Philippians 3(12)–4(01)

Introduction

Before I went on holiday we had spent six weeks studying Paul’s letter to the Philippians. You may recall the background to his letter, which is recorded for us in Acts 16, where it tells us how Paul received a vision from the Lord, telling him to come over to Macedonia. And so, Paul crossed the Aegean Sea and entered Europe for the very first time. He travelled to Philippi, which was a Roman colony at the time and the leading city of the district. And Paul began to preach the gospel. Some people were converted and a church was planted. Around ten years later, Paul was under house arrest in Rome. When the Philippians heard about his arrest, they sent one of their members — Epaphroditus — to Paul with a financial gift to help him. And having received their gift, Paul wrote this letter to thank them for their gift and to send them a message, filled with words of comfort and encouragement and rebuke and exhortation and teaching.

During the course of the letter, Paul has reassured them about his imprisonment. Though he is in chains, his imprisonment has actually served to advance the gospel, because it had become known throughout the whole palace guard that he was in chains, not for being a criminal, but for being a Christian. The members of the palace guard where hearing about Christ. Furthermore, the other believers had been encouraged by what had happened to Paul to speak the word of God more courageously and fearlessly. So, instead of being frightened by what had happened to Paul, they had become emboldened to make God’s word known.

And then Paul went on to set before his readers his attitude to life and to death. What was his attitude to life and death? For Paul, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If he goes on living, then that will mean living for Christ. But if he dies — and maybe the emperor would give the order for Paul to be executed — if he dies, then he will go to be with Christ which is better by far than anything else. I quoted the words of Tim Keller who died recently, because his words are so fitting. He said: ‘All death can now do to Christians is to make their lives infinitely better.’ Our life will be infinitely better when we die, because death for the believer is not a loss, but a gain, because being with Christ is the best thing that can happen to a believer.

However, while Paul considered death to be a gain for him personally, his preference was to remain alive so that he might continue to minister to the believers in Philippi. While it may have been better for him personally to die and to go to be with the Lord, he was willing to remain alive so that he could help them.

And Paul went to to tell his readers about Christ, who did not look to his own interests, but to ours, when he came down from heaven to earth as one of us to suffer and to die in obedience to his Father for us and for our salvation.

And Paul then went on to tell his readers about Timothy, who was prepared to go wherever he was needed. And Paul went on to tell his readers about Epaphroditus, who risked his life and who almost died when he came to visit Paul.

And the reason Paul mentions Christ and Timothy and Epaphroditus and himself is because he wanted his readers to follow their example. There are indications in the letter that the church in Philippi was divided. People were putting themselves first and they were arguing with one another and complaining. And Paul wanted them to learn from the example of Christ and of Timothy and of Epaphroditus and from his own example that we’re not to put ourselves first, but we’re to put others first. We’re not to look to our own interests only, but also to the interests of others. We’re to do everything without complaining or arguing. And we’re to be blameless and pure, children of God without fault. And so, instead of complaining and arguing, we’re to follow the example of Christ and of Timothy and of Epaphroditus and of Paul. And, of course, instead of complaining and arguing, we’re to rejoice in the Lord.

And in the last passage we studied together before I went on holiday, Paul listed all the things he once boasted in and relied on for salvation. He relied on the fact that he was a good Jew, who always did what was right. In fact, he wasn’t only a good Jew, he was a superlative Jew. He was an outstanding Jew. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews.

And so, he once relied on himself. But now he has come to see that those things about himself count for nothing when it comes to salvation. They count for nothing, because the only thing that matters when it comes to salvation is knowing Jesus Christ the Saviour. Jesus Christ shares his perfect righteousness — his perfect obedience and goodness — with all those who know him and who trust in him for salvation. He covers his people with his own perfect righteousness, which is like a robe which covers our sins and shortcomings so that all that God can see when he looks at believers is Christ’s perfect obedience and goodness. And all who know and trust Christ become like him more and more. That is to say, they become more and more obedient to God the Father. And knowing and believing in Christ means we will attain to the resurrection from the dead and eternal life in the presence of God.

And so, those are some of the things we’ve been learning from this letter. Today’s passage is in two parts. The first part is verses 12 to 16; and the second part is from verse 17 to verse 1 of chapter 4. In the first part, Paul writes about straining towards what is ahead and pressing on towards the goal. And in the second part, he tells his readers that they are, even now, citizens of heaven.

