THE SPIRITUAL RACE
Philippians 3:12-16
By Bro. Teody Galit
Determination and tenacity are requirements for success in almost any worthwhile endeavor. Note how a hungry cheetah displays such single-mindedness when he chooses one specific animal in a herd of deer or antelope and goes after it. Ignoring others less desirable, which might easily be caught, the swift predator has been clocked at nearly seventy miles per hour in its hot and unrelenting pursuit of its intended prey. Think of the many scientists who, in spite of discouraging setbacks and negative attitudes on the part of their fellow workers, have persisted year after year in carrying on research in order to find a vaccine for some specific disease. Such tenacity of purpose is highly commendable. What boy has not thrilled to the popular tale of the western rancher who, having set his mind upon capturing a certain wild stallion, did not give up until he had corralled and trained the creature? To attain success, both determination and perseverance are necessary.
In like manner, to live a victorious spiritual life, a steadfast resolve and a constancy of purpose are needed. The apostle Paul declared that a desire to experience the fullness of Christ's resurrection power so gripped him that it became the controlling factor in his life. His words "I press toward the mark" describe a runner racing hard with his head forward, body bent and angled, and eyes on nothing but the final tape. Such was Paul's zealous attitude in reaching out toward the spiritual goals of service and blessing. If we would show the same oneness of purpose, we would likewise be filled with joy, experience victory over sin, and possess a deeper sense of God's constant presence.
Let us press toward "the prize of the high calling of God"!
I'm pressing on the upward way,
New heights I'm gaining everyday;
Still praying as I onward bound,
"Lord, plant my feet on higher ground."
Sanctification is much like riding a bicycle — either you keep moving forward, or stop and lose your balance and fall. Paul uses the analogy of a runner to describe a Christian’s spiritual growth. The believer has not reached his goal of Christ-likeness, but like the runner in a race, he must continue to pursue it. Paul’s goal was to know Christ, to be like Christ, and to be all that Christ had in mind. This goal absorbed all his energy.
This can be a good example for us Christians today. We should not let anything take our eyes off from our goal of knowing Christ more. With the same mind of every athlete in training, we must lay aside and forsake anything that may distract us from growing and becoming effective Christians. What are the things that usually holding us back to pursue and reach our goal in our Christian life? Philippians 3:12-16 gives us three rules in our spiritual race.
Rule #1: Forget (v. 13)
Brethren, 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.
The first step of preparation to run the race requires that the runners strip off every weight that might slow them down. The same thing for us Christians, we must be spiritually trim to be able to run the race that God has set before us. We should trim off all the unnecessary weight that could hold us back, weights such as sins, pride, and care of this world.
Paul describes in verse 12 & 13 that the Christian life is a process, and it all begins with sense of honesty and dissatisfaction. While we can consider Paul as a nearly perfect Christian, but for him he considered that, he had not yet achieved the perfect knowledge of Christ and the power of His resurrection or sharing of His suffering and death. All of these were part of the process of sanctification: of working towards the day when we can be all that Christ Jesus saves us to be and wants us to be.
Paul did not consider that he achieved spiritual maturity; he did not boast who he is in terms of his relationship and service to the Lord. Like Paul our focus is on one goal to achieve perfection. Paul presses on to lay hold on this goal of perfection, forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.
Our past should not be a barrier to the future, or an excuse for dropping out, or for avoiding proper spiritual conduct in our relationship with God and with others. Paul forgets his past even all his credentials, accomplishments, and sins, and like a runner in a race he press on to reach the finish line and achieve his goal.
Luke 9:62
But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
The picture of a person putting a hand to the plow and looking back can be compared with Elijah’s call of Elisha in 1 Kings 19:19-21. Elisha was called to be a prophet right in the middle of plowing a field—and he never looked back. In fact, he slaughtered the oxen so that there would be no temptation to return. Elisha then moved wholeheartedly into the ministry to which he had been called.
Jesus explained that service in the Kingdom of God was of such vital importance that his followers must make it their top priority. They must step out in faith to serve him, without looking back.
Rule # 2: Reach (v. 13)
Brethren, 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.
Jesus is our example, He perfectly finished His race; He stands at the finished line waiting for us. We Christians should focus our eyes to Jesus, and not look at any distractions and options. Our faith must defend on Him from the start to finish. He set the course of faith, ran the race first and now waits for us to join Him at the end and He encourages us all the way in our race. Like Jesus, we should persevere in times of suffering, and looking to Him as our model and concentrating on our heavenly destination.
Forgetting our past plays an important role on how we can reach forward on our Christian race, once we continue to hold on to our past there is no way that we can reach forward. Who we are and what we are before should be completely deleted and not be part of our Christian race. We cannot remain to be the same as whom and what we are before, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, changes should be seen on our life. Jesus forgets Who He was just to fulfill His goal of reaching us.
Hebrew 6:1
Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from the dead works and of faith towards God.”
This verse urged us to go beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity. Once we continue to stay and reviewed the fundamentals about Christ would only have left us where we were. This verse also suggests “radical surgery” to pull us forward in reaching our goal of maturity.
Rule # 3: Press On (v.14)
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus
As runners press on toward the finish line, Paul encouraged Christians to press on to reach the end of the race and received the prize. Even though Paul did not identify the prize, it seems the prize that he wants us to get is having the full knowledge of Christ. Jesus is calling us up to heaven; the heavenly call is the summons for us to win the victor’s prize of salvation.
At the end of each race, officials had to call and proclaim the winner and call him up to receive his prize. In Paul’s metaphor, the prize is the full revelation of Christ at the resurrection.
2 Timothy 4:7, 8 I have fought a good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
It is important to note that Paul made no claim to having won the race; he was content with having finished it. Marathon runners know the exhilaration of finishing the grueling miles of that race—they are thankful just to cross the finish line. Completion is a significant accomplishment revealing incredible endurance and determination. Paul had remained faithful to the message that had been entrusted to him; this also had been entrusted to Timothy. Paul had never wavered in his faith and trusted that soon he would experience all the promises on which he had based his life and ministry.
Conclusion Vv. 15-16
15 Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind; and if anything you think otherwise, God will reveal even these to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.
After Paul described his spiritual goals, he explained to the Philippians that all mature Christians should agree on these things. That is, they too ought to be pressing on toward the goal. As a mature believers we should understand that we could not gain perfection and acceptance by God by our own humanity; yet because of our love for Christ, and willingness to pressed on to follow His examples in order to become more like Him in life.
Paul made it clear that those who were truly mature were those who realized their dependence on God. We pressed on, not to make ourselves good enough or to gain credentials by our accomplishments; rather, we pressed on to know our Savior better. Christian maturity involves acting on the guidance that we have already received. The believers were in different stages, but everyone needed to obey the truth that we had learned already.
As we press on toward the goal, we should not use our lack of complete knowledge as an excuse for taking lightly what we knew or being side tracked. We should continue to learn and grow, while at the same time governing our lives by the light we had already received. In all we do, live our lives full out for Jesus, today in prayer, let us praise the Lord for our life, and ask for strength to endure during hard times and bring glory to Him.
“Endurance is not just the ability to bear a hard thing, but to turn it to glory.” William Barclay
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