The Book of PhilippiansPart III: Joy Through Surrender
Scripture:
“I want to know Christ - yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)
Observation:
Paul’s letter to the church of Philippi, also known as the “letter of joy,” encourages us to remember from where true joy comes from: Christ alone. Paul is imprisoned yet continues to speak of the joy found in surrendering your life to Jesus.
Paul gave up his past to become a servant of Christ, to share in both His suffering and sacrificial love. In following Christ, He gave up everything he knew, including his status and privilege. Paul’s life was radically transformed when Christ “took hold of him.” Even after all this, he says he still hasn’t arrived at his goal. The New Living Translation of verse 12 describes what he is pressing on to possess: perfection.
Perfection is not something that any will obtain on this side of heaven. Yet, Paul hopes and believes in Jesus — that His love will carry us from death to resurrection. Only then will that heavenly prize be received. “Keeping your eye on the prize” takes on a whole new meaning when we think about “the race,” as Paul describes it.
Application:
Like Paul, I too want to know Christ. However, reading his words made me question whether or not I truly grasp what that means. To know Christ is to suffer with Him. It is not just in my actions that I get to know Him, but also in my sacrifice. I must choose to lay down my life to follow Jesus, just as He gave it all to die on the cross for me — and for you.
Pastor Julius summed it up with a simple but powerful statement: “It is not what you do that will open the doors of heaven; it is what God has done through His Son, Christ Jesus, that enables us to be called sons and daughters of God.”
This is the message that Paul wants us to grasp. We can’t earn our entrance into heaven. In fact, Paul did all the “right” things in the eyes of religion. Outwardly, he seemed to have it all, but when he encountered Christ, he realized he’d been working towards all the wrong things.
We, too, may be tirelessly spending our days trying to check all the boxes. But hear this: nothing you do or ever will do compares to what Christ has already done for you.
Like Paul, we must leave our past behind and keep our eyes on Christ alone. People will remind us about our past - and, sometimes, it is us doing that to ourselves. Paul is urging us to leave the past where it belongs - to keep pressing forward to follow Jesus.
Christ does not ask for perfection from us. Even Paul never achieved that impossible goal. But we look forward, trusting in the Lord and His timing, doing it all with a heart on fire for Him and surrounding ourselves with those who are moving towards the same goal - which is surrendering it all to Jesus.
Prayer:
Father God, I surrender all to You - my past, my present, and my future. I want to truly know You and be more like You. Lord, help me live my life like Paul did, putting others above myself and risking my life for You, so that others may know You through me. At the end of my days, I don’t want to say that I wasted it all or worked towards the wrong things. When trials and suffering come, I pray for an overwhelming joy in knowing that it was, is, and will forever be all for Your glory. Give me the strength and courage to press on, as I pursue Your will for my life. Set a fire in my heart; stir up a conviction in me to truly know who Jesus is. Because I know He is the ultimate example. In Jesus’ name. Amen.