The perfect one to share the message of the gospel with anyone...

This week, we have been looking at a section of a letter in the New Testament of the Bible called the book of Philippians, where a man named Paul has revealed for us the timeless truth that our joy is found in a growing relationship with Jesus, not religious performance. So far this week, we have seen that, as followers of Jesus, we are to watch out for religious performance because it opposes the gospel. We are also to watch out for religious performance because it fails to produce joy. Today, we will see Paul reveal another reason why he discarded religious legalism for a relationship with Jesus in Philippians 3:12:

 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

You see, Paul was not arrogant, Paul accurately understood how well he had lived a religious centered life of legalism. However, Paul also accurately understood that his religious performance did not bring the joy that only comes from a growing relationship with Jesus that is based on trusting in Jesus performance for us. And because of that reality, Paul’s life was directed to a new goal. Instead striving to perform for God, Paul was striving to grow in his relationship with Jesus so that his life would look like Jesus.

And as a result of that new goal, Paul had discarded everything else in life as secondary because he was focused on moving toward the goal of becoming like Jesus. Paul recognized that he had not arrived yet, or was in a place to experience that close relationship with Jesus in Heaven. So Paul pressed on; Paul was focused on moving rapidly and decisively to own a deeper and deeper relationship with Jesus. Paul pressed on “so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” In other words, Paul’s movement to be like Jesus was driven by the reality that Jesus had made him His own as a result of His activity. Yet, while Paul believed that Jesus owned him, Paul did not believe that he was in a place where he owned that close relationship with Christ in Heaven.

And because of that belief, Paul stated “but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Paul discarded his past and put it out of his mind. Instead, Paul exerted himself to the utmost toward the future. Paul moved decisively towards Jesus invitation to experience eternal life with Him in Heaven.

You see, that is why Paul was the perfect person to spread the claims of Christ and the message of the gospel throughout the known world. Paul was perfect because there was no one more religious that Paul. Paul could trump anyone’s religious activity for God. And Paul was perfect because there was no one more irreligious then Paul. Paul could trump anyone’s irreligious activity. “Oh you think that there is no way that Jesus could accept you after all the bad things you have done? Well have you killed anyone? Have you killed any followers of Jesus? Because that is what I have done, and Jesus still accepted me.”

Paul was the perfect spokesperson for the gospel. Paul could speak to religious people about the gospel and Paul could speak to irreligious people about the gospel because his religion trumped their religion and his irreligious behavior trumped their irreligious behavior. And because of that reality, Paul could say what he says next in verse 15-16:

 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you; however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.

Now when the Apostle Paul uses the word perfect here, this word, in the language that this letter was originally written in, conveys the sense of wholeness or completeness. Paul here is not referring to perfection here. Instead Paul is referring to those who have taken the step to become followers of Jesus and who want to grow and mature in their relationship with Jesus. Paul is basically saying “As many of you who desire to grow to maturity when it comes to your relationship with Jesus, you need to have the opinion and mindset that I have just shared with you”.

Paul here is encouraging followers of Jesus throughout history to embrace his opinion regarding the joy that comes from a growing relationship with Jesus, not religious performance. As followers of Jesus, our relationship with Jesus should lead us to this opinion. However, as Paul points out in the second half of verse 15, and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you. In other words, Paul is basically saying “God will disclose to you that what I said is true if your opinion is different than my opinion.”

Paul then concluded this section of his letter by encouraging the members of the church at Philippi to let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. Paul here is revealing for us the reality that our relationship with Jesus should lead us to hold on to the standard that our joy comes from a growing relationship with Jesus and not our religious performance.

So here is a question to consider: Are you trying to find joy in your religious performance for God? Or are you trying to find joy in a growing relationship with Jesus?

Because, as we have discovered, our joy is found in a growing relationship with Jesus, not religious performance. As followers of Jesus, we are to watch out for religious performance because it opposes the gospel. We are to watch out for religious performance because it fails to produce joy. And we are to desire a growing relationship with Jesus and reject religious performance, because it is in a growing relationship with Jesus that we find joy.

We find joy in a growing relationship with Jesus because joy flows from an attitude of delight in life that takes the long view and that is based on the relationship that we have with Jesus and not on our current circumstances. Joy is a mind-set that produces a quality of life that is based on, and that flows from, our relationship with Jesus in a way that reveals and reflects Jesus to the world.