Philippians 3:13
After a teaching by Matt Chandler
In Philippians chapter 3, the apostle Paul speaks of why we should pursue Jesus, why we should press on toward Him in an unceasing striving. But it is important that we know not only why, but also how to do it. One of the problems we have in evangelical circles is that we gather far too much information — from books, the internet, constant teaching, and so on — yet it seems we are weak in application. “All right, I know all of this, but now what? What will I change in my life, how will I put it into practice?” Whatever we hear as truth from God’s Word, we must always ask ourselves two questions. First, what will this truth look like in practice in my life, and second, when will I put it into practice — the questions “How will I obey the truth I hear?” and “When will I obey this truth?”
HOLY DISSATISFACTION
Philippians 3:12.
12 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. (Philippians 3:12)
The next verse is like a restatement of what Paul has already said in verse 12.
13 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, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13–14)
It is remarkable that the apostle Paul — a spiritual giant, an apostle and a saint — nevertheless says that he does not consider himself to have reached the level of sanctification at which we all ought to be. This shows us that we all need to develop within ourselves a holy dissatisfaction. Not a sinful dissatisfaction, not a dissatisfaction that frays our nerves or fills us with fear or with the feeling that God is angry at us all the time. Not a discontent that we lack the material well-being we see other people around us enjoying. Not that kind of discontent, but a holy discontent:
- A holy dissatisfaction with the quality of our worship — a dissatisfaction that longs for us to worship God at a deeper level than we do at present.
- A holy dissatisfaction with the depth of our relationship with Jesus — a dissatisfaction that moves us to desire a closer bond and fellowship with God the Father, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit than we have at present.
- A holy dissatisfaction with the level of our knowledge of God’s Word — a dissatisfaction that makes us want to know God’s Word better than we know it now.
- A holy dissatisfaction with the level of our prayer life — a dissatisfaction that makes us want to learn to pray more deeply and more powerfully than we pray at present.
This is not a dissatisfaction that paralyzes us, but a dissatisfaction that is constant within us, a dissatisfaction that makes us want more and more of God the Father, of Jesus Christ, and of the Holy Spirit — more knowledge, more communion, more experiences of God.
INNER SELF-ASSESSMENT
What can we do to develop such a holy dissatisfaction within ourselves? A few things. First — examining ourselves. In 2 Corinthians 13:5 the apostle Paul says:
5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? (2 Corinthians 13:5)
We must know ourselves, examine the state of our heart, our motives, our weaknesses, our strengths, the level of our spiritual development. Do not be a liar when it comes to yourself! Do not lie to yourself when it comes to yourself! Be honest with yourself! Admit your mistakes, admit your shortcomings, admit your weaknesses, admit your sins. Admit your wrong thoughts, admit the things in life that you love too much and are unwilling to surrender fully to the Lord. There must be times in your life when you review your life and become fully aware of what is happening with your life, what is happening with your heart, what is happening with your mind. If you know how far you have come in your journey with Jesus, this becomes a starting point from which to press on and upward in your spiritual growth. Inner self-assessment is like a catalyst, like an accelerator of the holy dissatisfaction that will move us forward and upward in our pursuit of Jesus. For the apostle Paul to say “I have not yet reached” (v. 11), “I have not obtained” (v. 12), “I have not taken hold” (v. 13), he was clearly carrying out this kind of inner self-examination and self-assessment. At the root of holy dissatisfaction lies inner self-knowledge — where we are strong and where we are weak in our spiritual life.
COMPARISON WITH THE HOLINESS OF CHRIST
And so, the first thing we need to develop holy dissatisfaction within us is inner self-assessment — to know how far we have come; and the second is comparison with the holiness of Christ and with the potential we have in Him. You can find and surround yourself with people to whom you look like a super-spiritual person, like a spiritual giant. They may be spiritual babies or immature Christians, and next to them you may seem almost perfect. But I think it will be far better if you constantly compare yourself not with people who are less developed than you spiritually, but with the holiness and perfection of Christ. In 2 Corinthians 10:12 the apostle Paul says:
12 We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise. (2 Corinthians 10:12)
To measure yourself by yourself and compare yourself with yourself is unwise. The One with whom you must measure and compare yourself is your older brother — Jesus Christ (Hebrews 2:11).
11 Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. (Hebrews 2:11)
If we compare ourselves with Christ, this will feed our holy dissatisfaction, for this comparison will constantly remind us that we have not yet attained that for which we were appointed, and this will spur us on, like the apostle Paul, to press ever more and more toward Jesus.
GOD’S PROMISES OF GROWTH
The third thing that will help us in our spiritual growth and in not breaking off our pursuit of Jesus is the knowledge of God’s promises in this direction. These are promises that God will work in us for the purpose of development, growth, and maturity. One of these promises is in Philippians 1:6.