3:12–16

Let’s turn to the first part which is verses 12 to 16. And Paul says in verse 12 that he has not already obtained ‘this’. And he goes on to say that he is straining towards ‘what is ahead’ and he’s pressing on towards ‘the goal’ to win the prize. So, what has he not already obtained? What is it that lies ahead of him and towards which he is straining? What is the goal towards which he is pressing on? What prize will he win one day?

Verse 11 ended with a reference to the resurrection from the dead. So, he’s thinking about that. That’s what he has in mind. He has not yet obtained the resurrection from the dead, but he’s straining towards it; and he’s pressing on towards the goal of the resurrection, which is the prize he will one day receive. He’s thinking about the resurrection and eternal life, which is the great hope which Christ has won for us and which he gives to all who believe in his name. Just as Christ died and was raised, so all who believe in him will be raised when he comes again. And then we will live with him in body and soul forever.

However, notice how Paul also uses the word ‘perfect’ in verse 12. He says that he has not already obtained the resurrection, nor has he been made ‘perfect’. So, when Christ comes again, we will be raised from the dead. But our life then will not be the same as our life now. Our life now is a life of sin, because all of us are sinners and we sin against the Lord continually. Yes, the Spirit of God is working in us to help us to fight against sin and temptation. He helps us to resist our sinful flesh. He’s doing that in our lives right now. However, the reason we have to fight against sin and temptation and our sinful flesh is because we’re sinners and we will remain sinners throughout this life. And because we’re sinners, we’ll continue to disobey the Lord and to fall short of doing his will.

And so, we are not yet perfect. And we will not be delivered from the presence of sin until Christ comes again and raises our bodies from the dead and makes us perfect in his presence. As John the Apostle says: when he appears, we will shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. So, Christ will come again and we’ll see him with our own eyes; and we’ll be made perfect like him.

So, in this life, the Spirit is at work in us to renew us inwardly in God’s image. But his work will not be completed until Christ comes again. At that time, sin will no longer be present in our lives. It will no longer be part of us. All of our desires and inclinations and the thoughts of our heart and the things we do will be perfect and pure and good.

Paul knows that he has not already obtained that. He knows that he has not already been made perfect. That perfect state still lies in the future. Nevertheless, Paul presses on to take hold of it. The word translated ‘press on’ can also be translated ‘pursue’. And we’re to think of a race with one runner pursuing another runner or chasing after him. The runner in pursuit will not give up until the race is over. And so, Paul will not give up the race to enter eternal life. He will keep going until the end. And he goes on to say in verse 13 that he will forget what is behind and will strain towards what is ahead. One of the things you must learn if you’re sprinting in a race is not to look behind you. You see children doing this sometimes. They want to know how far ahead they are and if anyone is catching up on them; and so they look behind. The problem is that looking behind slows you down. And so, you tell children not to look behind, but to keep their eyes on the finishing line. And Paul is says that he will not look behind him. Instead he’ll forget what is behind him. He won’t think about it.

He’s probably referring to the things he mentioned in the previous passage: all the things he once boasted in and relied on for salvation: how he was a good Jew — a Hebrew of Hebrews — who always did what was right. And now that he knows that those things count for nothing when it comes to salvation, he’s going to forget about them. He’s not going to rely on them anymore. So, he’s put them behind him and he’s going to forget about those things.

But Paul may also be thinking about past successes as well. By God’s grace, he’s travelled all across the Mediterranean to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. Through his ministry, sinners have been converted and churches have been established. He’s been the Lord’s apostle and the Lord has used him in a mighty way. But he’s not going to dwell on those things, the way people sometimes dwell on their glory days; and whenever you meet them, they’re always talking about the things they used to do. But Paul is not going to dwell on the things he did in the past. He’s not looking back, but he’s looking forward. He’s pressing on. In fact he’s straining towards what is ahead. He’s focussed on what is ahead. He’s focussed on the prize, which is eternal life in the presence of God, when he will be made perfect like Christ his Saviour.

But lest we think that we obtain eternal life and perfection by our own hard work and effort, we should note carefully that we’re only able to run this race and finish it because of Christ. Take a look at verse 12 again, where Paul says he presses on to take hold of that ‘for which Christ Jesus took hold of me’. So, he’s only in the race because Christ has already taken hold of him. The only reason he’s on his way to eternal life in God’s presence is because Christ took hold of him.

