Philippians 3:12-4:1 [NIV]:
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, 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 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.
Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.
Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!
I originally ended up in this passage after praying with my older brother over the phone earlier this evening. Verse 16 came to mind, "Only let us live up to what we have already attained." This verse thrills my heart, but the whole chunk- the whole chapter, and all of Philippians, for that matter-really does me in. It always reminds me of my identity in Christ. It reminds me to pursue holiness and Christ fastidiously, as He has already made me holy.
As I read the passage, I got out the Greek and it shed a bit of a different light on the passage. Now, I don't really know Greek, but I took a year of Attic Greek in college and the N.T. is in Koine Greek so it is a little less formal than what I studied. In verse 12, the words that are translated as "to take hold of" and "took hold of me" come from the verb καταλαμβάνω. Now, in Attic κατα is the preposition for 'down' or 'against' (I just taught this root in fifth grade) and λαμβάνω is the verb for 'I take,' combined it would be 'I take down,' though it usually translated as 'I overtake, catch.' It implies a capture. Christ has taken me wholly and for a purpose, and now I must strive to take hold of that, as well. Paul is speaking to our new identity and our promised glory. The words Paul spoke through the Spirit are words of bold tenacity and persistent pursuit.
As the passage continues, Paul speaks with great feeling about those who are not part of the family of God. His words are heart breaking and true. That some "live as enemies of the cross of Christ" with "their mind on earthly things." In contrast, the brothers are to know that their citizenship is in heaven and live in light of it, standing firm.
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, 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 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.
Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.
Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!
I originally ended up in this passage after praying with my older brother over the phone earlier this evening. Verse 16 came to mind, "Only let us live up to what we have already attained." This verse thrills my heart, but the whole chunk- the whole chapter, and all of Philippians, for that matter-really does me in. It always reminds me of my identity in Christ. It reminds me to pursue holiness and Christ fastidiously, as He has already made me holy.
As I read the passage, I got out the Greek and it shed a bit of a different light on the passage. Now, I don't really know Greek, but I took a year of Attic Greek in college and the N.T. is in Koine Greek so it is a little less formal than what I studied. In verse 12, the words that are translated as "to take hold of" and "took hold of me" come from the verb καταλαμβάνω. Now, in Attic κατα is the preposition for 'down' or 'against' (I just taught this root in fifth grade) and λαμβάνω is the verb for 'I take,' combined it would be 'I take down,' though it usually translated as 'I overtake, catch.' It implies a capture. Christ has taken me wholly and for a purpose, and now I must strive to take hold of that, as well. Paul is speaking to our new identity and our promised glory. The words Paul spoke through the Spirit are words of bold tenacity and persistent pursuit.
As the passage continues, Paul speaks with great feeling about those who are not part of the family of God. His words are heart breaking and true. That some "live as enemies of the cross of Christ" with "their mind on earthly things." In contrast, the brothers are to know that their citizenship is in heaven and live in light of it, standing firm.
A lot of my years have been spent thinking about my identity in Christ, about the lavishness of His love apportioned to me in Him. I don't always think about what I was like before Christ. I don't often think about Christ having to have taken hold of me, or Him overtaking me. I don't always remember that I too once had my mind only on earthly things, that my destiny was destruction, or that by nature I was in fact an object of God's wrath (Eph. 2:3). So many of my favorite passages on my new identity are surrounded by verses about my old self. How my heart rejoices in God's sweet redemption, in the transforming power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ! For I was once dead, but now have life!
Lord, thank You, thank You, thank YOU for the fact that if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come! Lord, thank You that we no longer regard Your cross as foolishness, but to us it is Your wisdom, Your perfect wisdom in providing complete atonement for our sins! Thank You that because of this we are transformed, that we no longer regard anyone from a worldly point of view. Lord, thank You for reconciling us and giving us the ministry of reconciliation. O Lord, may our lives and words implore people to be reconciled to You. Spirit, move in the ways we cannot and draw hearts to Yourself. Lord, overtake them with Your love and mercy. Reveal Yourself in Your holiness that they may see their lack and need for You, Jesus. And Lord, as we eagerly await You, may we stand firm in You.
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