A Study of Philippians 3:12-21
Apostle Paul reveals to us exactly what our main focus should be in life as Christians.
Heavenly Father, I ask for Your wisdom and for Your understanding as I study Your word. Speak to my heart and soul, so that I may know You better. In Jesus' holy name I pray. Amen
Verse 12-13
Apostle Paul is affirming his imperfect nature as a believer — which is true for all believers. Our souls are perfected at our bodily death and our bodies resurrected in perfection at the end of this age. Paul is making a point here that regardless of his current state of human imperfection, he is doing everything he can to reach for and take ahold of his life in Christ. To keep the endurance to the end, not worrying about the past but only looking toward the future — with his eyes always on Jesus.
Verses 14-15
The prize is eternal life with God. Paul tells all Christians who are mature in their faith to think the same way — keeping our eyes on the prize. If that is not your primary focus in life, ask God to reveal your heart to you, so that He becomes the treasure you seek after with all your strength, all your heart and all your soul.
Verses 16-17
Paul tells us to live up to the level of truth in Jesus that we have. As we mature in our faith that level should move higher and higher. We should all imitate Paul in this way and a mature Christian should be able to set an example for new and maturing Christians. Maturity of faith is fully independent of a person’s age. You’ll find 25 year olds with more faith maturity than a 60 year olds who just came to Christ.
Verses 18-19
Paul is emotionally moved (as we all should be) by the fact that there are many who live for other things, instead of Christ. He reiterates here what can be found throughout the Bible, that those who put all their full faith into the things of this world will perish. Our focus is on Jesus, our willingness to depart from the ways of this world is a telling sign of our faith’s purity and our heart’s true focus.
Verses 20-21
Our eternal life begins the very moment we gain salvation. We are now citizens of Heaven, occupying this world to do the will of God. When our work is complete, He will bring us home to Him. This is the end goal that Paul took ahold of and tells us take ahold of ourselves. It is this goal that reveals the very purpose for our faith in Jesus Christ — to live forever in the presence of our Creator, our God.
Final Words:
Paul showed an amazing transformation in his own life. He was a Jewish man, a Pharisee, originally named Saul. He oversaw intense persecution and execution of early Christians. Through a divine encounter with the post-resurrection Jesus Christ, on the road to Damascus, he was changed forever. His life from that point forward was for Christ. Going by his Roman name of Paul, his life in Christ was spent spreading the Good News to the Gentiles of the Roman Empire. If anyone understood the focus of a Christian’s life, it was Paul. He knew that through his faith, that all his work and suffering would be greatly rewarded with eternal life with the Lord.
I hope that is also your focus today. That regardless of the season you’re in at this moment, all your attention is on Jesus and His promise of eternal life. Don’t let the troubles of the day derail your focus on the prize.