February – 3 –  Press On in Christ

Sunday School Lesson

February 3

 Press On in Christ

Devotional Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:50–58

Background Scripture: Philippians 3:1–16

 

Philippians 3:7–14

7. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

 

8. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

 

9. And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

 

10. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

 

11. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

 

12. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

 

13. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

 

14. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

 

Key Verses

Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.—Philippians 3:13, 14

 

Lesson Aims

After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to:

 

1. Identify faith in Christ as not just the condition of belonging to God but the compulsion for becoming like Christ.

 

2. Contrast a life that grows in Christlikeness with a life focused on status or attainments.

 

3. Identify and abandon one or more things that hinder his or her growth in Christlikeness.

 

 

HOW TO SAY IT

Corinthians	Ko-rin-thee-unz (th as in thin).
Damascus	Duh-mass-kus.
Judaizers	Joo-duh-ize-ers.
Mosaic	Mo-zay-ik.
Philippians	Fih-lip-ee-unz.
Thessalonians	Thess-uh-lo-nee-unz (th as in thin).

Introduction

1. Knowing Where You Are Going

An old joke begins with the scene of a man driving his family to a certain destination, but they became lost. After a while, the wife asked the husband, “Do you know where you are going?” Choosing his words carefully, the husband paused a few seconds before replying, “No, I don’t. But we’re making excellent time!”

If we ever expect to arrive at our destination, we have to know where we are going. The route may need some discovery and modification. But if we know where we are going, we can adjust to get there.

This obvious truth is part of the message of today’s text. When we know where God has us going, we can be confident that in every circumstance we are still moving toward that blessed destination.

 

1. Lesson Context

Many circumstances had come together to create disunity in the Philippian church. We can surmise that personal differences and rivalries played a role. Certainly the selfishness to which all people are vulnerable was the fertile ground in which the problem grew. But another factor was the influence of those who advocated that Jewish people have a place of preeminence in the church. As in other churches founded by Paul, the Philippian church was troubled by those whom we identify as Judaizers. These insisted that to belong to God’s people, believers in Jesus must toe the line with regard to the Law of Moses, especially the requirement for circumcision (Philippians 3:2, 3).

Paul understood, however, that Christ had brought the fulfillment of the Law of Moses. This meant that God accepted non-Jews as they were. Paul understood that the division between Jew and Gentile had been taken away, making one body of anyone who accepted Christ (Acts 2:37–39; 15:1–31; Ephesians 2:11–22; Colossians 3:11). What faith produces is an identity marker of the people of God in Christ, not the keeping of the Law of Moses. If Christ came as the lowly servant of all (last week’s lesson), then no follower of His can look upon another Christian as a second-class citizen of the kingdom of God. In Christ, all Christians are first-class citizens of that kingdom. Christ must be the standard that the church pursues in unity, not score-keeping regarding adherence to a set of laws.

In the context preceding our text, Paul had used himself as an example of this contrast. Others may make the claim to be the true, first-class people of God because of their observance of the Law of Moses, but Paul could make a greater claim. He was in all respects highly observant of all the laws that marked Israel as a distinctive people (Philippians 3:4–6). As our text begins, Paul declares what faith in Christ demands that he say regarding his attainments as a faithful observer of the law.

 

1. Gain and Loss

(Philippians 3:7–11)

1. Reevaluation of the Past (vv. 7, 8)
2. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.

 

In the verses before this one, Paul has just listed his outstanding characteristics as a Jew who meticulously observed the Law of Moses. These observances had been of supreme value to him, like profits on a balance sheet (gain to me). They were the things that had once defined his identity.

But Jesus has changed the basis for that identity. Paul now knows the crucified, risen Jesus as God’s true king, the head of God’s people. The only identity Paul has is Christ’s identity.

Paul, of course, continues to identify as a Jew, or Israelite, after becoming a Christian (Acts 21:39; 22:3; Romans 11:1). He does not deny his past or his heritage. In fact, he celebrates it; for in the history of Israel, God was at work to promise and prepare for the coming of Jesus. But compared with the supreme value of Christ, that former identity—valuable as Paul thought it to be—can only be counted loss.

 

8. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.

 

Paul amplifies his point from the previous verse. He calls attention to the strong contrast he is drawing: the phrase translated yea doubtless puts emphasis on the difference between his identification as a law-observant Jew and his new identification as a follower of Jesus. In fact, Paul says, all parts of his life, except for following Jesus, are now like his law-observant past: they are losscompared with that great gain or profit.

