Pressing Forward for Christ

Paul refuses to write as somebody who has arrived. Philippians 3:12 makes that plain: “not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect.” Paul had counted his religious résumé, his past achievements, and every other confidence as loss for Christ, yet he still says, “I haven’t made it.” That honest assessment keeps a Christian from living like a Pharisee, pretending everything is fine on the outside while God is being shut out of the heart.

Paul also refuses to be satisfied with failure. “But I follow after” means he is purposefully pursuing Christ. Growth does not come from pretending there is no problem, nor from endlessly cataloging every problem until discouragement wins. God calls His children to ask honestly, “Lord, what do You want me to work on right now?” Truth brings freedom, but only when the heart is willing to seek it and admit what God reveals.

Paul’s pursuit rests in Christ’s prior hold on him. He follows after “that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.” Christ has already taken hold of His own. The Christian is not fighting for victory, but from victory. Satan wants strongholds of sin, bitterness, distraction, and habitual defeat; Christ wants such a hold on a life that the world, the flesh, and the devil cannot shake it loose.

Paul then narrows the focus: “this one thing I do.” The one thing is Christ Himself. David desired to behold the beauty of the Lord, and Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet. Good works, good desires, and a busy life can never replace the primary focus of knowing the Savior in order to obey Him. Paul forgets what is behind, including religious pride, forgiven sin, past victories, failures, and joys that now distract from Christ. Forgetting does not mean the past never hurts; it means the past no longer gets to hamstring present obedience.

Paul reaches forward and presses toward a definite mark. He is not shadowboxing, wandering around, or filling time. The prize is the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, a calling to be conformed to the image of the Son. Future rewards are not about selfish crowns, but about having something to cast at Jesus’ feet for His glory. Paul finally calls believers to keep walking by the truth already learned, while humbly trusting God to reveal whatever still needs to be brought under Christ’s rule.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Honesty keeps growth from becoming pretend Christianity. Paul’s admission that he had not attained destroys the temptation to perform spirituality for others. A heart that hides from God cannot move forward, because it refuses to acknowledge where it actually stands. Humility is not making peace with failure; humility is bringing the real condition of the heart before a holy God. [29:03]
• 2. Christ must become the one thing. Paul’s singular focus cuts through the scattered, overwhelmed life that tries to fix everything at once. Martha’s good work became misplaced when it displaced time at Christ’s feet, while Mary chose the one thing that could not be taken away. Knowing Christ is not an escape from obedience; it is the only place from which real obedience can grow. [46:36]
• 3. A forgiven past must not rule today. Paul leaves behind both his Pharisaical accomplishments and the sins Christ had forgiven. Past victories can feed pride, and past failures can feed paralysis, but neither should control present pursuit of Christ. The past may be remembered when it glorifies God, but it must not keep the hands from reaching forward. [50:42]
• 4. The high calling gives life a real mark. Paul presses toward a prize rather than running aimlessly or beating the air. Christ calls every believer to be like Him, even though each believer has different gifts and assignments. Faithfulness now becomes an offering that can one day be laid at Jesus’ feet for His glory. [61:39]
• 5. God reveals what humble hearts still miss. Paul trusts God to show believers where their thinking is otherwise minded. Spiritual maturity does not mean having every weakness already identified; it means remaining teachable before God. The lessons already learned must also be guarded, practiced, and carried forward.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [20:23] - Pressing Forward for Christ
• [23:45] - The Airplane and Forward Motion
• [28:12] - An Honest Assessment
• [29:03] - Paul Had Not Yet Attained
• [35:12] - Purposefully Pursuing Christ
• [39:51] - Apprehended by Christ
• [42:23] - A Godly Focus
• [46:36] - The One Thing Is Christ
• [50:22] - Forgetting Things Behind
• [54:00] - Reaching Forth to Things Before
• [60:20] - A Worthy Goal and Heavenly Prize
• [66:10] - A Godward Mindset
• [69:23] - Stop Looking Over the Shoulder

Bible Reading

Philippians 3:12-16
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.” [20:23]

Psalm 27:4
“One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.” [46:36]

Luke 10:42
“but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” [47:05]

1 Corinthians 9:24-27
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” [55:13]

Observation questions

1. In Philippians 3:12-13, what does Paul admit about himself, and what does he say he does instead of treating himself as though he has arrived? [29:03]
2. What two directions are found in Philippians 3:13, and how do “forgetting” and “straining forward” work together in the verse? [54:09]
3. What is the “one thing” that connects David’s desire in Psalm 27:4 with Mary’s choice in Luke 10:42? [48:45]
4. According to Philippians 3:14 and 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, what words show that Paul’s Christian life had a clear goal rather than being aimless? [01:01:23]

Interpretation questions

1. Paul says that Christ Jesus has made him His own, and then Paul presses on to make Christ’s purpose his own. How does Christ’s hold on a believer give encouragement for fighting sin, bitterness, distraction, and discouragement? [40:23]
2. Paul does not deny his unfinished growth, but he also refuses to become satisfied with it. What is the difference between humble honesty about weakness and complacency with weakness? [35:12]
3. Paul says, “one thing I do,” while Psalm 27 and Luke 10 point to seeking the Lord Himself. Why can good responsibilities and good works still become a problem when they replace time with Christ? [49:13]
4. Philippians 3:15-16 calls believers to keep walking in what they have already attained while trusting God to reveal what they still do not see. What does this show about the place of teachability and obedience in spiritual maturity? [01:08:13]

Application questions

1. Paul’s honesty removes the need to pretend that everything is fine. What area of your walk with Christ do you most need to bring honestly before the Lord right now? What might it look like to ask, “Lord, what do You want me to work on?” [31:37]
2. It is possible to keep assessing problems without taking the next step of obedience. Is there an issue you have identified repeatedly but have not acted on? What simple step of faith and obedience could move you forward this week? [42:23]
3. Christ must be the one thing, even when life is full of worthwhile duties. What good thing most often crowds out prayer, Scripture, worship, or quiet attention to Christ in your life? How could you make room to sit at His feet this week? [49:42]
4. Paul leaves behind both religious accomplishments and forgiven failures. Do past successes tempt you toward pride, or do past failures keep you discouraged and hesitant? How can the gospel help you stop allowing that part of the past to control today’s obedience? [50:42]
5. Reaching forward means pursuing something God has placed ahead, rather than merely filling time. What is one definite area where you believe God is calling you to grow, serve, repair, or obey? [54:45]
6. The high calling is to become more like Jesus Christ, not to copy another believer’s gifts or assignment. Where are you tempted to compare your calling with someone else’s, and how can you pursue faithfulness in the place God has given you? [01:04:43]
7. God promises to reveal areas where a humble believer is “otherwise minded.” What would it look like this week to invite God to show you a wrong attitude, pattern, or thought that still needs to come under Christ’s rule? [01:08:13]