Read Philippians 3:12-21

   

   Paul had reason to forget the past: He had held the coats of those who stoned Stephen, the first Christian martyr (Acts 7). We have all done things for which we are ashamed, and we live in the tension of what we have been and what we want to be. Because our hope is in Christ, however, we can let go of past guilt and look forward to what God will help us become. Don’t dwell on your past. Instead, grow in the knowledge of God by concentrating on your relationship with Him now. Realize that you are forgiven, and then move on to a life of faith and obedience. Look forward to a fuller and more meaningful life because of your hope in Christ. 

   Paul said that his goal was to know Christ, to be like Christ, and to be all Christ had in mind for him. This goal took all of Paul’s energies. This is a helpful example for us. We should not let anything take our eyes off our goal: Knowing Christ. With the single-mindedness of an athlete in training, we must lay aside everything harmful and forsake anything that may distract us from being effective Christians. What is holding you back? 

 

   Christian maturity involves acting on the guidance that you have already received. We can always make excuses that we still have so much to learn. The instruction for us is to live up to what we already know and live out what we have already learned. We do not have to be sidetracked by an unending search for truth. 

 

   Sometimes trying to live a perfect Christian life can be so difficult that it leaves us drained and discouraged. We may feel so far from perfect that we think we can never please God with our life. Paul used perfection to mean mature or complete, not flawless in every detail. Those who are mature should press on in the Holy Spirit’s power, knowing that Christ will reveal and fill in any discrepancy between what we are and what we should be. Christ’s provision is no excuse for lagging devotion, but it provides relief and assurance for those who feel driven. 

 

   Paul challenged the Philippians to pursue Christlikeness by following Paul’s own pattern and example. This did not mean, of course, that they should copy everything he did; he had just stated that he was not perfect. But as he focused his life on being like Christ, so should they. The Gospels may not yet have been in circulation, so Paul could not tell them to read the Bible to see what Christ was like. Therefore, he urged them to imitate him. That Paul could tell people to follow his example is a testimony to his character. Can you do the same? What kind of follower would a new Christian become if he or she imitated you? 

 

   Citizens of Philippi had the same rights and privileges as the citizens of Rome because Philippi was a Roman colony. Likewise, we Christians will one day experience all the special privileges of our heavenly citizenship because we belong to Christ. Let us not be so tied to this life that we would be sorry to see Christ return. 

 

   The bodies we will receive when Christ returns will be glorious, like Christ’s resurrected body. Those who struggle with pain, physical limitations, or disabilities can have wonderful hope in the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15; 2 Corinthians 5). 

   

    Paul criticized not only the Judaizers but also self-indulgent Christians, people who claimed to be Christians but didn’t live up to Christ’s model of servanthood and self-sacrifice. Such people satisfy their own desires before even thinking about the needs of others. Freedom in Christ does not mean freedom to be selfish. It means taking the opportunity to serve and to become the best person you can be.