Paul has literally suffered the loss of all things as a follower of Jesus. His commitment led him into conflict with people everywhere who opposed the gospel he preached, and he suffered physically and materially as a result (2 Corinthians 11:23–33). So here he interjects not just that he counts all things as loss but that in a real sense he has lost much because of Christ.

Dung might not be a word that we would expect at this point. But Paul uses it to add to the emphasis on what he considers loss. In the original language, the word translated dung can refer to any waste that has a repugnant smell. Paul’s expression can hardly be stronger.

This loss of all things contrasts with the prospect that Paul may win Christ. Here again Paul uses the language of accounting, but in a limited way. There is no idea here of somehow earning Christ as a something-for-something (quid pro quo) result of a swap. God gives us His blessing through Christ freely; it cannot be earned or purchased (Acts 8:18–20; etc.). We respond in a way that expresses that this gift is what we value most greatly.

 

Not So “Nobel”

Since 1991, the scientific humor magazine Annals of Improbable Research has planned and presented a parody of the annual Nobel Prize awards. The Ig Nobel Prizes (created from a play on the word ignoble), presented by actual Nobel laureates each fall, bring to light various trivial, unusual, or outright silly scientific research projects. By extension, the “awards” poke fun at those who find their identity in scientific research of dubious value. The ceremony concludes with the announcement, “If you didn’t win a prize—and especially if you did—better luck next year!”

Recent Ig Nobels were awarded for determining that acute appendicitis can be accurately diagnosed by the amount of pain patients experience when driven over speed bumps (diagnostic medicine), discovering why dragonflies are fatally attracted to black tombstones (physics), and asking a thousand liars how often they lie and then deciding whether to believe their answers (psychology).

At one time, Paul thought his long list of accomplishments were noble. But he learned on the road to Damascus and through the ministry experiences that followed that those were not adequate as the ultimate context of his life. Which side of that fence are you on—the one that clings to diplomas, titles, and net assets as ultimate context, or the side that surrenders what cannot be kept, having received what cannot be lost?

—J. E.

 

1. Righteousness in the Present (vv. 9, 10)

9a. And be found in him.

 

Still elaborating on his point, Paul switches to a different description of his new identity in Christ. To be found in him certainly means to be fully identified as Christ’s follower. That in turn implies a life that is utterly committed to Christ, utterly trusting in Christ, but also a life that in its thoughts and actions deeply reflects Christ’s own life.

 

9b. Not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.

 

This identity with Christ, founded on the trusting belief that Jesus is indeed God’s true king, is the source of true righteousness. Here Paul uses righteousness to refer to genuine membership in God’s people, what we sometimes call “right standing with God.” What makes someone God’s person, Paul says, is not what he or she does in terms of keeping the Mosaic law. Nor is it anything that anyone might do to try to make oneself the right kind of person to belong to God. Rather, faith is the foundation of true righteousness.

We should pause to take note of a translation difficulty. When something is said to be “of” something else, the translators often have to decide whether the right-hand side of the phrase is the subject or object of the left-hand side. For example, the phrase “love of God” may mean either “God’s love” (God is the subject or producer of the love) or “love for God” (God is the object or recipient of the love). That’s the issue with the phrase the faith of Christ here. Is Paul talking about Christ’s faith(fullness), or is he talking about our faith in Christ? Scholars are divided on this.

Either way, Christ is different from the Mosaic law or other “on our own” means of belonging to God. That difference is that God has supplied the means of our salvation. So rather than putting trust in our abilities to be righteous, we put trust in Him to provide all the righteousness we need. It is not “we do our best and God does the rest.” It is, rather, God does it all. When we realize that truth, we give control of our lives to Him instead of holding onto them ourselves. It is making Jesus king.

 

What Do You Think? How would you counsel someone who believes that Christ’s righteousness keeps the Christian out of Hell, but one’s personal righteousness gets him or her into Heaven?   Digging Deeper How would you counsel that same person using only logic, neither quoting nor referring to Scripture passages?

10a. That I may know him.

 

Faith reorients one’s life away from self-righteousness, self-reliance, and self-fulfillment. In place of those, Christ becomes the focus—not only as the source of identity with God but also as the exemplar of the true life of God’s people.

