16 Reaching for the Prize—Part 1: The Prerequisites (Philippians 3:12–16)
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. 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, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 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; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. (3:12–16)
Judging from the frequent use of athletic metaphors in his writings, the apostle Paul must have been a sports fan. Speaking of his desire to be effective in his Christian life, Paul wrote, “I box in such a way, as not beating the air” (1 Cor. 9:26b). He described the Christian life to the Ephesians as a “struggle [pal
; a wrestling match or fight] . . . not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12). In what might be considered his epitaph, Paul declared triumphantly, “I have fought the good fight” (2 Tim. 4:7; cf. 1 Tim. 6:12). In an allusion to the Isthmian Games (held in Corinth and second in importance only to the Olympic Games), he reminded the Corinthians, “Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable” (1 Cor. 9:25).
But Paul’s favorite athletic metaphor is that of a footrace. He declared to the Ephesian elders, “But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). To the Romans he wrote, “So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy” (Rom. 9:16). Reminding the Corinthians of the dedicated athletes who competed in the Isthmian Games the apostle wrote, “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. . . . Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim” (1 Cor. 9:24, 26). In Galatians 2:2 Paul expressed his “fear that [he] might be running, or had run, in vain,” while in Galatians 5:7 he lamented to the Galatians, “You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?” At the close of his life, Paul could declare, “I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim. 4:7). It is that metaphor of the Christian life as a race, expressed in the familiar fourteenth verse (“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”), that is the theme of Philippians 3:12–21. The passage reveals Paul’s passionate concern for spiritual growth.
The previous passage (3:4–11) described Paul’s transformation when he encountered the risen Christ on the Damascus Road and understood the gospel. In that powerful and moving passage, the apostle recited his impressive religious credentials. Then, dramatically, he declared that compared to the surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ, those achievements were mere rubbish. Paul exchanged his useless human achievements for the knowledge, righteousness, power, fellowship, and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Some in Philippi might have mistakenly assumed that, having gained those marvelous benefits, Paul had reached spiritual perfection. The Judaizers may also have taught the Philippians that spiritual perfection was attainable through being circumcised and keeping the Law. There were also heretics (forerunners of the second-century Gnostics) who taught that spiritual perfection awaited those who attained a certain level of knowledge. To counter such false ideas, Paul quickly added this passage, which is a forceful disclaimer of spiritual perfection. Though he was a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17), with a new heart (Ezek. 36:26), a new disposition that strongly desired holiness (Rom. 7:22; 2 Cor. 4:16; Eph. 3:16), was united with Christ (Gal. 2:20), possessed a renewed mind (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23), had the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16), had right standing before God (Rom. 8:1), had been justified (Rom. 5:1), had been forgiven (Eph. 1:7), had Christ’s righteousness imputed to him (2 Cor. 5:21), and was indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:9, 11; 1 Cor. 3:16; 2 Tim. 1:14), Paul was not perfect. He was still subject to temptation, still possessed his unredeemed flesh, and was still a sinner (cf. Rom. 7:14–25; 1 Tim. 1:15). Far from having obtained perfection, he was pursuing it with all his might. Like Peter, Paul understood that the Christian life is a lifelong process of “grow[ing] in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18; cf. 1 Peter 2:1–2).
This passage deals a devastating blow to the false doctrine of perfectionism that still prevails in some denominations and churches. Perfectionism is the teaching that believers can reach a place of spiritual and moral perfection in this life. Perfectionists teach that in a second work of grace, believers may instantaneously be made sinless. Some even go so far as to teach the eradication of the sin nature. But the apostle Paul, undoubtedly the most committed, dedicated, spiritually mature Christian who ever lived, confessed gladly that he had failed to reach spiritual perfection thirty years after his conversion. And that confession was clear evidence of his true and mature spirituality. Who, then, could make a legitimate claim to have done so? To maintain the fiction that they have achieved sinless perfection, perfectionists are forced to make an unbiblical distinction between willful sin and “mistakes.” But Scripture teaches that any violation of God’s law—whatever the intent—is sin. No Christian will ever become perfect in this life; that awaits the redemption of the body (Rom. 8:23). Perfection in this life will always be a goal, never an achievement. If we say we do not sin, we make God a liar, because He says we do (1 John 1:7–9).
Some may question why they should bother to pursue spiritual growth. After all, believers are promised “an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for [them]” (1 Peter 1:4). But that question is a moot point. Spiritual children, like physical children, cannot help but grow (cf. 1 Peter 2:1–2); they have a built-in desire and drive for growth.
