As we started to look at this paragraph last time we were together, we were reminded that this is the corollary truth that is present in verse 9, where we found that we are complete in Christ. Jesus Christ has done everything that was necessary to purchase full and free salvation in Jesus Christ. The righteousness of Jesus Christ has been placed upon the believers account. And it would be very easy to think at this point that it really doesn’t matter how you live. It is easy to think that we have arrived and at whatever stage we are in our Christianity we lack the urgency of serving Jesus Christ.

Have you ever met someone who is very smug and thinks that they have arrived, that they are somehow higher or better or superior to others? It might be because of their education or their occupation or how much money that they have but they have arrived. And it is hard to be in the presence of someone like that. The problem is that many believers can take on that smugness. They think they have arrived. It could be their superior knowledge of the Scriptures, or how successful they have been in raising children, or how great of a marriage they have compared to others, but they look down on other believers with a sense of smugness and arrogance. And the problem is that they really believe their interpretation of self is right.

Now that is a problem for a couple of reasons. One is that we forget the grace of God in our lives. We forget that we have done enough that if God chose to bring judgment on those decisions none of us would stand. The things we rejoice in this life would be taken away. And also the reason why there has been any progression in our lives is because of Christ’s grace in our lives. Without that grace in our lives the things we enjoy and the growth in our lives would not have come. We forget that we never have a day where we progressed so much that we do not stand in need of God’s grace.

The second point is what this passage is about: those who are smug and think they have arrived no longer see the need of growth in their lives. Why would you need to grow, why would you need to progress if you are perfect already? The humble Christian will see that he is not better than others but the same as others and there are so many areas of growth in his life. And that is what we saw last time we were together: “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect.” Paul says he has not arrived. There is still much work that God has to do with his life. I think that can be our official view; the one we say in public. But if this is true in your life do you see areas in your life that need to change? Do you see areas where your character has to grow, where you have to learn to trust in Christ, areas where you have to be more patient in your marriage, maybe that you do need to be more committed at least privately to Christ? If Paul needs to grow you need to come down from your pedestal and humble yourself before our great God and recognize how much still needs to change and how much you still need to grow into the image of Christ.

Since Paul recognizes this we see that as our text says, “I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” Paul pressed on with zeal to apprehend Christ and he knows this is a worthy goal because Christ had already laid hold of Him and will never let Paul go. We need to press on. Are you beholding Jesus Christ, zealously pursuing Him? I want us to look at this passage and truly see how Paul carries on that goal. The way that he goes forward is how he looks at the present and keeping the ultimate goal before His eyes. It we are going to progress in Christ we need to have these two motivations before our hearts.

1. We need to see the motivation in the present. V.13.

One of the things I love about this passage is that it is so personal. Paul is indicating his personal testimony and desire. This is not dry theology of the study of man but what Paul personally thinks about himself and what he should do. It is incredible when we have right convictions, when we truly believe, not just what is right about Christ, but what is true about ourselves that it leads to right responses. We will not think that we are higher or better or more righteous than our spouse, and even cause us to have more empathy. It will allow us to press forward to glorify Christ and not rest on what has already accomplished. If God has done this much in my life, he can change so much more of my marriage, my church, and my life.

Now look how Paul begins this verse, “Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of yet.” When something is repeated in Scripture God is telling us to pay attention, not to pass over this truth. Paul repeats himself for the third time in these few verses. You can imagine in this church where there is internal division why this truth was so needed. You cannot expect others to be perfect when you are not. Look at the word “regard.” It has the meaning of careful thought and contemplation. This is not an emotional response but an accurate assessment of the life of Paul. He has not laid hold of. He has not laid hold of all of Jesus Christ. Is this is Paul’s assessment of himself, what is your assessment of yourself? Do you see sin? Do you see areas that you need to change? We are often willfully blind of our own sin but demanding that others see clearly. There is no patience because we truly believe a lie and that lie is that we have laid hold of. We have progressed as far as one can in this area.

Now because of this Paul continues on in this verse: “forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.” This really is a running metaphor. What a runner must do in order to finish the race strongly is not look back. It takes his mind off the course but to strain in looking forward. So what does Paul mean as far as “forgetting what lies behind.” We know he forgot all of his accomplishments in his former life. Whatever he had called gain he now counts as loss the things that he used to look at as far as bringing him into God’s presence. And that is something to remember. As born again believers in Jesus Christ there is no going back. There is such an excitement when we first come to Christ. We have a new freedom to follow Christ. But when the trials of life come it is so easy to think of the good ole days. Remember the Israelites in the wilderness when they came face to face with trials such as the same food they complained against Moses and longed for the days that ate leeks and garlic, which doesn’t seem too appetizing but above that those were the days of slavery. Our memories are not perfect. They many times sanitize the past and make it look more desirable than it really was. There was a reason we were thankful and excited when we came to Christ, and that is because the old life was bondage.

But in the immediate context Paul is not talking about the time when he was unsaved but the immediate context is pressing on in the Christian life. So what is Paul talking about? He certainly is not talking about forgetting doctrine or truth or being thankful for God’s past grace, but what he is talking about is having an inordinate fascination and concentration on the past that causes us not to live in the present. You can imagine how germane this was in Paul’s life such as the places he had been, the churches he had planted, or the revelation that was given him. If Paul kept concentrating on the things that he had done it would stifle any further growth in his life. Our successes can actually bind us to what still needs to be done. But it is not just resting on your laurels of the past but also not being stifled by our failures of the past.