So to know Christ is not merely to know His story or even to affirm His authority, but to live a life that imitates His. In that way, one comes to know Christ by experience, consciously living to serve others as Christ did (Mark 10:43–45; Philippians 2:1–11).

 

10b. And the power of his resurrection.

 

Such a life is obviously costly. As Paul has noted, it cost him “all things.” How can one live with such a deep loss? Paul says that the follower of Christ also comes to know the power of his resurrection.Christ literally gave “all things” by willingly surrendering His life. But God the Father answered His loss with greater gain, raising Christ from the dead.

That same power God exercises for Christ’s followers, meeting their needs as they suffer loss for the sake of Christ. And God even overcomes the greatest loss, death—however it comes to them—as they share in the resurrection from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20–28, 50–58; 2 Corinthians 5:1–10; Philippians 1:21–24; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18). No matter the circumstances, near or far, the power of Christ’s resurrection is at work in Christ’s people. They come to know that power as they experience God’s constant provision for their need.

 

10c. And the fellowship of his sufferings.

 

Christ’s gift was given through His suffering for others. His exaltation came in response to His suffering for others. Christ’s followers join Him in that suffering. This is not suffering for its own sake, suffering that hopes to impress God with one’s dedication. Jesus did not die on the cross to prove how dedicated He was. Rather, Christ’s suffering was suffering to bring blessing to others. Thus, Paul speaks of the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings—not just sharing suffering with Christ, but sharing through suffering, as we give of our lives for the sake of others.

 

What Do You Think? In what ways can a Christian expect life to change when he or she joins Paul in desiring to share in Christ’s sufferings?   Digging Deeper Which of the following texts speaks to your heart most strongly in this regard: Romans 8:17; 2 Corinthians 1:5; 4:7–10; 1 Peter 4:13?

10d. Being made conformable unto his death.

 

The climax of Christ’s earthly ministry was His sacrificial death; and so for His followers, life takes that same shape. Relatively few Christians will die as martyrs, but all Christians are to lead lives that are shaped by Christ’s self-sacrifice. The Lord in whom we put our trust is the one after whom we model life. His life, we affirm, is the best life, even if it is starkly different from that led by the majority.

 

What Do You Think? What qualities will others see in us when we get serious about living by Jesus’ example?   Digging Deeper Considering Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23, what three challenges to your commitment are you most likely to encounter?

1. Resurrection in the Future (v. 11)
2. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

 

For all writers of the New Testament, discussion of Christ’s death inevitably leads to discussion of His resurrection. Having just spoken of knowing the power of Christ’s resurrection, Paul now speaks of the resurrection as a future hope.

We should not mistake the significance of if and attain. As in Philippians 2:1, here Paul uses if not to cast doubt (as in “if maybe”), but with assurance (“if, and indeed it will be the case”). Similarly, attain does not mean “earn” or “achieve,” but “arrive” or “come to” (compare translation of the same word as “came” in Acts 16:1; 18:19, 24). Paul does not see resurrection as something that he must prove worthy of but rather as something to which God will faithfully bring him by His grace.

These observations help us understand the expression by any means. As Paul contemplates his future, he is confident by faith in Christ that God’s promise of resurrection from the dead will be the climax of his future. Until that day, Paul remains uncertain as to exactly what will befall him, though he remains confident of God’s constant provision and of the final resurrection. Paul knows something about resurrection, having performed one himself (Acts 20:7–12). So by any means expresses not uncertainty about the outcome of resurrection but of the circumstances through which he will journey to that point.

 

1. Forgetting and Pressing

(Philippians 3:12–14)

1. Goal to Grasp (v. 12)

12a. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect.

 

Having looked forward to the promised resurrection, Paul assesses his present situation. Make no mistake: God’s full purpose for Paul is not yet achieved. The resurrection that he will one day have will be the full realization of God’s purpose. This is not just for Paul but for all of God’s people, as those still living are united with the risen dead, both transformed to a new existence (1 Corinthians 15:50–55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18).

That is the sense in which the word perfect is used here. In Paul’s original language, the term indicates the accomplishment of a goal or purpose (compare John 4:34; 5:36; 17:4). As it is God’s goal and God who accomplishes it, this future perfection is certain.

 

12b. But I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

 

But God’s action demands Paul’s response. Prompted by faith, he must participate in what God is doing. Christ has apprehended Paul—that is, taken hold of him—for a purpose. That purpose is that Paul’s life should be transformed to be like Christ’s life, culminating in resurrection from the dead. So Paul ministers in light of that goal with his entire being. The resurrection from the dead to come shapes his entire ministry effort.