When did Christ take hold of him? Christ took hold of Paul when the Lord appeared to him on the road to Damascus. Do you remember? Paul was on his way to Damascus to arrest the believers. In those days, Paul was the great persecutor of the church, because he did not yet believe in the Saviour. But then the Saviour appeared to him and changed his life. The Lord Jesus took hold of Paul; and the Saviour made Paul one of his people and one of his apostles. And the Lord Jesus takes hold of us whenever he sends his Spirit into our lives to enable us to believe the good news of the gospel. He takes hold of us and makes us members of his people. And because the Lord Jesus took hold of Paul, Paul was now on his way to eternal life in the presence of God. And because the Saviour took hold of you, then you’re now on your way to eternal life.

And then take a look at verse 14, when Paul says that God called him heavenwards in Christ Jesus. Not only is Paul in the race because Christ took hold of him, but he’s in the race because God called him. God calls us through the reading and preaching of his word. He calls us to leave behind our old life of sin and unbelief and he calls us to believe in the Saviour. And God’s call is effective, isn’t it? It’s powerful. So, he not only calls us, but he enables us to respond to his call. And when he calls, he’s calling us upwards to heaven and to eternal life in his presence.

And so, God enables us to enter the race; and the race ends in heaven, where we will see the glory of God in the face of Christ and where we will become like him. We’re not there yet. We’re not there yet. But we’re to be like Paul and we’re to forget what’s behind us and we’re to press on and we’re to strain forward and we’re to focus on what lies ahead of us in the presence of God.

Before we move on to the next part, notice what Paul says in verses 15 and 16. He says that all of us who are mature should take such a view of things. The word translated ‘mature’ is actually the same word Paul uses in verse 12, where it is translated ‘perfect’. And so, it appears at first sight that Paul is contradicting himself, because in verse 12 he says we’re not yet perfect, but in verse 15 he refers to those of us who are perfect. But perhaps he means that the ones who are in a sense perfect now realise that we’re not yet perfect. The ones who are mature are the ones who realise how much they have to learn.

And when we realise that we’re not yet perfect, then we’ll be humble, won’t we? We’ll realise that we haven’t yet arrived and we fall far short of perfection and we’ve got a long way to go before we’ll ever be perfect. And so, we’ll be humble, won’t we?

And instead of arguing with those who think differently, Paul leaves it to God. Do you see that? He says that all of us should take the same view of things; and if on some point you think differently, God will make it clear to you. He’s saying: I’m not going to try to argue with you, but I’ll leave it to God to persuade you of the truth. Now the commentators are careful to make the point that Paul was always ready to stand up for the truth of the gospel. If the truth of the gospel was in danger, he would do what he could to defend it. But when it came to other things, he’s willing to leave it to the Holy Spirit. And so, instead of arguing and falling out with one another, we’re to wait patiently for the Spirit of truth to do his work in our lives.

And while we wait for Christ to come again, let’s live up to what we have already attained. ‘Hold true’ is probably a better translation of what Paul says. We’re to hold true to what we have already attained and therefore we’re to keep going. If we imagine the Christian life as a race, we’re not to bow out of the race; and we’re not to go backwards. We’re to press on and we’re to keep moving towards the goal, which is eternal life in God’s presence.

One of the commentators (Johnson) quotes C.S. Lewis, who said that we are too easily pleased. He says that we are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered to us. So, we’re satisfied with too little. We’re satisfied with the things of this life and of this world. Of course, many of the things of this world are good things. After all, God made the world and he filled it with good things for us to enjoy. But we’re not to make the things of this world ultimate things. We’re not to be satisfied with this life only, because there’s a whole new life in the world to come which is far, far, far better than this one. And we must look beyond the good things of this life to the giver of these good things. And only when we see him in the life to come in the face of Christ will we will truly satisfied. So, let’s press on and keep going, with our eyes fixed firmly on the prize, which is eternal life in God’s presence.

3:17–4:1

And that takes us to the second part of today’s passage, where Paul refers to people whose minds are on earthly things.