6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:6)
This is a promise that if God has begun something in me, He will not abandon it, but will finish the sanctification He has begun.
Another similar promise is given to us in 1 Corinthians 1:8.
8 He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 1:8)
God will work in us, He will keep us firm in faith and sanctification until we become “blameless,” says the apostle Paul.
Another similar promise is 2 Corinthians 3:18.
18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)
These promises ought to create in us a holy dissatisfaction when we see that there are areas in our life that lag behind in the transformation, in the sanctification, that God is working in us.
GODLY PEOPLE
And the fourth thing that will help us develop holy dissatisfaction is to surround ourselves with people who are so godly that their godliness at times makes us feel uncomfortable about our own lack of godliness in certain areas. Can you think of such people? These are people of prayer, people of the gospel, people who are completely and wholly devoted to God, and it shows in their everyday life, in the way they manage to capture people’s attention and present the gospel to them in an easily accessible way. If we surround ourselves with such people, who are more mature in areas where we feel weak and lacking, this will help us develop holy dissatisfaction with ourselves and will motivate us to make an effort to grow. In my own life I want to be around people who are intercessors, people of prayer, and people of family. Why? Because they will convict me without a word — only by their deeds and conduct. They will challenge me and prompt me to desire, to yearn, to have what they already have in their relationship with God. They will remind me that I do not need mere intellectual ability, but the power of the Holy Spirit. So we need to surround ourselves with people who are strong in the areas where we are weak. This will stir in us a holy dissatisfaction with ourselves and a desire to pray and to live as they do.
And so, today we are trying to answer the question “How?” — how to “press on,” how to “pursue,” how to strive toward Jesus? And the answer is that we can do it by nurturing and developing within ourselves a holy dissatisfaction. We want to worship Jesus more fervently, to know God’s Word better, to pray more passionately, to love one another more warmly, to live more holy lives, to love our families even more, to witness for Jesus more boldly, to have more anointing, more grace — and to want more and more and more of what God has for us in Christ. Never content with what we have, with how far we have come spiritually.
FORGETTING WHAT IS BEHIND
But let us return to our text.
12 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. 13 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, (Philippians 3:12–13)
“Forgetting what is behind”? What does this mean? It certainly cannot mean that we are to forget our past or our history, because in other places God tells us to remember and to keep in mind what God has done for His people and for us. Joshua told the leaders of the tribes of Israel to take twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan and to pile them up at the place where they lodged after crossing the river on dry ground. For what purpose? So that they might be a monument, a memorial of what God had done for them, and that tomorrow, when their children asked them what this monument was, they might explain that it was a monument to the miracle God had done for His people when He divided the waters of the Jordan before the ark of the covenant and before them (Joshua 4:6–7).
So these words of Paul, that he “forgets what is behind,” are not a permission or an excuse for us to forget our past. What he says he forgets are the things that rob his pursuit of Jesus and his growth in sanctification. These are the things that rob our relationship with Jesus and produce lukewarmness in our fellowship with Him.
YESTERDAY’S GRACE
What are the things that are “behind” for us? One of the things that are behind us are our victories — our past achievements and triumphs. Every battle won could be a wonderful memory of God’s provision and power, but it could also become — if we grow content with it and begin to rest on “old laurels” — something that produces self-satisfaction and spiritual laziness. In 1 Corinthians 10:12 the apostle Paul warns us about this.
12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (1 Corinthians 10:12)
This means we should not rest on old laurels, not relax because of the victories we have already won, for the fight is not yet over. The war with our adversary continues, and he is only waiting for us to grow spiritually slack and to lower our vigilance and watchfulness so that he can attack us. The past victory was given to us through a grace that was for that time. Today’s victory will be given to us through grace that is for today. Tomorrow’s victory will be given to us through grace that is for tomorrow. If we try to rely on yesterday’s grace for today’s battle, it will be insufficient and inadequate. For today’s battle we need today’s grace, and this grace must be sought and received through our present humility and right standing before the Lord now, today, in the present.
PAST FAILURES
Nor must we allow the other extreme — letting a past failure or something wrong we have done in the past make us think that, because of what we have done or what has happened to us — something dark, something gloomy, perhaps even sinister — we are unworthy for God to work with us. In such a case we are claiming that we are the only ones for whom God’s grace is not sufficient. He can save Paul, He can set Peter free, but we have this thing in our life, in our past, for which, according to us, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross of Golgotha is not enough, cannot cover it, cannot mend it. This is equivalent to thinking that we do not need salvation at all. It is simply the opposite extreme. Instead, since salvation is by grace and only because of the worthiness of Christ, we can boast all the more in what God has done for us despite our weaknesses and our dark past. Not to exalt ourselves, but to exalt the grace and mercy of Christ. This is what the apostle Paul does in 1 Timothy 1:12–16.