 

What Do You Think? How will the certainty of future resurrection shape your attitudes and actions from this day forward?   Digging Deeper Knowing that attitudes shape action, in what ways have you seen the reverse—actions of yours that have modified your attitudes?

1. Race to Finish (vv. 13, 14)
2. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.

 

Taking hold of the future is a lifelong process. Assured of God’s victory, Paul pursues that future with abandon. His past, whatever its honor or shame, he no longer values. The future is his focus. It will not merely be a never-ending life, but a fully transformed life. It will be a life brought into complete conformity with the image of God in Christ.

In the resurrection, all Christ’s people will be like Him (1 John 3:2). We, like Paul, will have been transformed from the selfish behavior of this present age to reflect completely Christ the selfless servant. Until then, we are being transformed to be what we will be fully when raised from the dead (Romans 8:29; 2 Peter 1:4). It is no surprise, then, that Paul can compare baptism, which occurs at the beginning of the Christian walk, with “resurrection” (Romans 6:3–11; compare Colossians 2:12), as it initiates the transformation, the overcoming of sin and becoming more like Christ.

 

What Do You Think? What is the next thing you need to be reaching for in your pursuit of becoming more like Jesus?   Digging Deeper What things or thoughts will you need to let go of in order to reach that goal? Why?

14. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

 

Thus, Paul can allude to his life as being an arduous, long-distance race (compare 1 Corinthians 9:24; Galatians 2:2; Hebrews 12:1). At the end lies the prize, the one for which he was called to the starting line by God in Christ Jesus. That prize is to be like Christ in His divinely granted resurrection. The prize is given to all who finish, for the prize is the Lord’s gracious gift (2 Timothy 4:7, 8). But the race is nevertheless the pursuit of the goal, in which each moment must bring one closer. If we believe in the Christ who died and rose, the pursuit of the prize becomes all that matters to us.

 

An Ongoing Process

During a prayer service at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church on June 17, 2015, 21-year-old Dylann Roof killed nine people. Roof was arrested the next morning. He later confessed that he committed the horrible act in the Charleston, South Carolina, church hoping to ignite a race war; all those killed were African-Americans.

Roof’s website substantiated his racist views. It contained photos of Roof posing with symbols of white supremacy and neo-Nazism. Roof longed to widen the racial divide in the country and thwart hopes of racial unity.

But Roof’s actions did not accomplish his goal. Later, at Roof’s hearing, some survivors and family members of victims offered this troubled young man their forgiveness and promised to pray for him. On the following Sunday evening, a racially diverse crowd estimated at 20,000 marched peacefully through the city in a show of solidarity for those slain.

Everyone knows that the goal of racial unity cannot be achieved with a single rally. It is an ongoing process that must be accomplished with perseverance as we confront evil day after day with love and forgiveness.

Paul the apostle recognized that personal change does not happen overnight. There are many distractions along the way of “the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” But the goal toward which he strove daily is worth any sacrifice necessary to attain it. Certainly, the same is true for each of us as we anticipate resurrection while striving to correct personal and societal flaws. If there’s something you are not yet willing to give up in that regard, be assured that Satan will attempt to use it as a hindrance.

—J. E.

 

Conclusion

1. Knowing How You Are Doing

Today’s text certainly prompted the Philippian Christians to reassess the direction of their lives. Remembering Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, looking forward to resurrection and life with Him at His return—these meant that the readers’ present lives had to be transformed into greater likeness to Christ. There was no place for the division that had begun to afflict this congregation (compare Philippians 4:2). There was only room for self-giving service, empowered by the risen Lord.

We are confronted with the same need for self-assessment. What is our direction? Are we caught up in our own achievement or dragged down by our failures? Are we wrapped up in ourselves? We can begin a self-assessment by considering how Paul evaluated his own losses and gains. As a Christian, he had a difficult, miserable life (again, 2 Corinthians 11:22–33). But Christ showed him that real worth is found in trusting God’s provision and giving oneself for others as Christ gave himself for us. The end result will be worth it: resurrection and eternity with Christ.

Christ calls us to continue the race, to renew our reassessment of profit and loss, to remember the one who laid hold of us so that we can lay hold of that to which He called us. How is Christ calling you to be more like Him?

