Press On Towards the Goal (Philippians 3:12-21)

Bible Passage: Philippians 3:12-21

In this passage, Paul uses imagery of a sporting event to encourage the Philippian believers to keep pressing on in their faith. They are not yet at the finish line, and so they are to keep putting one foot in front of the other and pushing forward until that day when Jesus returns.

Eyes on the Prize (v12-14): The great encouragement that Paul gives the Philippians to keep running is the ‘prize’ to which we have been called in Christ Jesus. He is clear that this is not something he has already obtained. In other words, God has even more in store for us than we are currently experiencing, and we should not grow complacent in what we have, but should instead keep pushing forward for what is in store. The contrast is made between what is behind, which should be forgotten, and what is ahead, which should be strained towards. In some ways, Christians resemble the ancient Israelites of the Exodus, who have been set free from bondage but who are not yet in the land of promise. Instead of longing for those things that we have been delivered out of, our hearts should be locked in on Christ.

Follow the Faithful (v15-17): In order to run well, it can help to follow in the footsteps of a pace-setter, who is a few steps ahead of you on the same journey. Paul puts himself forward as a role-model for the Philippians to follow, and suggests that they look for others to emulate as well. The key feature to look for in a role-model is “those who live as we do”. This kind of influence does not come automatically as a result of position or title, nor is it from a strong gift or excellent teaching. Instead, it is the lifestyle of the leader that gives them influence and sets them up as an example to follow. As we identify those in our communities who are faithfully running after Jesus, and living with a mature faith, we should see them as models and learn from how they are living.

Know Who You Are (v18-21): In this final section of the passage, Paul tackles the topic of identity. Knowing who you are as you run makes a difference to how you run and to where you are running towards. He makes a contrast between those who he calls ‘enemies of the cross’, who focus on earthly indulgence and celebrate shameful practices. On the other hand, we have our citizenship in heaven. This illustration draws upon the fact that people from Philippi were considered Roman citizens and had all the privileges that came with that. How much more for those that through Christ are citizens of heaven, and who know that Jesus will return from there. We run in a way that lines up with our heavenly citizenship as we keep Jesus at the centre and do not get led astray by the temptations of this world.

Potential Applications:

• The passage challenges us to press on in the faith.
• We are invited to think about who are the models in the faith that we can imitate and learn from.
• The message leads into worship as we set our eyes on our saviour in heaven.