Communion With the Christ:: Toward the Goal

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians: 3:14

St. Paul writing to the Christian Church in Philippi Greece gives them and believers throughout the ages instructions and encouragement for the Christian life and our participation in that life lived in union with our Lord Jesus and one another.

St. Paul in addressing Christians comparing the life of the Christian as a race in which all Christians are engaged. As with any race or contest of endurance there will be times when the participants may for varies reasons be tempted to give up or cease to be in the event.

Focus on the Goal

The Apostle is writing to the Philippians and all Christians to encourage them to keep their focus on the goal of the Christian life in Christ so that they will run a good race toward the goal and not give up.

The Games

The ancient world had several annual athletic games which were well known throughout the Greco-Roman world. In these varies competitions it was a general rule that only citizens were given the right and privilege to be a part of the games.

No Advantage in the Flesh

St. Paul begins to address what it takes for Christians to run and finish this race which leads in great glory of receiving the victory crown. St. Paul tells us, that unlike the athletic games of the ancient world where-in physical conditioning, strength and endurance were to the participants advantage, the race however which we are called to run does not rely upon any advantage of the flesh, if this were the case St. Paul would be able to be look to his own advantages to compete and to win.

“If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.” (4b-6)

St. Paul is saying that “if the victory was won based on the flesh, then I would win”, but his purpose is to elevate the view of Christians above the flesh to the true source of our victory and the receiving the crown of victory and eternal life.

The Apostle then admonishes Christians to relinquish any trust in the things which we previously trusted in for these very things in which we had put so much confidents in can become an impediment to us in each of our striving forward toward the goal of the Kingdom.

St. Paul had much to boast in, that is, at least according to the flesh, but none of those things would win him the race of the Christian life, so he turned lose his attachment to them all and focused wholly on Jesus alone for the goal of victory.

“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ” (7-8)

Gaining Christ

The Apostle tells us how he viewed his past accomplishments and pedigree and why he had no confidence in them, "I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ”.

St. Paul tells us the end results; the true goal of all human life is to “gain Christ”.

St. Paul had become so aware of the lack of the flesh and our own efforts to reach our goal and the realization that any effort of his, or our own, would prove woefully inadequate but rather than trust in any performance-based righteousness he would simply place his trust in Jesus as the means of reaching the goal.

“and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” (9)

The Goal

By trusting in Jesus as the only means of reaching the goal it is now not only “possible” but is certain. St. Paul now begins to define the goal for his life and by extension all of our lives.

“I want to know Christ—"(10a)

What he is saying is, that this is the goal and this knowing Christ is a deep relationship made possible for us through the life and death of Jesus. This “to know Christ” goes far beyond simply possessing facts regarding a person or having information regarding Jesus it is an intimacy a sharing of who they are; in the case of Jesus, both his life, suffering and his death, and resurrection we have been afford a place in himself to experiencing these things.

To truly know a person this deeply requires a sharing in both their life and their death.

St. Paul is telling us that this is his goal not only for himself but for all believers in all ages that we all could come to full sharing of who Jesus is and the result of becoming like Jesus in all things and possessing all that Christ has accomplished for humanity to have.

“yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (10b-11)

St. Paul tells us that he had not yet experienced the fullness of that goal which he strove for

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal”, (12a)

Yet, he holds on to the assurance of reaching the goal, not due to his efforts or any other flesh bound advantage but only due to the actions of Jesus.

“but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.” (12b)

Toward the Goal

St. Paul now speaks in a language of relationship to the Philippians and to all believers throughout the ages, not only because that is how he views them, but because that is how Jesus views them, and we all.

“Brothers and sisters” (13a)

The Apostle now confides to us all that he knows this his reaching the goal has not yet been fully experienced by himself, or by any of us, this side of eternity. He tells us that he knows that this full reaching and striving toward the goal of knowing Jesus will be completely his, and ours, in the eternity that awaits us all, because of Jesus.

“I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (13b-14)

The athletes who trained and ran in games of the ancient world did so only to receive a perishable crown of momentary glory which fades away, but the crown and the prize for which we run is for a crown of eternal glory that never will fade.

This glorious crown is ours', not through our own efforts or any advantage of the flesh, all those perceived advantages are, as St. Paul declared, “garbage” and he discarded them and they can hider our coming to know Jesus as fully as we may which is the true goal for which we strive and receive in Jesus that glorious crown of knowing him.

Benediction: May we each and all be focused upon our Lord Jesus as we run toward the goal of knowing him, today, tomorrow and forevermore. Amen.