Philippians 3 - "What's Your Goal in Life?"

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No Confidence in the Flesh

Some of the false teachers that had wormed their way into the church in Philippi re-introduced legalism. Paul warned against the influence of these teachers. Like some of the legalists in Galatia, they were insisting that adult male Gentile converts be circumcised. 

Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. Philippians 3:2

“They did not deny that Jesus was the Messiah, or that His Gospel was the power of God unto salvation, but they insisted that the Gentile converts could only come to the fullness of Gospel privilege through the Law of Moses.” (Meyer)

Paul was once one of those legalistic Pharisees, so he knew what it was like to put confidence in the flesh. He gives a list of things on his resume, which made him so prideful and self righteous.

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 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; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

Even though Paul possessed this laundry list of credentials, it gave him no peace with God. His ceaseless striving only meant him feeling less worthy before a holy God. But then Paul found grace. It changed him forever. 

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 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 9 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.

This is a wonderful summation of the gospel. As Paul looked back on the things he put his trust in, he now considered them garbage (literally "dung"). When Paul met Jesus, the joy of knowing him left all those those other things in the dust. Though Paul lost his record of spiritual achievements, he gained Christ. He gained a righteousness, which he could never earn because it was a gift. You can't earn a gift. You can only receive it, and in this case by faith.  

"Righteousness" was a big word to Paul, because it meant being at right with God. Or, someone who had fulfilled all of the righteous requirements of the Law. As a Pharisee, Paul spent night and day trying to dot all the "I's" and cross all the "T's". Paul found this righteousness and he counted everything else as loss compared to this great gift of a right relationship with God through faith. 

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13 Brothers and sisters, 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, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Far from being perfect, Paul realized that he would never become perfect in this life, but that did not deter him from pressing into what Jesus had given to him. Paul's singular goal was to become like Christ and follow him with all of his heart, so as to somehow win the prize Jesus had called him heavenward for. 

To do this Paul had to let go of the past and strain forward to what was ahead. Sometimes we wallow in our past rather than straining forward to God's preferred future for us. The word for "straining forward" is the same for a runner stretching out to cross the tape to win the prize. What a great visual for what it means to strive to be the man or woman Jesus called us to be.  Paul didn't have time to bemoan his past life as a self righteous Pharisee, and a persecutor of Christians. God had work for him to do and he want all in to be found worthy of the cross. 

Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.

Paul tells the Philippians to follow the model he has put forth. He was an example of a Christian who had put his past behind him and had given up everything to follow Jesus. Though he was not perfect, he leaned into the grace God gave him through Christ. Paul also urged him to follow others who were living according to this same example. 

This tells us that there is a model for living a Christ-like life. It isn't an accident, it is a chosen lifestyle which one commits to after receiving God's grace. Paul also says another very important thing. We don't do this on our own. We are following a calling God has given us. As Paul says, "But I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."

God has called us heavenward. Our citizenship is in heaven. But until that day, Jesus calls us home. We are on a mission from God that ends with him in heaven! Our mission is two fold. First, to become like Christ. And second being an example for others to follow. We are all in process, so it is not like any of us are better than the other. We are all sinners who need to rely completely on the grace of God.

Yet, there is a pattern to the Christian life and key markers that show us how we are doing. I.e. Are we more focused on others, or ourselves? Are we prideful trying to show off how super spiritual we are, or are we humble realizing, "If not for the grace of God there go I!"  

Are straining toward the prize God has called you heavenward for? Are you more in love with things in the here and now, or the things yet to come? 

Most importantly are you still trying like Paul to do enough things to earn God's approval, or have you accept the righteousness that comes by faith? When you accept this gift you will be set free to do the things you have always wanted to do. You will be set free from trying to measure up to God's standard, which is perfection.