The past can be so stifling. We can get to a place in our lives where we stop looking forward and seeing what God can do. When we were younger we had dreams as far as being the spouse or parent we wanted to be or how we wanted to learn about Christ or how we wanted to be more active in the church, but the kids are gown and we do not have that relationship with them. We didn’t grow and study as much as we thought, and never got active. We look back at all the wasted opportunities. And we might live in regret that we might not enjoy the things we used to enjoy, or that the things we wanted to accomplish we never will. But that is why God has given us today. The story of your life has not been fully written. We can learn more about Christ, and be active in the church, and even be involved in the lives of others for the glory of God. God in His goodness and grace has given us today to live. We need to not live in regret of the past but pursue Christ today.

So Paul as he sits in prison doesn’t reminisce about the past and what might have been if he was allowed to go to more places or given more revelation, but forgets or doesn’t live in the past but says, “and reaching forward to what lies ahead.” The Greek term for “reaching forward” means “exert oneself to the uttermost,” and pictures the runner exerting extreme effort to reach that finish line. Faith is not a decision in the past or something that is static today but Paul makes every effort to know Christ and follow Christ in the present age.

And I want us to realize that we can make two mistakes. One, as we said we just live in the past. It is not that we shouldn’t be thankful for the past, but that should cause us to seek Christ today. The other error is to live in the distant future and forget about today. We think about getting to heaven and we are thankful for our future hope. The problem is that we forget the blessings of today. If God has been for us in the past and done his work in us and through us, and God has promised a future beyond comprehension should cause us to live and look for living for Christ today. We should start the day thanking God for this day and asking Him to help us to make much of Him in all that we say and do today: to be the spouse or parent or employee or friend or whatever that God has given us to do – to put the maximum effort that we might grow and others might be blessed. We have not been perfected so there is so much to do today.

2. The motivation of the right goal. Vs. 14

Paul continues the running metaphor by saying he not only forgets what is behind, and reaches forward, but he presses on to the finish line. He recognizes as he looks at what needs to be done in his life that the task is not complete. The race has not been finished. He doesn’t say I have finished the race and reached the prize, but is still running with the finish line in sight. And that is something that we forget. We are not only to run well but we are to finish well.  We are still in midst of the race and there is no time to check out or take a break. God wants His children to finish the race trusting Him, glorifying Him, and continuing to grow in apprehending Jesus Christ.

Now with that in mind, look at what Paul says, “I press on toward the goal.” A runner in the distance events keeps the goal in mind. He overcomes the pain and the obstacles by keeping the goal in mind. In order to finish through the pain he must have the goal transfixed in his thoughts. Now the goal or the finish line could be death. Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” The goal could also be the return of Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20 says, “we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,” but goal is to be with Jesus. That is the finish line.  That is when we will totally apprehend Christ. So many lose heart in this life because they think that everything will continue on as it always has, but things will change. There is a glorious end to this world and things will never be the same when we are finally with Christ. The strength to strain and exert effort in this present life is that there is a finish line. There is the goal. There will be one generation that will be caught up with Christ, but for most of us death will take us, and none of us know when that will be or who will be next, but death is inevitable. And things will change so dramatically in our lives, way beyond what we could ever comprehend when we get to be with Christ.

Look at how Paul states this goal in verse 14, “for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” The prize here would be the award offered to the victor at the end of the race.  At first glance it might seem as you look at this phrase that Paul says that we earn our position to be in the presence of Christ. If we keep laboring then through our labors we can be with Christ. That interpretation would go against what Paul had just said in verse 9 that Paul stands complete in Christ because of Jesus’ righteousness. But this paragraph is calling us to extreme effort into knowing Christ and finishing well. So what is Paul talking about here? The key is the call. When did the upward call of Jesus Christ begin? The upward call is not the reward. The call is not to be with Christ. It is the promise we will be with Christ. At the moment of salvation Christ called with an upward call and with intimate fellowship with Him, and because of that we are guaranteed the prize of being with Christ at the end of this age. The call unites believers with Christ and with one another. This is the call that Paul is already enjoying. The prize is not only the continuation of that relationship but the culmination of that relationship when the believer is with Christ.

The future goal of winning the prize by being with Christ captured Paul’s attention so completely that it set him free from the tyranny of the past, allowed him to function with zeal and purpose in the present to take hold of all that Christ had called him to be and do. This is the direction to life. There is a destination and this life doesn’t get in way, but is the plan in order to get to the destination. If we are still here then we have not been perfected so this life is still preparation. There are still things that God wants to do in us and through us, and we are called to trust in Him by straining and pressing toward Christ. These verses give so much direction in the here and now. It gives so much hope as we press forward.

The temporal and earthly things will try and rival what God wants for our lives. Life is a battle and takes much straining and much discipline in order to be what God wants us to be. We need to trust Christ and follow Him in this present life.  Take this passage and the truths and keep pressing to the reward that is already yours in Christ. On that day most of the things that we thought were important will not seem so important anymore. It will not seem that important whether we had a large house or small house, or whether we had a large bank account or small bank account, or whether we were beautiful or ugly. What will matter is if we pressed on and delighted and learned and obeyed Jesus Christ.