He says to his readers in verse 17 that they should follow his example and take note of those who do so. However, he goes on in verse 18 to refer to those who live as enemies of the cross of Christ. In fact, he says there are many who live like that. And the thought of there being so many who live as enemies of the cross of Christ makes him weep.

Who are these people who live as enemies of the cross? Unfortunately we’re not exactly sure who Paul means and the commentators make various suggestions. However, in a sense it doesn’t really matter who Paul has in mind exactly, because Paul’s main point against them is that their mind is set on earthly things. Whoever they are, they’re just like the people C.S. Lewis was writing about who are too easily pleased, because they’re only thinking about life in this world and the pleasures it brings. And while God has filled this world with good things for us to enjoy, and while we should give thanks to God for his good gifts, nevertheless we should not make these good things ultimate things. These good things are not the most important things and we should not treat them as if they were. We should always be looking beyond this life to the life to come, when we shall come before Christ and live in the presence of God forever.

And even as we look beyond this life to the life to come, we need to understand that we are already citizens of heaven. Our citizenship is in heaven, says Paul in verse 20. The city of Philippi was a Roman colony so that its citizens were regarded as citizens of Rome and they enjoyed all the benefits of being citizens of Rome, even though they lived far away from Rome. And the citizens of Philippi were proud of their Roman citizenship. But here’s Paul telling his readers in Philippi that as well as being citizens of Philippi, they are also citizens of heaven above. That’s where their true home is. That’s where they truly belong and that’s where they will one day go.

And that’s true of us as well. We live here in Northern Ireland and we can take pride in our country and we can rejoice in all that is good about Northern Ireland. But we also need to remember that we are also citizens of heaven. That’s where our true home is. That where our first loyalty lies. That’s where we truly belong; and that where we’ll one day go. And so, we eagerly await our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, to come from heaven and to bring us into our true home.

By calling Jesus both our Saviour and Lord Paul is subverting what the Romans believed about the Emperor. They believed the Emperor was their Saviour and when they were in trouble, they looked to him to help them. They looked to him to save them from their enenmies or from oppression and injustice or from any other kind of trouble. And they regarded the Emperor as their lord. They were obligated to obey him and to do his will.

But Christians have an even greater Saviour and Lord, because Jesus Christ gave up his life for us on the cross to save us from our sin and misery. He bore the punishment we deserve for all that we have done wrong, so that whoever believes in him is saved from the penalty of sin. Because of Christ, God forgives us and he treats us as if we’ve done everything right. And he promises to save us from death by giving us eternal life in the presence of God, where we’ll enjoy perfect peace and rest forever. Sorrow and sadness and weeping will be no more.

So, Jesus Christ is an even greater Saviour than the Emperor. And he’s an even greater Lord, because his power and authority extends over the heavens and the earth. And one day, every knee will bow before him and every tongue will confess that he is Lord. And since he’s Lord, then we ought to live in obedience to him in our daily lives. We should seek to do his will in all things. But it’s not a burden for us to obey him, because our Lord is also our Saviour and we love him and we’re grateful to him for all that he did to save us.

And then, we’re waiting for him to appear, because when he comes again, he will bring everything under his control. Do you see that in verse 21? Right now, everything has been disordered because of sin. Everything has been knocked out of shape because of sin. Our families, our schools, our workplace, our city, our country, the world: everything has been knocked out of shape because of sin. But the Lord, when he comes, will bring everything under his control. He’ll remove all the disorder when he renews all things. And when he comes, he’ll transform our lowly bodies so that they become like his glorious body. Our bodies, which are fine for life in this world, will be made new and they’ll be made perfect and fit for life in the presence of God. They’ll be made like Christ’s glorious body.

Conclusion

C.S. Lewis wrote that we’re too easily pleased. People are satisfied with this world and with the things it offers them. He said that our desires are not too strong, but too weak, because instead of desiring infinite joy in the presence of God, people desire only earthly, finite things. And so, may God fill our hearts with a strong desire and a longing for perfection in the presence of God, where we will see the glory of our God in the face of Christ.

And, as Paul says in verse 1 of chapter 4, this is how you should stand firm in the Lord. You stand firm in the Lord by remembering that you are already a citizen of heaven, that heaven in the presence of God is your true home; and by pressing on and by straining forward to the perfection which will be yours when Christ comes again and you’ll see him and will become like him.