Philippians 3:13–15 (RSV) — 13 Brethren, I do not consider that I have made it my
own; but one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining 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 Let those of us
who are mature be thus minded; and if in anything you are otherwise minded, God
will reveal that also to you.
NOTE: The picture
here is really about running and competing in an athletic event. A few things
stand out -- "but one thing I do." This is really important. This is
the driving goal of Paul's life. Nothing else compares. Second item to stand out
is the number of prepositional phrases -- toward, for the, of the, of, and in.
What is Paul's goal? It is an upward call of God in Christ Jesus. In the races,
highly respected officers would hand the reward down to the participant. There
is a reward for living the Christian life correctly. We all receive eternal
life, but there are rewards only given to those who live completely for Jesus.
The mature know this, the immature fight against it because they want to wallow
in the world.
PRAYER: Father, I
want to live like Paul. I want to earn a reward for faithful service. I want a
crown that I can wear and then throw down at your feet to communicate how
thankful I am for my salvation. I know I am unworthy of salvation, but I am not
unworthy enough to say I'm thankful or to worship you correctly.
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