Apart from that, there are several compelling reasons that Christians must grow spiritually. First, it glorifies God. Second, it provides evidence that their salvation is genuine. Third, it adorns and makes visible the truth of God to others (cf. Titus 2:10). Fourth, it brings assurance of salvation. Fifth, it preserves believers from the sorrow and suffering associated with spiritual immaturity. Sixth, it protects the cause of Christ from reproach. Seventh, it produces joy in believers’ lives. Eighth, it equips them for ministry to others in the body of Christ. Finally, it enhances their witness to the lost world.
In the next passage (3:17–21), Paul gives specific instructions on how to pursue the prize of spiritual perfection, which is Christlikeness. Later in this epistle, Paul reminded the Philippians that “our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; 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” (Phil. 3:20–21). The apostle John echoed that thought: “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2). Christlikeness is the prize that must be pursued, though that prize will not be attained this side of heaven. But before Paul writes of the pursuit, he first sets forth six necessary prerequisites for effectively striving for the prize of Christlikeness. The effort requires from the believer a proper awareness, a maximum effort, a focused concentration, a proper motivation, a proper recognition, and a proper conformity.
PURSUING THE PRIZE REQUIRES A PROPER AWARENESS
Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, (3:12a)
All that believers are now in Christ and will enjoy forever in heaven is eternally fixed by God’s gracious purpose (cf. 1 Peter 1:4). That spiritual reality and promise cannot be improved upon, but believers’ virtue in this present life can and must be. Knowing that we are not now what we should be, and what we someday will be in glory, must not produce apathy and indolence, but a zeal for moving in the direction of the prize. That is the Spirit’s work in us (2 Cor. 3:18) and the longing of the regenerated soul. The awareness of the need to improve one’s spiritual condition is a necessary prerequisite to pursuing the prize of spiritual perfection.
Paul had that awareness, and expressed it in the two words that begin verse 12, not that. He had not yet obtained (from lamban
; “to receive,” “acquire,” or “attain”) the prize he pursued; he had not yet become perfect (from teleio; “to attain perfection,” “reach a goal,” or “accomplish”). The twice-repeated word already indicates that Paul was still imperfect when he wrote this epistle.
Despite the rich blessings that were his in Christ, the apostle knew that he was not perfect. His knowledge of Christ was still incomplete (1 Cor. 13:12). Christ’s righteousness had been imputed to him (2 Cor. 5:21), yet he still needed to “cleanse [himself] from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1). Paul had Christ’s power at work in him (1 Cor. 15:10; Col. 1:29), but that power still worked through his weakness (2 Cor. 12:9). The rich fellowship with Christ that he experienced was also imperfect; he still did not know how to pray as he should, and depended on the Holy Spirit to intercede for him (Rom. 8:26–27). While his body was a temple of the glorious Holy Spirit who indwelt him (1 Cor. 6:19), Paul longed for the day when Christ “will transform the body of [his] humble state into conformity with the body of His glory” (Phil. 3:21).
Obviously, pursuing the prize of spiritual perfection begins with dissatisfaction with one’s present spiritual condition. Those who think they have reached spiritual perfection will not see the need to pursue a better condition; why should they chase something they believe they already have? Such complacent, contented people are in grave danger of becoming insensitive to their sin and blind to their weaknesses. It is only those who are aware of their desperate spiritual need who come to Christ for salvation (Matt. 5:6). And it is only those who continue to recognize the need to eliminate sin and cultivate holiness who will make progress in the Christian life. This pursuit by the power of the sanctifying Spirit produces a decreasing frequency of sin and increasing love for holiness, which makes less sin feel like more. The truly mature and godly have the most sensitive awareness of their sins, and are the humblest before God because of it.
PURSUING THE PRIZE REQUIRES A MAXIMUM EFFORT
but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. (3:12b)
True believers will not pursue the prize of spiritual perfection until they recognize the need to improve their condition, but awareness of the need is not enough; there must also be a diligent pursuit. I press on means “to run” or “follow after.” It speaks of an aggressive, energetic endeavor. Paul pursued the spiritual prize with all his might, straining every spiritual muscle as he ran to win (1 Cor. 9:24).
The “let go and let God” mentality was foreign to Paul. He was totally dependent on God’s power working in his life (2 Cor. 12:9; Col. 1:29). Yet he also described the Christian life as “labor and striving” (Col. 1:29), and “the good fight of faith” (1 Tim. 6:12; cf. 2 Tim. 4:7). He taught that “through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22), and repeatedly stressed the inevitability of suffering in the Christian life (e.g., Rom. 8:17; 1 Thess. 3:4; 2 Tim. 1:8; 3:12).
