Philippians 3:12-16
12 “Not that I have already grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Therefore, all who are mature, let’s have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that to you as well; 16 however, let’s keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.”
Not that I have already grasped: Paul is speaking of the future resurrection body that awaits all believers in Jesus. He is not speaking of believers being imperfectly cleansed by Christ. This would contradict Hebrews 10:14. Christ’s sacrifice has made all believers perfect. In this passage, however, Paul is speaking of perfection as completeness. Believers still await the full revelation of their salvation through the resurrection of their physicality.
I press on towards the goal: The goal spoken of by Paul is heaven. All believers will graduate to receiving a resurrection body. But Paul wanted believers to press on in order to comprehend this salvation during this life. This would allow them to await eagerly the glory of their resurrection bodies.
Forgetting what lies behind…what lies ahead: Christians are not to focus on their past failings. Paul was adamant that these sins have been perfectly removed. Instead, Paul wanted believers to know Jesus intimately and press forward towards the full revelation of our salvation.
Upward call of God: The upward call is heaven. Believers are able to focus on the promise of heaven and press on in the advancement of the Gospel as we await Christ’s return.
God will reveal that also: Paul relies on God to reveal healthy attitudes and mindsets. This is a stark contrast to Christian self-improvement. Instead of trying to fix ourselves our place is to rest in Christ’s finished work and trust in His love. He will mature us and grow us.
To which we have attained: Christians have attained the righteous standards of God by grace through faith in Jesus. We have been made perfect by the offering of Jesus Christ (see Hebrews 10:14). Our place as Christians, according to Paul, is to live in light of the righteousness we already possess. Everything a Christian does is to occur in light of what Christ has accomplished. We are not to try to attain more righteousness. God is not looking for Christians to analyze and perfect themselves. He wants us to mature into what He has done in Christ.
