Philippians 3:12-4:1 Study Guide: Press on Towards the goal

Community Group Study Guide — Press on Toward the Goal 

Philippians 3:12-4:1

Study Information:

Many of us have sacrificed much in the pursuit of a goal whether that be a career, education, athletic training, paying off debt or working towards sobriety. The prize of achieving the goal outweighs the cost of what it takes to get there. This does not mean that chasing the goal is easy, often it is far from it. In the previous section, Paul wrote of his goal of knowing Christ and being found in him and the power of his resurrection, sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death and obtaining the resurrection of the dead. This new life promise we have in Christ is the hope of heaven and the presence of God. 

The thing that is different about what Paul described is that it is something he already has and something he is pressing towards. Followers of Christ already have the promise of resurrection and restored relationship with Christ AND we get to pursue the joy of that with all our might until we fully obtain all the promises and blessings with God in eternity. 

Straining Towards the Goal of Knowing Christ

Philippians 3:12-16

Paul condemned self righteousness (finding our confidence in morality, religion or keeping the law) in Philippians 3:1-8 and then presented a better place to put our confidence, namely in being found in Christ in Philippians 3:9-11. Next, as followers of Christ we are commanded to strain towards the goal of knowing Christ (Philippians 3:12-16). Paul used the language of a runner in a race when he used the terms “press on” and “straining.” Imagine a race that was coming down to the wire and one runner edged out the competition at the finish line. Recently at the New York City Marathon the winner, Benson Kipruto, beat his competition by three hundredths of a second. You can imagine the amount of physical effort and determination needed to finish a race that long in that close of a time. Normally Marathons are won by minutes, not less than a second. We are running a race but in the Christian life, our competition is not with one another, our competition is with distractions, sin and our enemy and Paul invited us to put forth grace driven effort to live with the goal of knowing Christ in mind.

To motivate his readers, Paul gave two certainties in our pursuit of Christ. First, we can press on and make Christ Jesus our own because Christ Jesus has made us his own (Phil 3:12). Behind all of our efforts to know Christ, persevere in the faith and live with heaven in mind is that Christ went first. If you’re a follower of Jesus it is because Christ Jesus has claimed you as his own. Ephesians 1:4-5 tells us that we were chosen before the foundation of the world to be adopted as children of God, meaning before we could do anything to earn God’s favor or prove our worth God loved us. 

Second, the future is better than the past (Phil 3:13). Paul call us to forget what lies behind and look to what lies ahead. This is not a call to dismiss all that’s happened in our life or to not enjoy memories or past accomplishments, rather it is a call to consider those things in light of eternity and to not dwell on the past whether they be accomplishments like what Paul described in Philippians 3:5-6, or past failures. Imagine if that runner who won the NYC marathon had turned around to looked to see how close second place was? Many a runner has turned back and either lost momentum and slowed or tripped and fell flat at the finish line. 

Another motivation to consider is the joy of what it means to know Christ. Since God is infinite, that means that he has no boundaries or limits. One implication of that is we will never fully exhaust all there is to know about God or the benefits of being found in Christ. This is hard to wrap our minds around but in one sense as a Christian you already know God and you will never know all there is to know about God. To quote Jonathan Edwards, heaven will be a world of love, filled with infinite love from God and a love from us to God and one another unhindered by the effects of sin. 

Our Citizenship is in Heaven

Phil 3:17-4:1

We are either living out of our heavenly identity or with things of this world in mind. Paul invited us to follow his example and to consider the godly examples in our lives of those who live with heaven in mind and persevere in following Christ. We’re not alone in the Christian life (Phil 3:17). With that encouragement also came a warning and a reminder. The warning is that there are many out there who do not live a cross shaped life. Paul has touched on this already a handful of times but made it explicit in these verses. We should not follow or emulate those walk as enemies of the cross. Their goals and values are not those of Christ (Phil 2:1-11). Notice how this group’s goals are all earthly and short term. Paul listed out four aspects of their manner of life. First, they were destined for destruction, meaning they did not know Christ and were destined for separation from Christ in hell. Second, they were ruled by their passions in that “their god is their belly.” Third, they glory in their shame, meaning they celebrated their own selfish accomplishments and sin. Finally, their minds were set on earthly things and not the things of God. This is a warning that we all live for someone or something and there is a significant temptation to live for ourselves or earthly things and miss out on the thing we were created for.

Instead follower of Jesus are to live out of their heavenly identity. The Philippians culture found a lot of pride in their Roman citizenship and that they were a colony of the Roman empire. Paul picked up on the language of colony and citizenship to direct their attention to an even better reality, that they were citizens of heaven! We all belong to a place and space on earth and are not called to ignore where God has planted us, but we live out our earthly lives as citizens of a true and better place, heaven. Paul’s language here is “outpost” or “colony” language in that we get to reflect our heavenly citizenship in how we live and in our relationships (Phil 1:27). Some day that will become reality when our earthly bodies will be transformed into heavenly bodies. Notice the contrast between the two groups that the enemies of the cross gloried in their shame and those who’s citizenship is in heaven will have their bodies transformed gloriously.  Our future is more secure and more joyful than we can ever hope.

Do you have goals for what it means to know Christ? We are invited to press on to make Christ Jesus our own because he has made us his own and as we do that we live out our true citizenship. 

At your community group:

Take 15-20 minutes to share about how God has been at work in your life, prayer concerns and pray for one another.

How did God speak to you through the scripture and the sermon this week? 

Discussion Questions:

Read Philippians 3:12-4:1

What certainties or motivations does Paul give for us to “press on” in the Christian faith?

Paul put himself forth as an example to imitate and wrote that there were many who walk as examples of godliness. Who have been some examples in your life that you’ve imitated?

Contrast those who walk as enemies of the cross and those who are citizens of heaven. How are their lives different and what values does each group have?

Paul mentioned in Philippians 3:11 that the Christian life involves sharing in the sufferings of Christ and it involves resurrection which often means death and hardship followed by new life. What are some things that help you press on to know Christ in times of perseverance?