12 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. 13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. 14 The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. 16 But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. (1 Timothy 1:12–16)
Here the apostle Paul says: “Look at what I was, and yet, despite this, God considered me trustworthy and appointed me to apostolic service.” His dark past did not block his present pressing on, pursuing, and striving toward Christ; instead it encouraged him all the more.
GIVING YOUR ALL
And so, we have spoken of holy dissatisfaction and forgetting what is behind, but let us return once more to our text in Philippians 3:12–14.
12 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. 13 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, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:12–14)
“Straining toward what is ahead,” “I press on toward the goal.” These are phrases of dynamism and movement. And they remind us that even though we have already received Jesus, even though we have already repented of our sins and been justified by faith, even though we have been born again and our names have been written in the book of life, we must press on and strive toward something more. Sanctification is something more than justification. And here the apostle Paul is not speaking of calmly strolling toward it; he speaks of “straining,” of “pressing on,” of running with all our might, of giving our all in this pursuit, in this striving toward Christ.
The apostle Paul uses such language in other places in his letters as well. For example, in 1 Timothy 4:7–10.
7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. (1 Timothy 4:7–10)
What does it mean to have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales? It means to stop playing games. Not to get stuck in secondary and unimportant things. The Christian life is not a game. It is a struggle, work, labor, endurance, discipline. The word “strive” in verse 10 means to take part in an athletic contest or to fight in a wrestling or boxing match — to compete in the games. In Greek this word is “agonizomai,” and from it most likely comes the word agony. Agony is the death-throe state of the organism, the moment in which the human body gives its all in order to preserve its life. To strive means to distinguish oneself in a certain field of public life — excellence in sport, in politics, in culture. To strive means to be the best in our field.
In 1 Corinthians 9:24–27 the apostle Paul is even more eloquent:
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. (1 Corinthians 9:24–27)
We do not run merely to take part in the race. We run, we box, we wrestle, in order to win the gold medal, to become first in our field. Winning that gold medal requires backbreaking work, immense willpower, and iron discipline.
The idea of grace is wonderful, but it can be misleading if it is not understood correctly. Yes, Jesus is the One who sanctifies us and He is the One who changes us, but He does it through discipline, through self-denial, through work, through perseverance, through struggle, through trials, and through sweat. And we must make all of this practical and ask ourselves the question: what does my struggle consist of? What does my labor consist of? What does my discipline consist of? What does it mean for me to give my all in order to achieve the desired result?
A PLAN OF ACTION
Perhaps it is good to set spiritual goals for ourselves and to strive to reach them. For example, to read one chapter a day from God’s Word every day. To pray one hour every day, or if we cannot manage an hour — to begin with five minutes, with ten minutes, and so gradually to increase our time in prayer. Remember what we said at the beginning about the questions to ask ourselves regarding every spiritual truth we learn. What were they? First, how will I apply it in my life, and second, when will I apply it in my life. First, “How?” and second, “When?” If we can answer these two simple questions, we will have a plan of action that we can carry out. If we do not draw up a plan of action, then we are not training ourselves in godliness, but playing games. If you say that you want to pray more — all right, “How?” and “When?” If we do not ask ourselves these questions every Sunday or every time we learn truths from God’s Word, this turns us into foolish, or “forgetful,” hearers of God’s Word, as James says — hearers who are not doers, in whom there is a mismatch between words and deeds.
And so, keep a holy dissatisfaction in your heart. How?
- By regularly making an inner self-assessment;
- By comparing yourself not with yourself, but with Jesus;
- By reminding yourself of God’s promises to work with you;
- By surrounding yourself with people who are strong in the areas where you are weak.
Forget what is behind. How?
- By not resting on old laurels and not allowing self-satisfaction and spiritual laziness into your heart, by asking God for fresh grace and fresh anointing for today’s battles.
- By not allowing yourself to be discouraged by the dark moments of your past, but using them to grow even bolder in God’s grace.
Strain toward what is ahead. How? By setting concrete spiritual goals for yourself and applying every effort and the necessary discipline to attain and accomplish them.
- I will spend more time with Jesus. How and when?
- I will pray more. How and when?
- I will build more spiritual friendships. How and when?
Do not forget to ask yourself the questions “How?” and “When?” They will help you to put God’s truths into practice in your life and to let Jesus work real and tangible changes in you and in your character. It is perhaps also good, when you draw up a plan of action, to share it with someone to whom you can be accountable for carrying out this plan and who can encourage you on your spiritual journey.