 

1. Prayer

Father, empower us for the race ahead! As we run that race, may we reflect on Your grace anew and run with the end in view: the goal of resurrected, eternal life. We pray in the name of the one who makes this possible, Your Son. Amen.

 

1. Thought to Remember

Let the goal of the Christian life shape your now.

 

 

Kid’s CORNER

Jesus Christ Can Make Us Right

February 3, 2019

Philippians 3:7-21

Philippians 3:7-21

(Philippians 3:7) But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Looking at Paul’s birth and achievements, a person might conclude that Paul could have confidence that he was a saved child of God, or at least very successful in this life because God was blessing him. However, Paul wrote that no person should have confidence in their salvation before God based on their ancestry, their parents, their lineage, or their achievements. All these reasons would bring a false confidence, and not lead to salvation; instead, a false confidence could lead to judgment. Before God, only a true faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior can give a true confidence that a person is saved. Paul regarded as loss, as insignificant, as not worth bragging about, any personal background or achievements that some might think would qualify someone for salvation or be a sign of God’s favor. By grace, Paul trusted in Christ alone for his salvation. Faith in Christ alone is the only sound basis for someone to have confidence that they are saved.

(Philippians 3:8) More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

When Paul considered what he had done prior to knowing Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, he considered it as not worth bragging about, having, or keeping compared to knowing Christ Jesus as his Lord. No “this world’s” achievements, goals, or desires are worth more than knowing Christ Jesus as our Lord. Those achievements that people of this world or religion think most valuable Paul considered trash in order to have a loving, faithful, truthful, obedient relationship with Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. No worldly riches, power, or fame can be compared to the immeasurable value of personally knowing Jesus Christ, the King of creation, and having Jesus consider you His friend and a child of God.

(Philippians 3:9) and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

Striving for a “righteousness of our own that comes from the law” will not turn us from self-centeredness to God-centeredness or Christ-centeredness, because we will be focusing on ourselves and how well we are obeying the law to be acceptable to God rather than focusing on God in Christ and loving God and serving God because we love God and God is worthy to be served. First and foremost, Paul wanted to live in a right relationship with Jesus Christ and maintain that right relationship as the Spirit of Christ worked with him and in him—in his heart, mind, and spirit. Paul placed his faith in Jesus Christ, in trusting Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, in following the Lord Jesus Christ according to the Scriptures, in showing his love for Jesus by obeying His commands rather than depending on his outward or inward obedience to the laws of the Jewish religion. Instead of striving to “live right” according to his ideas of right and wrong, or according to the traditions and interpretations of the teachers of the law, Paul loved, followed, and trusted in Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord. By trusting in Jesus Christ, Paul knew that God would declare and make him righteous. God will declare righteous all who trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

(Philippians 3:10) that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

Paul wanted to know Jesus Christ more and more personally as his Lord and Savior. Rather than striving to obey religious laws more perfectly, true righteousness comes from faith in Jesus Christ that results in loving Jesus and following Jesus Christ more and more closely day by day according to the Bible as the Holy Spirit helps us. No one was more important to Paul than Jesus Christ. Rather than look to himself, who he was as a rabbi, or what he had become according to the Jewish law, Paul kept his focus on Jesus Christ and the power and love that Jesus Christ gave him as his resurrected Lord. Paul chose to serve Jesus Christ supremely no matter what he suffered even if he had to die for his faith in Jesus. The power of Christ’s resurrection defeated the devil and death when He rose from the dead. Paul wanted to know Jesus Christ so well that Christ’s power would work through him, and also defeat the devil and death whenever he suffered for Christ in his obedience to Christ.

(Philippians 3:11) in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Paul taught that the resurrection from the dead would be a future event in divine and human history. The resurrection from the dead was not an experience to spiritualize as something that had already happened to someone other than Jesus Christ. Paul kept his focus on the future that God intended for every Christian to enjoy, and that future included life after death in heaven and the eventual bodily resurrection from the dead at the return of Christ. Paul praised Jesus Christ and prayed to Jesus Christ knowing that his resurrection from the dead depended on Christ alone through faith alone; then, Paul worked without ceasing to promote the cause of Christ as though his salvation depended on his ceaseless labors for Christ. Paul wanted Jesus, his Master, to be able to say to Him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 25:23). Paul looked forward to the joys of seeing and worshiping Jesus Christ face to face forever.

