July, 2001

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 3:14

Though Paul was considered a spiritual giant in the eyes of Christians in the first century, yet he didn’t consider he had attained his goals. What were his goals that he pressed on to attain? The answer rested on verse 10, which simply put, was becoming like Christ. The goal is to have the attitude like that of Christ Jesus (2:5). Christ emptied and demoted Himself from the domain of God to take on humanity and taste a criminal death. His submission brought Him back a promotion to the highest place possible, that all will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (2:6-11). Complete submission is the final stage of sanctification.

In order to attain this goal, we need to press on. When Paul was writing this paragraph, he must be imagining some kinds of athletic competition. Christian spiritual growth is sometimes related to a race. In order to win the prize, we can’t let down. We must press on! This Greek word “press on” carries an idea of intense endeavor. It was used to describe a hunter eagerly pursuing his prey. You won’t become a winner by listening to lectures, watching others perform, reading books, or even cheering on the participants. You become a winner by entering the game and determining to give it your best to win. Some Christians are too busy “dying to self” that they forget to come back to life to run the race!

Paul told us in this verse that you and I have to press on toward the goal to win the prize. Let’s make sure that Paul wasn’t suggesting that we could attain to heaven by our own efforts. He was simply saying that just as an athlete was rewarded with a wreath in earlier Olympic games or Gold medal in recent years, so the faithful Christian will be “crowned” by the Lord Jesus Himself when He returns. There is a prize awaiting for every faithful Christian who doesn’t forfeit his race.

To attain such a monumental goal, we ought to follow the three instructions laid out in verse 13. (1) Don’t be content with our spiritual condition. There is always room to grow. (2) Leave the past behind. The past is a cashed check; tomorrow is a promissory note; today is cash on hand. (3) Strain forward, which literally means to lean forward and strain every nerve and muscle to maintain balance. It is used to describe a chariot racing, in which the athlete had to maintain balance of the chariot and to control the horse at the same time. So, press on! The reward is heavenward.