ONE THING I DO

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Phil 3:12-4:1

One of the amazing things about the Scripture is the way God using the writer’s personalities to pen the letters through the Spirit’s leading and directing. What do I mean? Many times Paul uses metaphors to express a point he is trying to get across to the people and one of those ways is his use of athletic metaphors.

For example:

In 1 Cor 9:24-27 Paul says “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

Paul described the Christian life as a struggle, like a wrestling match or a fight. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Eph 6:12

Paul’s even used an athletic metaphor before he died when he shared these words with Timothy “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” 2 Tim 4:7

Paul must have liked sports, if he was alive today and living in Canada he would reference hockey! Who doesn’t like hockey and he probably be cheering for the Leafs as well. See! Paul’s favorite metaphor is running! To the elders of Ephesus he said “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy,...” Acts 20:2. And we see it here in Paul’s letter to the church of Philippi “I press on (to run or follow after) toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:14. This is not some lite walk but an aggressive, energetic endeavor. What Paul is saying is “The Christian life is a life of straining every spiritual muscle to win the race.”

What is Paul pressing on for? This brings me to the title of my message “One Thing I Do” What is the one thing I do? Answer! That I know Him more and the power of His resurrection and becoming like Him in His sufferings. That I may partake, taste His sufferings, because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus and the precious gospel. My desire and your desire should be to know Him more; seeking Him and laying aside everything that hinders that relationship. (v3) We press on, strain towards the finish line to know Him more through the fellowship of His grace.

What does that look like? Paul gives us some insight by what he says here about growing in spiritual maturity.

1. Humbly Acknowledge That You Haven’t Arrived There Yet. 

(v12-v13a) 

Paul confesses to the church that he, himself, hasn’t arrived to spiritual maturity yet.

Paul is saying he hasn’t reached that point in life where he knows everything.... or he is like his Lord yet! This is a very humbling statement....especially coming from a godly man like Paul

Paul is saying “I’m still learning as I progress in my sanctification” Mature people humbly acknowledge that they haven’t arrived to perfection yet. What Paul says here throws into the face of those who adopt the wrong theology of “Believer’s Perfection”. “Perfectionism” teaches that there is a class of Christians who achieve moral perfection in this life. R C Sproul said “Inevitably the error of perfectionism breeds one, or usually two, deadly delusions. To convince ourselves that we have achieved sinlessness, we must either suffer from a radical overestimation of our moral performance or we must seriously underestimate the requirements of God’s law...” We must be very careful about this idea of perfection, because the gospel quickly humbles this type of thinking.

As Paul already said “I count everything as loss” this means that Paul’s not perfect, you’re not perfect and we will continue to make mistakes, We are on this journey together and Paul’s confession to the church gives us hope as we confess to one another that we are not perfect. May the Scripture humble us, and mature us, into His likeness, minute by minute.

2. Passionately Pursue A Greater Knowledge Of Christ

(v12-14)

We cannot be complacent in this approach to Scripture and the Christ of the Scriptures.

Some would! By what Paul confessed too, so if I can’t attain perfection and will fail from time to time, why bother.

Why bother reading Scripture

Why bother praying

Why bother attending and serving church

Why bother do anything.

Paul says “Don’t think this way, but press on to know Christ more as you grow in maturity.” Notice the passion in (v12) “I make every effort to take hold of it.” Paul uses the expression “Lay hold” this means to make one’s own possession; just as Christ did in the gospel for you and me. Christ chose Paul for the ultimate purpose of conforming Paul to His glorious image. And knowing this truth was the very goal Paul pursed to attain, to lay hold of Christ. Is this your goal in life this morning? Is it your passion and desire to grow more into the image of the Son? Or is this to overwhelming because it makes you feel defeated?

The usual answer to these questions is? There is no way I will ever be like my LORD. Your right! I will never be like my Lord! But we must take hold of it and pursue Him until we give up our last breath here on Earth. I haven’t reached Christ-likeness yet, nor will I ever, on this earth; but while I’m here on this earth I will pursue him it none the less! (Look at v13-14) What is Paul saying here! Do we live in the past? No! We are not to look at our past virtuous or deeds or achievements or dwell on our sins and failures; this is to draining and time consuming. Paul looked at his assets and accomplishment and saw them as manure remember. Paul says we (Christians) are to run towards what lies ahead which is Christ likeness. We are to run towards the prize........which is Christ likeness in Heaven. All our pursuits should be to glorify our father who is Heaven and to make much of Christ on this earth as lights to fallen generation. As the Hebrew writer wrote “…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…” Heb 12:1-2. This is running, exercising, self-control; not running aimlessly, not boxing the air, its’ disciplining our bodies and submitting to Christ to know Him more as we spiritually grow.

“Press on” is perseverance and laying aside anything that would hinder us from running affectively for Christ and His glory.

If you want to grow you… need passion and discipline, put effort into it because He has made you a New Creation. With this New Creation we are to pursue holiness and forgetting what hinders us from pursuing holiness. Forgetting your past achievements and forgetting failures, but seeking Christ, with a passionate pursuing heart to know Him more.

3. Never Lose  The Wonder Of The Gospel

(v12b-v14b)

Paul says “I press on to make every effort to take hold of it.” Then he says something even more beautiful “Because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus.” Paul never lost the wonder of the gospel and we shouldn’t either. The Christian life involves going deeper in the gospel and never beyond the gospel. Everything we do and our lives is an outflow of the work being done in us through the gospel. For Paul this was privilege and honor to serve and never lose the wonder of the gospel in his life.

What was Paul in awe off? The answer! That Christ took a hold of his life and this is our story as well. That a sovereign God infinity worthy, self-sustaining, looked upon my life and your life and said “I want him or her in my family” How is this possible? One word! GRACE The grace of God called us into His glorious family and one day we will stand in His presence for all eternity.

