Winning the Prize, Philippians 3:12-14
"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, 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 pize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
In the paragraph prior to this one, Paul tells us that whatever was to his profit (that is, in his flesh) he now considers loss for the sake of Christ. He tells us that he counts everything as loss when compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing our Lord, Jesus Christ, for whose sake he lost all things. He continues on, saying that he considers them rubbish, that he may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having his own righteousness but only that which comes from God and is by faith in Christ.
Now, in Philippians 3:12 and on, he assures us, as if we were staring at him with mouths gaping wide open at the sheer impossibility of his statement, that he himself has not even attained perfection in this area, but rather that he is still pushing forward and striving to "win the prize", so to speak.
It is not that by our own efforts we can attain perfection or fulfill God's calling on our lives, but that in pushing forward and straining toward what is ahead we do not become stagnant, nor do we start to backslide and move away from God. It is God alone who can perfect us into the likeness of His Son, but if we are unwilling to move forward we're not going to get very far.
I like what Paul says in verse 12 when he states that he has not "already been made perfect, but [presses] on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of [him]." Are we pressing forward to take hold of all the wonderful things Christ took hold of us for? Are we running the race to win the race, or simply to endure and eventually get to the finish line?
One night, as I stood around moping and complaining that everyone had a "life verse" that the Lord had given them but me, I asked the Lord for a verse to show me where my life was headed and what it would be about, and He put this verse, Philippians 3:13-14, on my heart. Whereas it was not exactly what I was looking for then, it means a lot to me now as I realize that as my walk with the Lord continues, though I am still as far as can be from perfection, I am way ahead of where I started.
The Lord is showing me that perfection is not simply a goal to attain, but knowing Him and taking hold of everything He puts before me along the journey is what molds me and shapes me into who He'd have me to be. When I just sit back, impatiently awaiting the day that I won't have to endure the sufferings of living in this sinful world any longer, I'm not changing, I'm not growing, and I'm not being prepared for what God has for me throughout eternity. Life is not just something to be endured, but a process in which we are molded and shaped into the person God has created us to be.
There isn't really a whole lot anyone can add to what is already written, nothing that could make it any clearer. By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote down exactly what a heart sold out for Christ looks like. All that God is, all that Jesus has done for us, demands nothing less that a life completely given over to Him. This is what Paul wrote about nearly 2,000 years ago, and it remains powerful and life-changing to this day:
"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 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 form God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somewhow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead."Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, 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 pize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."