The somewhat enigmatic phrase so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus states the goal of Paul’s strenuous efforts. The verb translated I may lay hold of; I was laid hold of could be translated “to overtake,” “seize,” or “catch.” Paul was running spiritually to catch the very thing for which Christ Jesus had come after him. In other words, Paul’s goal in life was consistent with Christ’s goal in saving him.
What was Christ’s goal in saving Paul? The apostle stated it in Romans 8:29: “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.” God chose Paul, as He did all believers, to make him like Jesus Christ. That purpose for which God saved us is also the purpose for which we live. “It was for this He called you through our gospel,” wrote Paul to the Thessalonians, “that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 2:14). The Christian life is a life-long pursuit of Christlikeness. That was the Lord’s goal in saving Paul and was his goal in response.
PURSUING THE PRIZE REQUIRES A FOCUSED CONCENTRATION
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, (3:13)
A maximum effort without focused concentration is useless. Every athlete knows that runners in a race must fix their eyes ahead of them; those who watch the crowd or their own feet are likely to trip and fall. To make a maximum effort in any athletic endeavor requires the participants to concentrate on a point straight ahead.
Paul addresses the Philippians with the gentle, intimate, affectionate term brethren to move their hearts away from the Judaizers and toward him. For the third time in this passage, Paul adds the disclaimer I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet. The apostle’s intent is polemical. He is directing his argument at those who were teaching error, and he wants to make the truth abundantly clear. Despite the false teachers’ claims to the contrary, spiritual perfection is not attainable in this life.
Though Paul had not achieved spiritual perfection, he had that blessed discontent that motivated him to pursue it. In fact, it had become the one pursuit of his life, expressed in the phrase but one thing I do. I do is not in the Greek text, but was added by the translators because it is implied. In the Greek text Paul communicates his single-mindedness in a staccato, brief, impassioned, almost abrupt manner. The apostle’s focus on his goal was total, his level of concentration acute.
It is such singularly focused people who succeed in athletics and in other pursuits of life. Many people dabble in much, but succeed at nothing. Despite all the energy they expend, they accomplish little. Their lives are full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. James called them “double-minded . . . unstable in all [their] ways” (James 1:8). To avoid such lack of focus the psalmist prayed, “Unite my heart to fear Your name” (Ps. 86:11), and Solomon counseled, “Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left” (Prov. 4:25–27). When believers have one driving compulsion, to be like Christ, they will move toward spiritual perfection.
Such concentration possesses both a negative and a positive aspect. Negatively, Paul maintained his focus by forgetting what lies behind. A runner who looks back risks being passed. Nor does a runner’s performance in past races guarantee success or failure in present or future races. The past is not relevant; what matters is making the maximum effort in the present so as to sustain momentum in the future. Perfectionists and legalists look to their past achievements to validate their supposed spiritual status. The Judaizers sought to ensnare the Galatians in the past, prompting Paul to write, “But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?” (Gal. 4:9).
Paul made a break with everything in his past, both good and bad. Religious achievements, virtuous deeds, great successes in ministry, as well as sins, missed opportunities, and disasters must all be forgotten. They do not control the present or the future. Believers cannot live on past victories, nor should they be debilitated by the guilt of past sins.
Churches are full of spiritual cripples, paralyzed by the grudges, bitterness, sins, and tragedies of the past. Others try to survive in the present by reliving past successes. They must break with that past if they are to pursue the spiritual prize. God is interested in what believers do now and in the future. “No one,” declared Jesus, “after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). The clearest vision belongs to those who forget the past.
Positively, Paul maintained his focus by reaching forward to what lies ahead. Reaching forward translates a participial form of the verb epektein, a compound verb made up of two prepositions added to the verb tein (“to stretch”). It describes stretching a muscle to its limit, and pictures a runner straining every muscle to reach the finish line.
As already noted, the goal on which believers must focus is being like Jesus Christ. It was also the goal of Paul’s ministry to “present every man complete in Christ” (Col. 1:28). He also expressed that goal to the Ephesians:
And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming. (Eph. 4:11–14)
To the Galatians Paul wrote that he was “in labor until Christ is formed in you” (Gal. 4:19). He exhorted the Corinthians to “be made complete” (2 Cor. 13:11), and his coworker Epaphras prayed that the Colossians would “stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God” (Col. 4:12). Pursuing Christlikeness here and now, until we are made like Him in glory, defines the progress of the Christian life and the target of ministry.
