Pr Ko Lingkang

 

Spiritual Ambition (Phil 3:10-14)

Introduction – What Ambitions Do You Have?

When we talk about one’s ambitions, we often think of it in terms of one’s career, his life’s dreams, goals and hopes. We think of what we hope to achieve, of what we yearn for in this life in order to find happiness and fulfilment. A person’s ambition can be a strong driving force which motivates him to make great sacrifices in order to attain what he wants. On the other hand, a person who does not have much ambition in this life will be unmotivated, lethargic, and would be very aimless in the way he lives his life. He will drift from one endeavour to another and would not have much drive to want to succeed in anything that he does.

 

In the spiritual realm, it is similar as well. A person who has the right spiritual ambitions will be very zealous and focused to set out to achieve what he can for God. He will be willing to deny self and suffer hardship in order to live a life that is pleasing and glorifying to God. On the flip side, we see others who may call themselves Christians, but yet are spiritual apathetic. He cares little about his relationship to God, and just does that which is right in his own eyes, with no concern about what he achieves for the Lord. We can describe that person as having little or no spiritual ambition.

 

In Philippians 3:10-14, we see Paul sharing with us the ambitions that he now has after becoming a Christian, and what he does to attain them. As we study this passage, we would do well to examine our own hearts and ambitions as well, to see if we too are striving for the same goals as him, or do we find ourselves uninterested in spiritual things, yearning rather for the sinful things that the world seeks after.

 

The Goals (v. 10-11)

(10) That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; (11) If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

In these two verses, Paul lays out the goals that he has now that he has become a Christian. He no longer seeks after the vain worldly accomplishments that he was once so proud of (Phil 3:4-6), for he now counts them as dung. Instead, he has a single minded focus on growing in his relationship with Christ.

 

To Know Him– This speaks of the desire he has to have a right relationship with God, of one that is experiential and not just theoretical. That is what it means to really know a person in a close intimate way. This is a knowledge that comes from knowing God’s Word, having a constant prayerful communion with Him, and from living a life in Christ. Our spiritual life begins with this desire to know God!

 

To know the power of his resurrection– He desires also to know more of the power of God that raised Christ from the dead. As we know more about God and what He has done for us, the more we understand of His abilities, and the more our faith in Him is strengthened. This is the spiritual ability God had to raise Christ from the dead, and to free us from the bondage of sins. The resurrection is the ultimate display of the power of God. As Paul also described it in Ephesians 1:19-20 "And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, (20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,"

 

This is the same power that has raised us up from our spiritual deadness and made us to walk in the newness of life.

 

To know the fellowship of his sufferings– Next he speaks of his desire to have a partnership and sharing of Christ’s suffering. This is the believer’s experience when one is found in Christ, for you will in time have to suffer for righteousness’ sake, and through that have fellowship with Him. As we live this Christian life, and experience the trials and sufferings because of the cause of Christ, what happens is that we conform more and more to His death. Every day we experience more and more (albeit still very faintly and paling in comparison to what Christ really did go through) of what Christ himself experienced as He went to the cross. In so doing, we would be able to better appreciate all that Christ has done for us, and grow in our love and regard for Him.

 

To attain unto the resurrection of the dead– Here he was looking forward to, was the ultimate fruition of salvation - the resurrection from the dead. The word for ‘attain’ here carries the idea of arriving at a place, with the emphasis on the destination. He was seeking for the events that would follow the Second Coming of Christ, of the resurrection whereby all the dead in Christ shall receive the glorified body – that was the destination he was seeking for.

 

This is not to say that Paul did not have confidence in his own hope of resurrection, or that he was working for his salvation. What he meant was that this hope was ultimately his goal. He was willing to put his whole heart and soul towards reaching it. Now that he learned of the gospel and of Christ’s completed work on the cross, he knew it was no longer his own righteousness that would bring him to heaven, but the knowledge of Christ, the power of God, and the sacrifice of Christ. He yearned so strongly for eternity with God, that in his present life, all he wanted was to grow in his knowledge, faith and love for Christ.

 

The Motivations (v. 12)

(12) Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

 

Not yet attained perfection

Yet Paul knew that he was far from perfect. He still had struggles in the flesh, just like all of us. Lest his readers think that he has already reached his goals, he very quickly tells them that he certainly has not attained such spiritual perfection, and like them, he was also on the journey of sanctification.

 

The word for ‘attained’ in verse 12 is different from the word used in 11, whereby the word here carries more the idea of taking, to lay hold of. The emphasis here is not so much on the destination or object one is taking, but on the action of taking or reaching for. Thus what he wants to highlight here is the journey of attaining spiritual sanctification.

 

He likens his motivation and striving to an athlete. The picture is one of a runner striving towards his end point, fighting to win his prize. The word here for ‘follow after’ has this idea of running to pursue something with all your might. It sometimes even carries the idea of pursuing to persecute or harass. This is a common analogy that Paul uses, for he often describes how we are Christians running the race, and the onus is upon us to strive hard, to forget those things which are behind (pride and vain glory), and reach forward always focusing on Christ! Therefore knowing that he was far from perfect, this motivated him to keep on striving, keep on fighting.

