The Life of Faith / Philippians 3:12-16
Subject: Following the Faith Life
Bible Verse: Philippians 3:12-16
In the Philippians, the apostle Paul tells us in the text that he is still on the road of the life he is running and pursuing. He also confesses many of his experiences. At the crossroads of life and death, he testifies of his experiences (1:20-21), his experiences with those who hinder him and those who welcome him (1:18-), and his experiences with the rich and the poor and the secret to overcoming them and living a satisfying life (4) :12).
1. “Forget the latter” (verse 13).
Therefore, in order to move forward, we must forget about the past. You should forget about your achievements, your feelings with others, and the things you did wrong or wrong. The English word for "forget" is "Forget". This means "to get". In other words, the word “to gain” and the word “forget” are related. There is an old saying, "Virtue is engraved in water, and resentment is engraved in stone." Rather, virtue and grace should be engraved on stone, and resentment on water.
2. "I go after" - I am still running (verse 13)
When Paul wrote this text, he was the final boss in his life. But he says he's still running. For Christians, nothing is more precious than the present. Goethe said, "The present is the divinity of God." Augustine said, "The present is God's workplace." Tomorrow is the fruit of the present. There is a Turkish proverb, "Today's egg is better than tomorrow's chick".
There were perfectionists even in the early church age. If you believe in Jesus, you will reach perfection in both faith and morals, and you will come to a state of innocence. But Paul said, "It's not that it's finished." Paul said that there are three stages to the saints working out salvation. It is the stage of the righteous, the stage of sanctification, and the stage of glorification. Christian salvation is accomplished in heaven. Therefore, you must continue running towards your goal even now.
3. “Toward the mark” (verse 14)
There were three goals that the apostle Paul followed. First, it is said to be “to the resurrection” (verse 11). Resurrection in the Bible includes the “resurrection” of Jesus, the “resurrection of the saints” at the second coming of Jesus, and the “resurrection of judgment” between faith and disbelief. Christians must work out their own salvation by participating in the resurrection of the saints. The next thing is to be “taken by Christ.” Paul was arrested by the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus and became an apostle to the Gentiles. His goal in life was to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. Third, the goal is “a reward for the calling from above.” Paul certainly did not forget to be rewarded. So he said, "The righteous judge will give me the crown of righteousness" (2 Timothy 4:9).
He gives the crown of righteousness to those who believe, the crown of life to those who are faithful, and the crown of gold to those who have done their best as elders. God gives more blessings to the life of faith that we follow.