“for the prize of the upward call” (v14) The “Upward call”

This is God’s Heavenly call upon your life to walk and live in newness of life.  This is God’s Heavenly call that keeps you to the day of your resurrection and eternal glorification. This is God’s Heavenly call that firmly plants you in His sovereign arms where no one can steal you from Him. This is what Paul was in awe about and we are never to lose sight of or focus of this truth. We are to take hold of what we have been given though Christ. (v16) What Paul is saying is “We are to line up or follow! We must keep to the spiritual path that is set before us.” We boost in this truth, we boost in the Cross, we are to fill our affections with these truths. We must run the race and keep in our lane to the finish line. 

4. Follow Cross-Centered Heavenly Minded Examples 

(v15-19)

Whom you follow matters! Find those who are spiritually mature.....not by age, but by their intimate relationship they have with Christ. Remember! “It’s not how long you have been a Christian, it’s how in love you are in with Christ that really demonstrates your true heart.” Find people who are in that same pursuit as you are and strive together to grow closer into the image of the Son. That’s what Paul is referring too here! Those who have a passion and a fire for the Gospel and Jesus Christ.

How do I recognize a person like this? Answer (v17) They always have a passion about the saving grace in their own lives and they treat their salvation as the greatest gift they could ever have. They never waste their time on personal pursuits; or make excuses. They are always seeking the interest of those around them. They are honest in their dealings with others, because it’s their passion to please Christ above everything else. They walk as a light in a fallen world with the Gospel that saves to the uttermost and they display that by making much of Jesus Christ.

Remember what the Hebrew writer wrote “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Heb 12:1-2

Believers are to have the attitude of pursing the prize of Christ likeness. Paul says if you think that’s not possible.......he writes “God will reveal (uncover or unveil) even this to you” (v15b) If you’re a person who dwells on the past and looks back at his life, then you are a person who is not pursuing the prize of Christ likeness and God is still is working on you in this area of your life.

How God goes about doing that? I don’t know

But! According to what Paul writes here in (v15) God will show you that it’s possible to walk.....run....press on.....look ahead to a life that exemplifies Christ likeness. God is working this in your life, until He reveals this in glory (1:v6) and remember what Paul said in (2: v13). Find faithful examples and watch them, follow those who are showing what it look likes to live out the Christen life in ways of prayer, giving, showing sacrificial love, towards others and especially the family of God.

Here is the WARNING! We, you must follow after examples like this. (v17) Why? Because the dangers of avoiding this lead to patterns of pretending and earthly mindedness. (v18-v19) Do you see Paul’s deep concern for the church here? Paul’s heart was grieved, broken with great sadness and anguish. “Weeping” (means) “Of uncertain empathy; to sob, that is, wail aloud” It’s the same kind of weeping you would find over the loss of a loved one at a funeral.

Why does this grieve Paul and bring him to tears? They were “enemies of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v18) Paul knew the end result for this kind of behaviour would be devastating to say the least. Look what he writes….. The Doom They Face “Whose end is destruction” This is a rejection of the one and only truth of salvation...the cross of Christ. “End” refers to their ultimate destiny, which is the great judgement that sends a person to Hell for all eternity. The beginning of torment for all eternity in the Lake of Fire.  The Deity They Serve “Whose god is their appetite” It was not mere pleasures of the stomach that was their god.....but there fleshly passions and desires that became their deity.......their master. As Jude said “ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” Jude 1:4

Satan had this appetite “I will be like the Most High” found in Isaiah 14. The Disgrace They Bear “Whose glory is in their shame” They loved glorying in themselves “I centered worship” the very thing God said He would never share with anyone. Again as Jude said “following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage.” Jude 1:16. Look at me and be impressed with me, because I’m better than you, boasting in their rubbish. What they thought of themselves was the worst perversion that a person could ever do.

  

The Disposition They Display “Who set their minds on earthly things”  They love the world more than they love GOD. The world is there oyster or pearl of great price because it fulfills the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life” As John said “if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father in not in him” 1 John 2:15. As James said “.....Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” James 4:4. Avoid such people because they are running the race of destruction and eternal damnation. Follow after those who are hidden in Christ! Why?

5. Live In Light Of Your True Citizenship. 

(v20-v21)

We have a Heavenly calling and we are to be Heavenly minded. Because we have a Heavenly home that awaits us. We are to run this race with the finish line in our sights, even though we cannot see the end. As Citizenship “we await” expresses the idea of waiting patiently, but with a great expectation of things to come, not of things that pasted. God’s ultimate goal in His redeemed children is to transform our bodies one day. We will be conformed into the image of His Son one day, we will have heavenly bodies. But until that happens we are to eagerly wait and press on for the Gospel that saves. As John wrote “Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.” 1 John 3:2. 

As Jonathan Edwards said "I went on with my eager pursuit after more holiness and conformity to Christ. The heaven I desired was a heaven of holiness."

George Whitefield said “How sweet is rest after fatigue! How sweet will heaven be when our journey is ended.”

Let’s make every effort by heeding these truths daily as we wait for Heaven. 

Humbly acknowledge that we haven’t arrived yet

Passionately pursue a greater knowledge of Christ and the gospel.

Never lose the wonder and awe of His great love for sinners like you and me.

Follow Christ-centered examples as you run Heavenward.

Live in light your citizenship, secured and kept for you until the very end.

  

This should be the mark of your life, as you run the race, for the prize of the upward call in Christ Jesus our Lord.

As John MacArthur said “at the foot of one the Swiss Alps is a marker honoring a man who fell to his death attempting the ascent. The marker gives his name and this brief note: “he died climbing.” The note of every Christian should be that they died climbing the upward path toward the prize of Christ likeness.”