I press on to the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Phil. 3:12, 14

Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification, without which no one will see the Lord... Heb. 12:14

“The sanctification” is the process whereby the Christian, in reliance on the Holy Spirit, is increasingly conformed to the likeness of Christ our Savior.

...we all...beholding...the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory...by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3:18

3. For what does Paul press on? See Phil. 3:14. What is the Christian’s “high calling”? See 2 Thess. 2:14. Christian, do you appreciate that while the goal of our salvation is sharing in the righteousness of Christ, the prize is sharing in the glory of Christ? How are the two related? Note Psl. 29:2b/Heb. 1:9. What affect should this have upon our participation in the process of our sanctification? See Phil. 3:14-15,

I press on to the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.Phil. 3:14

...[God] called you by our gospel for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Thess. 2:14

Give unto the LORD the glory due to his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. Psl. 29:2

You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore, God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness more than your companions.Heb. 1:9

The glory consists in both the beauty exhibited in a righteous life (cf. Psl. 29:2), as well as the divine honor bestowed upon that life (cf. Heb. 1:9).

I press on to the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵As many of us that are mature should have this attitude; and if you have any different attitude, God will certainly reveal that to you... Phil. 3:14-15

4. What if we fail to exhibit this attitude of willingly participating in the process of our sanctification? See Phil. 3:15b. How might God in His love address our lack of enthusiasm for sanctification or any “different” attitude we might entertain? Note Psl. 119:67, 71, 75,

As many of us that are mature should have this attitude; and if you have any different attitude, God will certainly reveal that to you... Phil. 3:15

⁶⁷Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I keep your word...⁷¹[It is] good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn your statutes...⁷⁵I know, O LORD, that your judgments [are] right, and [that] in faithfulness you have afflicted me. Psl. 119:67, 71, 75

5. In contrast to those who serve as models of spiritually mature Christians, whose maturity is evidenced by their commitment to sanctification, what other kind of people does the Apostle Paul mention? See Phil. 3:18-19. While such professing “Christians” should serve as a warning and a model to be avoided, to whom should we look for support in carrying on the process of sanctification in our lives? See 2 Tim. 2:22,

As I have often told you, and even now tell you with tears, many walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. ¹⁹Their destiny is perdition, their god is their own appetites, and they glory in their shameful conduct. They set their minds on earthly things. Phil. 3:18-19

Flee youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Tim. 2:22