Read Philippians 3:8-16
How does the Resurrection of Christ bring purpose to your life right now? This is one of the main questions that is answered in Philippians 3:8-16. Paul answers this implied question by providing a personal illustration of his own life and the purpose that he has received from the resurrected Christ. The first element that Paul discusses in this passage is that he is COMPLETELY trusting Jesus for his sense of value, worth, and purpose. Even though Paul has every reason to trust in his own abilities and talents, he has utterly forsaken them. Why would Paul do this?
Paul tells us that it is the worth of”knowing Jesus my Lord”, because in knowing Jesus, Paul has seen the freedom of losing everything in order to gain Jesus. In other words, when Paul came to know Jesus, he came to know how valuable and wonderful Jesus is. As a result, there was nothing that was worth holding onto, and nothing could be added to gaining Christ. This is complete trust, and the gain of Christ is dependent on trust. Having the righteousness of God, rather than our own personal righteousness is not possible if we are not first and foremost dependent on God for it.
The discipline of forsaking our own efforts to earn God’s approval (righteousness) and relying completely on Jesus is one that will continue to develop over the course of our lives. Even the Apostle Paul had to continue to strain towards that goal by denying himself and living for Christ. This involves not only letting go of the righteousness that we think we have on our own, but also trusting that the righteousness of Christ is more than sufficient to cover your sins. This is what Paul means when he is telling us to forget what lies behind but to “strain forward to what lies ahead”. Knowing that Christ is our reward, we are able to persevere with him and finish the race.
The purpose that we receive with the resurrection of Christ is to be resurrected with him, to be with him forever, which brings him glory and wraps us in that glory. Our new purpose is not something that remains abstract as we continue our day-to-day lives in the present. Instead, it is a purpose that completely transforms how we live in the present because our sights have been set on something better than the present.
Questions
In what ways are you tempted to boast in your accomplishments rather than in Christ?
How does actively pursuing an experiential knowledge of Jesus help you forsake your own righteousness and depend on Jesus?
How does Paul’s example of straining toward the goal encourage you?
Describe why any purpose other than “glorifying God and enjoying him forever” is settling for infinitely less than what our purpose is?
Why does Paul conclude this section by stating that it is those who are “mature” think this way?