(Philippians 3:12) Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

Paul did not sit back relaxed and think, “I am saved,” and then live his life selfishly or self-centeredly from the moment he believed—waiting to die and go to heaven, where he could have more of his selfish wants met forever. Rather, Jesus Christ made Paul into His own servant and representative in the world, and Paul loved Christ and loved to serve Him. This is a fact of experience for all true Christians. Because Jesus Christ gave His life in order to ransom God’s children from sin and death, Christians believe that they belong to Jesus Christ. Paul even called himself a bond slave of Jesus Christ; a bond slave is one who willingly commits himself and gives himself as a lifelong slave to someone else. Paul did not focus on any of his past attainments (whether obsolete or still potentially beneficial to him) or his past sins. Paul did not claim to possess in this life all the future promises of Jesus Christ through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul wanted to know more about Jesus to know Jesus better personally in his everyday life. Jesus had made Paul into a true child of God, and Paul wanted to prove himself a true child of God before the watching world and the Church, even as a Christ-like example to others. In Philippians 3:17, Paul wrote: “Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.”

(Philippians 3:13) Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

Paul did not focus on himself and what he had achieved even as a Christian and an Apostle of Jesus Christ. Paul kept his focus on Christ Jesus and the future work that Christ wanted him to complete—completing his future work for Christ demanded all his time, thoughts, prayers and energy. He did not spend time reflecting on his past achievements, failures, or sins; rather, Paul wanted to do those things that would help him serve Christ more effectively each day. Paul was not averse to learning from his mistakes, but he did not keep thinking about them. He strained forward for what lay ahead, the Lord being his Helper. Through prayer, through his study of the Scriptures (and how they taught about Jesus the Messiah), through reflection on the life and words of Jesus Christ as he received revelations from Jesus and learned from the teachings of the other apostles, Paul kept his spiritual eyes on Jesus Christ. Paul kept straining to learn so he could keep doing what Jesus Christ wanted him to do each day as God’s child and Jesus’ possession.

(Philippians 3:14) I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

The “upward (or heavenly) call of God in Christ Jesus” reminds us that our living in “this world” was not and is not the final purpose of Christ’s life, death and resurrection for us. Christ is preparing us for heaven, and eventually we will reign with Him as kings and priests someday on a new earth. What we do in the future better prepares us for the future that God has planned for us after that, and what we have learned from the past will help us serve Christ better in the future and throughout eternity. This verse reminds us of the call John received in the Book of Revelation (Revelation 4:1, 2). Paul knew that being in the presence of God and seeing Jesus Christ face to face instead of in a mirror dimly was a goal to be sought that was more important than any earthly prize: “For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part; then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

(Philippians 3:15) Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;

The Bible discusses both spiritual babies and the spiritually mature. Paul recognized that over time and through serious, prayerful, study and application of the Word of God to one’s daily life, that Christians could mature and begin living consistently for Christ—that Christ might prepare them for an eternal future. God meant for Paul’s Letter to the Philippians to guide all Christians. God wants all Christians to live spiritually mature, which includes a prayerful study of the Scriptures (such as Paul’s letters) so we can come to an agreement on what God’s plan is for us as the Church and individuals in specific situations. Through prayerful Bible study, people can come to learn the will of God, and the Spirit of God can lead them to agree on doing the will of God according to the Scriptures.

(Philippians 3:16) however, let us keep living by that same  standard to which we have attained.

Trials and temptations threaten to lead us away from putting Christ and His purposes first and foremost in our lives. Sometimes suffering persecution can be so severe all we can do is hold fast to our faith in Christ Jesus until we receive from Him the strength we need to endure, or He rescues us from our physical and/or spiritual danger. In addition to striving to draw closer to Jesus Christ, who leads and goes before us, we need to keep prayerfully studying the Scriptures and obeying Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit leads us according to the Scriptures, so we do not lose any of the spiritual benefits, progress, and growth that the Lord Jesus has granted us. If we fall back into a life of sin or sloth, we can lose the spiritual progress we have made. If we do not hold fast to the truths we have learned, we can forget the Bible’s teachings or the Bible’s application.

(Philippians 3:17) Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.

The Apostle Paul imitated Jesus Christ in all the ways that he had come to know Jesus—even suffering as Jesus had suffered for the truth of God and the good news that the world needed to hear. To accompany their words, Paul and his companions gave a good example for others to follow, and Paul told his readers to follow their example. He also wanted all Christians to imitate him as he imitated Christ; then, they could be good examples to others. Paul could have said in contemporary speech, “Do as I say, and do as I do,” which is the mark of a good teacher.

