The Christian life is a life of discipline. It must always be looking ahead toward a goal.
In this passage – Philippians 4:12-16 – Paul was speaking to Antinomians. So, you might ask – what is an Antinomian?
Antinomians are people who denied that there was any law or order at all in the Christian life. They believed that they were within the grace of God, and so it did not matter what they did – or did not do. God would forgive them anything.
No further discipline or effort on their part to change their behavior or actions.
God would forgive them anything without their asking for forgiveness. It was automatic – I sin – God forgives without any action on my part. That was their belief.
Paul urged them to understand, though, that the Christian life requires that they keep pressing on while disciplining themselves every day of their lives.
And so, it is in our lives today, for those of us who are Christians. It is a life that looks forward. It is a life that demands certain behaviors of us.
First, we must forget the things which are behind us.
It is like the Indy 500 race.
What happens if a driver spends too much time in the pits? He falls behind. We cannot move ahead in our pits either.
Secondly, we must reach out for the things which are ahead.
We must forget the things that are behind us. We cannot rest on our laurels.
Whatever we have achieved in the past. There is no reason or purpose for relaxing. Rather than resting on previous achievements, we must focus on all we still have to do.
That requires discipline. Here is what discipline requires: We find some help with that in Hebrews 12:1-2 – “Lay aside the weight and sin that hinders the race.”
Have no thought or preference of their own – empty ourselves of our own ways and preferences. Present our hearts to God with no desire but to do His will. This is a heart that is perfect before God.
We cannot stop trying because of past failures or losses. We cannot look at others’ lives and become discouraged and give up because of their achievements when we compare them against our own.
We cannot compare and give up. We must continue on, leaning on the power of God to help us to finish the race.
Remembering past mercies can inspire us. Moving past previous sins can humble us. But the past must remain in the past --- without dwelling on it.
Why?
Because there are so many blessings and opportunities for positive production growth in Christ ahead.
Our every effort and focus must be put into securing the prize as if we have not yet obtained it.
We cannot always just daydream – reflecting sorrowfully on the sad or even the joyful events of the past.
Doing so, can cause despondency – a stopping of the race – or it causes a puffing up – a false sense of security - and again – an idle race.
Remember Lot’s wife? Her heart had not left the wicked city of Sodom – she looked back – and she was destructed along with the city.
Look at Luke 9:57-62 READ
As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
These are those who let other things hold them back from following Jesus as Lord. These things hold them back from running and completing the race.
We must reach out for the things that are ahead. We must press on toward the goal for the prize.
We must reach out for the things that are ahead. We must press on toward the goal for the prize. Pursue – speeding on earnestly – pursue without hostility.
We must race hard toward the finish line, determined to win. A Christian running the race sees nothing by the goal.
We must never relax our efforts. We must never lower our standards. We must always press toward the goal.
Reach out – the eye precedes the foot. What that means is we must see the goal before we start out. We must know where we are going.
Our hearts must already be with Christ. We must follow in the footsteps of Christ. Each step brings us nearer to Him.
The prize IS Christ – and the inheritance of all things He provides for us in eternity.
We can sum all of that up like this: Our goal is to be like Him; to live in purity; to be totally devoted to and open to God’s will.
Look at 1 Timothy 6:12 – “Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
Say you have a rifle enclosed in a glass gun cabinet. You never take it out. It has never been taken out for any purpose – no deer hunting, not even for target practice. That rifle is ineffective – it has no purpose. Why? It is useless because it has never been aimed.
And so, the Christian life is ineffective, too, unless it has an aim.
There is one thing worth giving everything else up for --- focusing my whole life on doing the will of Christ – this is what Paul is telling Timothy - his son in the faith.
Paul could rightly instruct Timothy – and us as well – because of his great labors, suffering because of his faith – suffering more than most Christ followers have.
Yet he knew he had no reason or excuse to rest on his laurels.
His race was not completed.
He continued to look ahead to the prize of the “crown of righteousness.” He looked ahead at what Timothy wrote in 2 Timothy 4:8.
“In the future that is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
James also has something to say about persevering in our race –
James 1:12 – “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
Forget all the earthly honors and desires.
Look forward to our high calling – God calling us up and onward toward Himself.
The crown of righteousness will be awarded to those who complete the race – 2 Timothy 4:8 – “in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
The closer we draw to Christ, the more we feel our own unworthiness.
This is enough reason for us to keep pressing on.
This is not an excuse for us to give up – thinking we can never measure up to Him or His expectation of us.
The Christian must never be satisfied with their own worthiness. This is the reason for us to always keep pressing on.
We must not rest on complacency of our own achievements. Our progress is so insignificant compared to the ground to be covered ahead – and so small in comparison to what Jesus Christ has done on our behalf.
Perseverance implies constant watchfulness and constant prayer – communication with our Lord.
Think about this – a mountain climber must look ahead.
A farmer must look ahead as he plows his field. READ Luke 9:57-62
The goal of the Christian is to be like Jesus Christ. We should seek purity in our lives, like His. We should continually devote ourselves to His will for our lives.
But it takes more than a desire to be like Him. It takes a life of pressing on. It takes concentration on the race to achieve success.
Again, the Christian life can be compared to the firing of a rifle. If it is not aimed, it will never hit the mark.
We must look ahead to the mark which we intend to hit.
Paul tells Timothy (1 Timothy 6:12) “Fight the good fight of faith; lay ahold of eternal life. “
Paul knew how much worldly goods had to be given up to receive eternal life. But he also knew that there is one thing worth giving up everything for --- focusing his whole life on doing the will of Christ – winning the race.
Are you stopping on the racetrack today? Dwelling on your past victories or defeats?
Or are you pressing on, reaching out for the prize at the end of the race?
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