Toward the Finish-Line: Meditation for November 30-December 6
Philippians 3:7–16
This is the Word of God. May the Spirit of Truth give us wisdom and insight to receive what has been conveyed through His Word by His Inspiration.
Who or what can separate us from the Love of God?!
3:7–11
7But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.
8Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
10that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,
11if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.
Paul continued to illustrate the transformation of his life by showing the difference between his former life and the man renewed in Christ. He counted his earthly accolades and glamorous heritage worthless in light of what he gained in Christ Jesus. But he was careful to admit that his gain in Jesus Christ was not the result of his own wisdom, decisions, or observance of the law. What Jesus Christ did for him in saving him has made all the difference between what he had and what he was given in Jesus Christ.
Paul thoroughly understood that his new life in Christ is enduring and irreversible. What he had on earth was temporal and passing. His earthly gains were perishable and of little worth.
His salvation meant then, the death of the old nature and the birth of the New Man in Jesus Christ. Because he had been joined to Christ in His life, suffering, death, and resurrection, Paul viewed his life in Christ with the right perspective. He knew that the same Power and Authority which raised Jesus Christ from the dead, also transformed him from condemnation to salvation, from death to life, from the Saul of Tarsus—the zealous persecutor, to Paul the apostle—the servant of God.
3:12-16
12Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
13Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
14I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
16Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
The text before us strongly implies that the rejection of the past and the unreserved acceptance of the new are the very essence of our new life in Christ. But the practical application of embracing the redeemed life and rejecting the lingering natural tendencies of the sin-nature requires wisdom, knowledge, and understanding that are beyond man’s inherent resources. Yet Paul urges us to press on forward in spite of the intensities of the struggle and the exigencies of the journey. To be sure, that is the life we receive by Grace through faith and live by the same Grace through the same faith. We press on forward toward the mark by Grace through faith.
Everything necessary for redemption has been accomplished by Jesus Christ. But it is progressively revealed to us in the process of daily life. Life's daily encounter with our Lord is the means by which we can personally experience the victory that Jesus Christ had already accomplished on our behalf. So we must continue to run the race in order to experience Christ's victory in our daily walk with Him.
Paul was careful, deliberate, and patient as he unwrapped the paradox of living in an accomplished victory that must be concretized still in the context of earthly realities in which we live. He confessed that he did not consider himself a winner yet, even though he boldly asserted that he lived in the victory already secured by Jesus Christ. His life as the servant of God consisted of a daily journey engaging him in a lifelong race that he was called and empowered to finish as winner.
Paul was convinced that the truth he explained should not come as a surprise to the saints. Those who are redeemed and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, those who are united as one in mind and spirit, and those who continue to mature in faith should gradually come to the realization of the victory secured for us by Jesus Christ. If any believer fails to understand this due to spiritual immaturity, then God Himself will eventually correct the error of the infant faith.
The only way to guard against spiritual immaturity and stagnation is to apply what has already been learned. No matter where we might be in our journey of faith as believers, we should always cling to what the Spirit has taught us. We should continue to build on our knowledge and understanding as the Spirit continues to teach us.
God’s Word is life-giving and guards the Christian against the evil devices of this hostile world. God’s Word protects the saints from the relentless onslaught of the sin-nature. Therefore, being guided by the truth we have been taught, we, as God’s redeemed children, are strengthened and encouraged to make steady progress forward in our journey toward the finish line where Christ our Lord and Savior waits to greet us, welcoming us to the home He prepared for us.
Notes/Applications
Using his own personal experience to illustrate the Power of Christ’s Gospel in one's life, Paul introduced the Philippians to the true perfection in Jesus Christ, the only perfection. He instructed them to set a goal of finishing the race of life. It is already achieved on our behalf by Jesus the Christ.
Paul’s Goal-setting is different from the conventional goal-setting standards of the world today. His is spiritual while the world focuses on the personal. These two goal-setting standards might not be comparable. However, in view of the spiritual perspective, false assumptions and unattainable expectations must be answered lest we frustrate ourselves.
At the outset, Paul confessed that he is not perfect and could not reach his spiritual goals, i.e., the mark of the finish line, by his own strength. He boldly declared that his passion was to pursue Jesus Christ and fellowship with Him in His victory and in His suffering. Therefore, discarding what was behind and focusing on what is ahead, he set his goal on experiencing Christ's victory.
So because of Christ we confidently believe and courageously declare that we forget our past and reach forward to the finish line in spite of our imperfections and inabilities to persevere on our own. Because of Jesus Christ Who called us to follow Him through life’s victory lane, we refuse to dwell in the past. We step up to face today’s realities and the challenges of the future.
We know that the One Who called us is:
- Strong and mighty to keep us;
- Gracious to forgive us;
- Loving and merciful to provide for us;
- Just and Righteous to cleanse us;
- Trustworthy to sustain and preserve us;
- Able to keep us faultless;
and - Faithful to keep us from falling!
It is done! Our fallen outlook has been replaced by the godly perspective of the Spirit in us. We lean on the truth declared by the Word of God. We lean on Jesus Christ the Author and Finisher of our faith. Yes, we are all winners because we have been made winners by the One Who won the race. So let us run the race by following Jesus Christ Who leads us right across the finish line.
- We won't go astray because He is the Way.
- We won't be confused because He is the Truth.
- We will never be lost because He is our Life.
- Jesus Christ: The Way! The Truth! The Life.