(Philippians 3:18) For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ,

No matter what some claim or say about themselves as supposed followers of Jesus Christ (if they are “supposed” and not real followers), they are actually enemies of the cross of Christ; that is, enemies of the true teaching of Jesus Christ and the truth about the sacrificial death of Christ in behalf of sinners and they mislead many. No wonder Paul wrote his warning with tears. Paul warned against the influence and teachings of those who claimed to be Christians in the Church, but who taught contrary to the Scriptures and the teaching of Jesus Christ. Some of these false Christians taught that salvation depended on a person becoming a Jew (becoming circumcised and obeying the ceremonial laws) in addition to believing in Jesus Christ the Messiah. Truly, our salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and it depends on Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross for us and not on what we achieve.

(Philippians 3:19) whose end is destruction, whose god is their appetite, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.

If we compare this verse to the change in many predominate cultures today; sorrowfully, for too many people their god is whatever will satisfy their selfish passions and desires; they glorify, publicize, and expect to receive praise for all they do that is contrary to the God’s law and natural law; and rejecting God and heavenly blessings, they have committed themselves to whatever satisfaction they can find from the pleasures of “this world.” Whatever the false gospel, or false morality, or false teaching, those who promote falsehood instead of the true gospel of Jesus Christ will end in destruction. These false teachers, who are deceived and deceiving others, do so for selfish reasons, and there “God is their belly;” which means they do everything, even worship, for their own personal pleasures and self-gratification. They promote what is shameful and unmentionable. They set their minds on worldly goals and pleasures, and often use religion and false teachings to “justify” their behavior to themselves and mislead others.

(Philippians 3:20) For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

True Christians are citizens of heaven; citizens and subjects of the kingdom of God. Rather than place their hope in elected officials, in political parties and policies, and in earthly kingdoms or nations, Christians place their hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, who they expect to come to them and into the world someday as visible Lord and Savior. Having lived as subjects of “this world,” Christians have chosen to become super-naturalized citizens in heaven and subjects of the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is and will come as their Savior.

(Philippians 3:21) who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself.

Jesus Christ received a glorified human body when He rose from the dead. Christians will receive resurrected, glorified, human bodies similar to Jesus’ new body when Jesus comes again as Savior and raises their bodies from the dead. By the grace and power of God, all believers, all beings, and all created things will be subject to Jesus Christ as Lord. However, that does not mean that all beings will praise Jesus and receive Him as their Lord and Savior for some will end in destruction.

 

Jesus Christ Can Make Us Right

February 3, 2019

Philippians 3:7-21

 

“And be found in Christ Jesus, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (Philippians 3:9).

 

Perhaps every Christian can identify with the Apostle Paul who wrote that the worth of knowing Christ Jesus as his Lord and Savior far surpassed everything he had ever achieved or previously possessed. The value of knowing Christ and being known by Christ far exceeded all of this world’s rewards that upon reflection Paul came to consider as rubbish. Paul came to understand the infinite value of knowing Christ after he considered his past life. He came to recognize that he had sinned grievously against God and others—even persecuting the Church and approving the death of Stephen. Paul considered the fact that no amends he might make in the future could totally compensate for the damage he had done to others and even himself. Paul longed to be made totally right again, and he recognized that striving to obey God’s laws in the future would not erase his past and make him right. Only if God made him right would Paul be able to treat God and others right as God intended. He needed a righteousness that only God could give him. He needed and wanted God to forgive his sins and cleanse him from the true moral guilt that weighed upon his spirit. He wanted to change the direction of his life and become a faithful follower of Jesus Christ as his Lord. Thankfully, Paul met Jesus, and Jesus met all his needs. Jesus made Paul right. Jesus gave Paul the righteousness that can only come through faith and depends on faith in Christ.

 

 

Thinking Further

Jesus Christ Can Make Us Right

February 3, 2019

Philippians 3:7-21

Name ____________________________

 

1. What does this mean to you, “Christ Jesus has made me his own”?

 

 

2. What benefits does a follower of Jesus Christ enjoy because Jesus Christ has made them his own?

 

 

3. How difficult is it today for Christians or church members to say, “Do as I do and do as I say, because I imitate Jesus Christ”? Give a reason for your answer.