 

Not yet apprehended his calling

He then explains this motivation from a different perspective, from the calling that he knows he has of God. He shares how his desire is so that he may apprehend (lay hold of, or to grasp tightly) that which Christ has lay hold of Him for – his sanctification! That is Christ’s purpose in saving us, that we can be conformed to the His image. Therefore Paul explained how he was trying with his utmost ability to live up to the expectation that was set for him when Christ took hold of his life and turned him from a sinner to a saint.

 

He was speaking therefore of his calling as a Christian. He knew that Christ saved him for a reason and a purpose, and had not yet reached the mark. Likewise we must understand that we were not saved so that we can live a life of sin and wantonness. No! God went through all the trouble to work out the plan of salvation even before the foundation of the world, "that we should be holy and without blame before him in love" (Eph 1:4). Paul understood this purpose, and this was what motivated him to keep trying to live a life that was more pleasing and acceptable to God. He was fighting to reach the goal that Christ set for him, when He grabbed hold of him on the road to Damascus, and commissioned him to be a servant of God.

 

In both these aspects, it was his love for Christ and recognition of his own imperfections that motivated him to keep going. He knew that he was not there yet, and so constantly sought to better himself for the Lord. He does not rest on the laurels of his past achievements, for he knows that the moment he slacks, he will start to fall behind! That is how an ambitious person is, as he strives for the accomplishments of the world. He is driven by a discontent with his present state and a desire for success. Is this how we are as well, in terms of our spiritual ambitions?

 

The Actions (v. 13-14)

(13) Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, (14) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

 

With those goals in mind, and motivated to strive towards them, Paul then tells us how he lives his life, and what is he seeking for daily. Just as a person who is ambitious would do all he can to achieve his goal – he works long hours, makes great sacrifices, and pushes himself to his limits, Paul describes how he is so intensely set to achieve his spiritual goals

 

Focus! – ‘this one thing I do’

Like an athlete, he runs with this single minded focus! He constantly reminds himself that he has not reached his goals yet, and so therefore pushes himself to keep on going and never to stop. This was the one single goal and ambition in his life – to live for Christ. It was all that was in his heart, the one single thing that he was intent on accomplishing. All through the rest of his life he will keep up this ambition, and do all he can to attain this sanctification. He was not distracted by the carnal things of this world like so many of us are, and did not try to serve Christ and yet try to enjoy what this life has to offer. He had one single purpose, and that was all he cared about. The pleasures and luxuries of the world held little attraction to him, for he was now in Christ, and all he wanted to do was to focus on serving Him.

 

Forget! ‘forgetting those things which are behind’

As he was so focused on his goal, he was also constantly seeking to put his past behind him. Like a runner who has to ‘lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us’ (Heb 12:1), he runs without the hindrances of the past to hold him back. He had already put all that baggage aside, and counted them as dung, refusing to make excuses for any lack of spiritual progress.

 

For us, many things in our past may hold us back. Many doubts, bad experiences, worldly or sinful desires or mind-sets continue to hinder our spiritual progress. We may lament and say we were not Christians when we were younger and do not have a strong foundation in spiritual things; we may say we are too young to know and understand God’s Word; we may keep looking back at a grievous sin we had committed; many reasons in our past we feel hold us back. Paul too had his share of ‘baggage’, for he was a great sinner, a Pharisee who persecuted Christians, and often described himself as a chief of all sinners! Yet he refused to make excuses, but instead pushed even harder to ensure that what remains of his life was not wasted, but was one that was useful to the Lord who saved him.

 

Forward! – ‘reaching forth unto those things which are ahead’

Therefore as he puts his past behind him, his single-minded focus is to just keep pressing ahead. He was continually stretching forward towards the direction of the cross of Christ, and focused on achieving the goal that Christ has called him to. Therefore instead of dwelling on the past, he looked forward to the ‘things which are before’, to this new life in Christ that he is so thankful to have, and kept pressing toward the mark!

 

The word for ‘press’ in verse 13 is actually the same word as ‘follow after’ – describing the earnest pursuit that he was constantly involved in. He is running after the mark – the end point that has been set in front of him. It is what is continually in his mind’s eye as he lives this Christian life, for he refuses to take his eye off the prize, or to be distracted by the things of the world that surround him.

 

As a runner who fixes his eye on the finishing line, we too ought to strive to fix our eyes on the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. What is this prize? It is basically the reward that you receive from receiving the call of God. It is the complete fruition of our status as born again believers, or what we have been ‘apprehended of Christ Jesus’ for – eternity in heaven with God! That is where every believer is running towards, and therefore we set our affections on things above and not on things of the earth. In light of that, our lives, whilst we are living on this earth, will change as well. We will have a constant desire to run towards God and away from the things of the world. We will care far more for our spiritual ambitions and work towards them, instead of vainly trying to fulfil the worldly ambitions that we once held so dearly to. We will run the race with patience, looking to Jesus the author and finisher of your faith (Heb 12:1-2).

 

In a sense this is a race that we will never complete as long as we are alive. It is only finished when we die or the Lord returns. As long as we have strength we are running, pressing on, pursuing, striving, fighting. Therefore we must keep running forward and never stop running! Yes it can be tiring, and yes there would be times that we would feel like giving up. However we must always keep in mind the goal and the motivation of our spiritual ambitions, and put what needs to be done into action.