Ep. 33 | Higher Ground | Philippians

Listen in as Pastor Eddie Blalock shares today’s daily devotional featuring Philippians 3:12-16. Let’s be Formed by The Word together!

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Formed by the Word, a podcast where we don't just read the Bible, we invite it to shape our lives. In each episode, Pastor Eddie Blaylock will provide daily devotionals seeking to connect real scripture to real life. We'll be starting with the book of Philippians. This incredible letter clearly reveals how life in Christ shapes a resilient faith and a joy that is not dependent on circumstances. So wherever you're listening, whether you're driving, working out, or just scrolling for something meaningful, lean in, open your heart, and let's be formed by the word together.

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Beth and I love to hike in the mountains. We've hiked the great smoky mountains, the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado Plateau. But one of my favorite experiences in Israel was hiking up the snake trail to the top of Masada. Hiking is a great experience, but also affords many opportunities for incredible views. There are lots of great views on the way to the top, but nothing like to view when we finally reach the summit. Well, whether the trail leads to a magnificent cascading waterfall, a special rock formation, and an amazing overlook or ruins of an ancient city, the highlight of the hike is arriving at the top. It's what keeps you pressing on when hiking gets steep or the terrain difficult to navigate. Our spiritual journey is really a lot like a good hike. We're pressing to make it to the top, the highest ground possible, but all the while enjoying life along the way. Not just waiting for the scenery at the top, the experience at the top, but enjoying the views as we pass along on the journey. Well, in our next section of Philippians chapter 3, verses 12 through 16, Paul transitions from what he values. He spoke about that in the first 11 verses of chapter 3, to now how he lives those values out, how he lives it out in his life. Let's just read the passage and then we'll take a look at observing it. Verse 12, I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection, but I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing. Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God through Christ Jesus is calling me. Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. And if you disagree on the some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. But we must hold on to the progress we have already made. What a fascinating couple of verses here. Paul here talks about how he lives out his faith. He starts by admitting, interestingly enough, that he hasn't yet arrived. So Paul admits he hasn't arrived. That's humility on his part, and I think it's very important to see. He says, I don't mean to say, verse 12, that I have already achieved these things or that I've already reached perfection. Paul just described knowing Christ deeply in verses 7 through 11. We saw that yesterday. He included sharing in his sufferings, but now he clarifies that he hasn't arrived in those things. He's not spiritually perfect. He's still in the throes of a process, a journey, a hike, a climb, if you will. Even the apostle Paul says, I'm not there yet. What does that say about us? If the Apostle Paul hasn't arrived, I'm pretty sure I haven't either, right? Well, the key thought here, I think, that we need to pound down on is that maturity begins with humility. The moment you think you've arrived spiritually, you've already stalled. So Paul is wise and helpful to give us that admission from the beginning. I have not yet arrived. But the next Paul says that he's pursuing Christ relentlessly. I haven't made it to the top yet, he says, but I am pursuing that venture. I'm climbing hard. Look what he says, verse 12. He says, I press on. The idea in the original language there is to agonize. We get our word agonize from this Greek word, I agonizo. I press on to possess. I agonize to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. Notice, first of all, his persistence. He says, I focus on one thing. This one thing I do, forgetting what is behind and reaching forward. Paul simplifies his life into one driving focus with maybe two movements. One, forgetting what is behind, and two, reaching forward to what's ahead. Well, what does he mean forgetting what's behind? Well, I think he has to forgive things like past sins, guilt that comes with past sins often, that hangs on to us, and yet Christ says those are forgiven. Or maybe he refers here to past successes. Sometimes we have to let go of past successes because pride wants to build from those things. Or maybe it's past wounds that cause bitterness. He's not talking here about some kind of amnesia or a refusal to be controlled by the past. Your past is a reverence point, not a residence. Let me say that again. Your past is a reference point, not a residence. Don't trip over what's behind you. And then he says, reaching forward, straining forward is again the idea. Like a runner leaning at the finish line. That's the picture maybe you want to draw in your mind. You can't run forward while you're turning backwards, can you? You can't look backwards and run forward. So observe the order here. It matters. Christ has already taken hold of Paul, and now Paul pursues Christ. The tension here is this: we don't pursue to be saved. We pursue him because we are saved. I'm not chasing Christ to earn him. I'm chasing him because he has already caught me. I'm chasing following after him, dying to myself. The third thing Paul mentioned is that he maintains a focused discipline. Look at verse 13. He says, No, dear brothers and sisters, I've not achieved it yet, but I focus on this one thing, forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead. Very, very important. Focused discipline, maintaining that constant focus and straining toward with an intense effort, a clear intention of discipline. And then finally, Paul lives his values by maintaining a very clear direction. He says in verse 14, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Paul says, I'm pressing on. I want to understand that what is top goal in my life, what is the major thing I'm striving for is to reach the summit. I'm agonizing to reach the end of the race, the summit, the high point. He moves now from using accountants' terms to using an athletic imagery. He refers to a goal that is a finish line. He refers to a prize, which is his full experience of Christ. And then he mentions a heavenly prize, referring here to achieving God's ultimate purpose in his life. This is not about earthly success, it's about an eternal alignment. An athlete's goal isn't comfort. An athlete's goal isn't even really success or recognition. It's the prize. Well, for Paul, the prize is Christ. He says, for those of us who follow Christ, the prize is not a gold medal. The prize for followers of Jesus is Jesus Himself. Let's see if we can put some handles on this passage for us, right? I think it's important to note as we press into this journey, as you are hiking to the top, don't be afraid to pause throughout the journey to enjoy the view and to keep pressing forward. Sure, you have to sit down and rest a moment. There are moments of pause to enjoy the moment, but then you keep pressing on. You stay faithful where you are, verse 16, and you keep looking forward to arrival at the summit. Maybe it would help today to ask a couple of questions. Where am I tempted to think, you know what, I've grown enough? What about this one? What from my past is holding me back? Failure or success? Something else? And what does pressing on look like practically this week for me? Well, some good questions for meditation and for thought. I think the takeaway today that I would leave you with these incredible verses is this followers of Jesus don't stand still. We press on. As followers of Jesus, we don't stand still, we press on. Well, enough for today. Let's pray and we'll be back tomorrow. Lord, thank you for this day, for the great day you've given us, and for the challenge to always be pressing on. God encourage us today, strengthen us today for the journey, and help us to keep our eyes on the prize of reaching the summit, the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Amen and amen.

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Thanks for joining us today. We are so glad that you chose to spend a few moments with us in God's Word. If this episode has encouraged you, we ask that you leave us a review or maybe share this episode with a friend. Also, would you consider sending us a note to let us know what God is doing in your life? Pastor Eddie would love to hear from you. You can find this email in the show notes. Until next time, stay in the Scriptures, keep following Christ, and allow your life to be formed by the Word.