Reaching Forward to God’s Goal – Philippians 3

Joy:  You’re listening to the Lifting Her Voice podcast, Episode #177.  Today we’ll read Philippians chapter 3 together: Paul describes what it is to truly know Christ and speaks of reaching forward to God’s goal.

Welcome to the Lifting Her Voice podcast.  I’m your host, Joy Miller, and I invite you to grab your Bible and join me as we simply read God’s word together.  Some things require discipline and sometimes that’s just not easy to muster by yourself, no matter how badly you want to do it or how much you know you should.  It’s just easier to do it with a friend.  So refill your coffee or tea, get comfortable in your favorite chair and follow along as I read aloud.  I’m so glad you’re here!

Welcome

Do you remember that I mentioned I would be taking a little trip with my sister in a couple of weeks?  Well, we’ll be flying to Great Falls, Montana, for a visit with our uncle, my mom’s brother.  My Aunt Kathy and Uncle Alex lived a few blocks over from us in Lakewood, CA, when we were growing up.  They were our cool aunt and uncle, especially after we became teenagers.  Kathy would take us ice skating on Friday nights with a car-full of our friends and their house was where we escaped to when our parents were really being un-cool. 

Praise God we had somewhere safe to go.  I mean, I didn’t think that then, but now I see what a gift it was…my mom and dad didn’t need to worry about where we were or who we were with and we got to escape from the parents.  

I’m happy to report that my aunt and uncle continued by being involved in my kids’ lives too, especially our oldest, Wendy.  Oh my gosh, they spoiled her bad.  Trips to Disneyland, shopping, eating out.  You know, an escape from the parents.  

A Needed Break

Now, my daughters are grown and have new responsibilities and pressures.  Covid hasn’t helped.  It was apparent to me when I visited last week that Wendy needed a break and visiting her Uncle Alex just might qualify.  So, she’s coming with us!  What a treat!  My sister and I just might be on our own once those two get together.  But I’m so grateful for the generous and loving people God has placed in my and my daughters’ lives.  

Do you have a special relative that helped you through your teenage years or maybe made the newness of marriage a little more manageable?  Someone who was just there when you needed them?  I hope you’ll share a quick story with me at Lifting Her Voice.com, Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Philippians Chapter 3

Knowing Christ

In addition, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. To write to you again about this is no trouble for me and is a safeguard for you.

Watch out for the dogs, watch out for the evil workers, watch out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, boast in Christ Jesus, and do not put confidence in the flesh — although I have reasons for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised the eighth day; of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; regarding the law, a Pharisee; regarding zeal, persecuting the church; regarding the righteousness that is in the law, blameless.

But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ — the righteousness from God based on faith. My goal is to know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, being conformed to his death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.

Reaching Forward to God’s Goal

Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus. Therefore, let all of us who are mature think this way. And if you think differently about anything, God will reveal this also to you. In any case, we should live up to whatever truth we have attained. Join in imitating me, brothers and sisters, and pay careful attention to those who live according to the example you have in us.

For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction; their god is their stomach; their glory is in their shame; and they are focused on earthly things. Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself.

Closing Thoughts

This is the chapter that my MacArthur study note referred to as Paul’s autobiography.  Not exactly what you would expect, huh?  Whereby we might expect another rendition of his testimony, this actually turns out to be a tit for tat toward those who are hanging on to  following the law and rejecting Christ.  Paul knows the religious leaders cannot scorn him for being an uneducated man, like they did some of the other apostles.  Paul goes thru a laundry list of personal accomplishments that mean nothing to him now that he has Christ.  He calls it confidence in the flesh and considers all of it, all the things he used to take such pride in, they are nothing to him now.  He considered it all loss compared to knowing Christ.

Did you notice how Paul wasn’t against circumcision?  He said we are the circumcision!  Remember in Romans when he said that true circumcision was of the heart?  He doesn’t even want to hear about the flesh.  He uses such strong words …mutilators of the flesh, dogs, evil workers.  He has eyes and patience only for Christ and the Spirit.

And he does not look backward.  He is reaching forward to what is ahead.  I appreciate his humility.  He’s quick to say he hasn’t arrived yet, but he is straining toward the prize and we should too.  Let’s pray.

Prayer

Oh, Lord, help us to be imitators of Paul.  Help us, Lord, not to be focused on earthly things but on Christ.  It’s so easy for us to get distracted by the white noise all around us.  Break through when we are struggling, Father.  We need Your strong right hand.  Remind us that our citizenship is in heaven and that our humble bodies will be made into glorious bodies after the likeness of Christ Jesus. What a day that will be!  We do indeed rejoice in that hope.  Amen!

Thank you for joining me here today.  I pray God will grow in you what has been planted and watered here.  In this time of unprecedented struggle worldwide, we can look to God for guidance and comfort.  Be sensitive to those in your circle of influence who need a word of encouragement and invite them to join us.  If you like this show, it would be great if you give it a five-star review.  Don’t forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  See you right here tomorrow.  Be well!

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible(r), Copyright (c) 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible(r) and CSB(r) are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.