PURSUING THE PRIZE REQUIRES A PROPER MOTIVATION
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (3:14)
As noted earlier, this verse is the heart of the passage. The present tense verb translated I press on denotes Paul’s continuous effort to pursue the “impossible dream” and defeat “the unbeatable foe.” The root meaning of the preposition kata (toward) is “down.” Paul again expressed his single-minded focus, saying, “I continually bear down on the goal (skopos; “ a mark on which to fix one’s eyes”).”
That prize was what motivated him to run to win (1 Cor. 9:24). Believers will not receive the prize (Christlikeness, with all its eternal benefits) until the upward (lit. “above,” denoting both the source of the call and to where it leads) call of God in Christ Jesus ushers them into God’s glorious presence in heaven. As noted above, perfection is not attainable in this life. The finish line is the threshold of heaven, where the rewards will be handed out (cf. Matt. 5:12; Luke 6:23; 1 Cor. 3:12–15). It is not until Christ “appears, [that] we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is” (1 John 3:2).
Like a runner triumphantly pumping his fist in the air as he approaches the finish line, Paul declared at the end of his life, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day” (2 Tim. 4:7–8). Only “in the future” in heaven would Paul receive “the crown of righteousness” (Christ’s righteousness perfected in him); only then would he receive the prize which he so diligently pursued.
PURSUING THE PRIZE REQUIRES A PROPER RECOGNITION
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; (3:15)
Paul was not in the spiritual race alone; it includes all Christians, described here by the phrase as many as are perfect (cf. Heb. 10:14). The apostle is not speaking of practical perfection; that would contradict what he said earlier in the passage. Practical perfection does not come until believers are glorified. Rather, in a play on words, he describes believers as those who are positionally perfect in Christ. Since this is a polemic passage directed against those who taught that perfection is attainable in this life, Paul’s use of perfect may be a bit double-edged, with a tinge of sarcasm. Those false teachers were not perfect in practice, and also were not perfect in position.
Every true Christian must have this same attitude that Paul had. Phrone (have this attitude) literally means “to think this way,” “to be intent on this,” or “to set one’s mind on this.” It might be translated “continually think like this.” Like Paul, believers must be totally focused on making the maximum effort to pursue the prize of Christlikeness. We know how Christ thinks because the Scripture gives us His mind (1 Cor. 2:16). When we think biblical, divine thoughts, viewing all of life from the Lord’s perspective, those thoughts will move our behavior to become like His (cf. Col. 3:16).
But Paul was an experienced pastor and knew that not all believers would share the strength and relentlessness of his focus on pursuing the prize. To them Paul says, if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you. Those who refuse to heed Paul’s message will hear that same message from God. He will correct them through His Word, His Spirit, or through chastening. God will do whatever it takes to make believers recognize their need to pursue the prize of Christlikeness. He will also provide the resources they need to do that (2 Peter 1:3).
PURSUING THE PRIZE REQUIRES A PROPER CONFORMITY
however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. (3:16)
Pln (however) could also be translated “one more thing.” It is often used to express one final thought. This last prerequisite for pursuing the prize might also be described as consistency. Having developed a proper awareness, effort, focus, motivation, and recognition, believers must consistently keep living by that same standard to which they have attained. Stoiche (keep living) means “to line up,” or “to follow in line.” Believers must keep to the spiritual path that they have been following. To use the metaphor of a race, they must keep running in their lane.
Four divinely provided resources help believers to consistently pursue the prize of Christlikeness. First is the Word of God. Peter wrote, “Like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation” (1 Peter 2:2). Second is prayer. Paul prayed that the Corinthians would “be made complete” (2 Cor. 13:9). Third is following a godly example. Paul exhorted the Corinthians, “Be imitators of me” (1 Cor. 4:16; cf. 11:1; Phil. 3:17; 1 Thess. 1:6; 2 Thess. 3:7, 9; 1 Tim. 4:12; Heb. 13:7; 1 Peter 5:3). Finally, God uses trials to mold believers into the image of Jesus Christ: “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10; cf. James 1:2–4).
At the foot of one of the Swiss Alps is a marker honoring a man who fell to his death attempting the ascent. The marker gives his name and this brief epitaph: “He died climbing.” The epitaph of every Christian should be that they died climbing the upward path toward the prize of Christlikeness.