 

 

4. What can happen to a person who says they believe in God and Jesus, and who wear a cross around their neck on a chain, but who set their minds on earthly things?

 

 

5. What do you need to do to live each day as a person who knows that their citizenship is in heaven?

 

 

Questions for Discussion and Thinking Further

 

1. What does this mean to you, “Christ Jesus has made me his own”? It means that Jesus Christ considers me personally as one of His cherished possessions, subjects, friends, child of God, and this means more to me that anything I possess.

 

2. What benefits does a follower of Jesus Christ enjoy because Jesus Christ has made them his own? One benefit is Jesus Christ will take care of me as one of His cherished possessions or friends, and He will not lose me or misplace me. Another benefit is the way He will treat me; He will take good care of me. He will fill me with His Spirit to help me live in such a way that I can bring Him much joy and satisfaction as one of His possessions or friends.

 

3. How difficult is it today for Christians or church members to say, “Do as I do and do as I say, because I imitate Jesus Christ”? Give a reason for your answer. It is difficult because it would make us sound very arrogant; furthermore, most of us are aware of how far short we fall of our ideal way of living as a follower of Jesus Christ. We might prefer to say that we try to imitate Jesus Christ and try to do what Jesus would do in life (in every situation). We would not want to be hypocrites and say, “Do as I say, not as I do.”

 

4. What can happen to a person who says they believe in God and Jesus, and who wear a cross around their neck on a chain, but who set their minds on earthly things? Paul wrote that they are enemies of the cross of Christ; therefore, their end is destruction. Furthermore, they might mislead many away from true faith and obedience to Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Read Philippians 3:18, “For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ.”

 

5. What do you need to do to live each day as a person who knows that their citizenship is in heaven? I need to declare my allegiance to Jesus Christ as my Lord and King each day; much as I might say a pledge of allegiance to my country or my flag. I need to consider the fact that Jesus Christ deserves my loyalty and obedience as my King; and I am subject to the laws of His heavenly Kingdom. I need to remember that as one of His subjects, I have many benefits that only a citizen of heaven can appreciate and enjoy, and I need to give thanks to God for all of His benefits and promises for the future. Read Philippians 3:20, 21 “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

 

 

Word Search

Jesus Christ Can Make Us Right

February 3, 2019

Philippians 3:7-21

Name ____________________________

 

M V R E S U R R E C T I O N V

T I B R U B B I S H L F S Q T

H R P H T I A F A M A O N C S

I J T S A C D I O Y U C S W I

N F N G Z L R A X D X J K S R

G P T Q J N O H L A W R T E H

S S G N I R E F F U S E O R C

U W H E Z I R P G T R T U N H

Y T L I A T A P C N Q X A T S

P E Q S F U O E T X I R O L U

Z X I H K W F S W E H W P B S

U W M Q E R U V M O Y D O L E

Z F Y R E M S J W F R N I N J

I Q B P G E K A S N H T X Q K

Z L G N I S S A P R U S H T M

 

Loss

Sake

Surpassing

Worth

Knowing

Christ

Things

Rubbish

Law

Faith

Power

Resurrection

Sufferings

Perfect

Prize

 

 

True or False Test

Jesus Christ Can Make Us Right

February 3, 2019

Philippians 3:7-21

Name ____________________________

 

Circle the true or false answers. Correct the false statements by restating them.

 

1. Paul trusted in Christ to gain the things of this world. True or False

 

2. Knowing Christ Jesus as our Lord surpasses everything. True or False

 

3. For Christ’s sake, Paul suffered the loss of all things. True or False

 

4. Righteousness from God depends on faith in Christ. True or False

 

5. Paul wanted resurrection power to avoid sharing in Christ’s sufferings. True or False

 

6. Because Paul perfectly obeyed God’s laws, he knew he would go to heaven. True or False

 

7. Paul wanted his fellow Christians to imitate him and walk according to his example. True or False

 

8. Some people walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. True or False

 

9. Some people glory in their shame with their minds set on earthly things. True or False

 

10. True Christians have citizenship in heaven, and from heaven they await their Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. True or False

 

 

True and False Test Answers

1. False
2. True
3. True
4. True
5. False
6. False
7. True
8. True
9. True
10. True

Prayer

Father, empower us for the race ahead! As we run that race, may we reflect on Your grace anew and run with the end in view: the goal of resurrected, eternal life. We pray in the name of the one who makes this possible, Your Son. Amen.