Philippians 3:12-16 (NIV)
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.
All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained.
Paul knew his own shortcomings better than anyone, except perhaps for God Himself. He had become so strong in his faith, so powerful in his witness, so transparent in his Christlikeness, that many in the church were tempted to put him on a pedestal, to make him their model.
But Paul knew that no human being was worthy to be favorably compared to Jesus. Jesus served God from his first days on earth, growing continually in strength, in wisdom, and in God’s grace (Luke 2:40), and in favor with both God and people (Luke 2:52).
But Paul, and every other Christian, had come to God for salvation as a sinner, with a past that often brought shame and humility. Each believer has to grow and mature into the image of Jesus, empowered and worked on internally by the Holy Spirit, yes, but slowed and occasionally interrupted by human weakness.
So, Paul was not willing to own the title of “perfect Christian” that many were tempted to label him with. He had come a long way from where he had begun, even experiencing sufferings and shame like Jesus (Galatians 6:17).
But Paul was completely given over to allowing the Holy Spirit to complete the process of becoming like Jesus, even if it meant more shame, more suffering, or even his own death. And his encouragement was for the Philippian Christians to do the same. Like all of us, they tended to pull back from suffering and sacrifice, but Paul had come to realize that those negative things were part of the molding and shaping process that God uses to help people to grow.
In the meantime, Paul encouraged each of his readers to live up to what they had obtained so far, as they continue to press forward in the way of the cross. He urged them to shine forth brightly the light of Jesus in their every thought, word, and deed, and not hold back until they “arrived” at complete Christlikeness. Paul himself understood that if they held back and waited, they would end up missing out on many blessings, and they would deprive the Kingdom of much productive work.
Father, this is a necessary corrective for our time, too. It is far too common for people to see how far they have to go and grow discouraged. From there, we can easily decide that we can’t begin the work that You have called us to until we grow a little more, until we know a little more, until we take one more class or attend one more workshop. But Paul himself, although falling short of all he wanted to be for You, never put himself into a holding pattern. He kept involved in Your work, and You used that work, even the hardships and failures he experienced in it, to grow, and shape, polish him and form him ever more closely to the image of Jesus. Lord, help us to move forward, as imperfect as we may be, into the work of your Kingdom, so the we, too, may be powerful and effective witnesses, and so that we can be empowered and molded by your hand as we go. Amen.