Well, once again, may the Lord
bless us as we turn to the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians in
chapter 3. This evening we'll meditate upon
verses 11 to 14. The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians,
chapter 3, verses 11 to 14. If by any means I might attain
unto the resurrection of the dead, 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. 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, I press toward the mark for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul continues in
the wonderful theme really of desiring to know His great and
glorious Saviour more and indeed to be found with Him and to be
with Him eternally. And what a blessing for us today
to know that we have such a great and glorious consideration as
we now find ourselves on the earth. And as He told us and
as we thought last week, the 10th verse tells us that I may
know Him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship
of his sufferings be made conformable unto his death." So we see there
a very particular picture set before us. And then he comes
and says, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection
of the dead. Whatever it meant, whatever the
cost was, Whatever was required, the Apostle desired that he might
attain unto the resurrection of the dead. And there he clearly
directs us to the resurrection of those who die in Christ and
those who will rise again at that great day when the Lord
returns in all his glory and every eye will see him. It's
a day which will come. A day which we're told will come. And therefore we should believe
that it will come. Whether it will come while we
are upon the earth, we know not. But we do know it will come. And the Apostle's great concern
was that he might attain whatever the cost, whatever it needed,
he desired that he might attain unto it. Well it was the Apostle's
desire, may it be our desire, because it is so important for
all of us that we amongst those who rise from the dead to be
found with Christ eternally and not to rise from the dead as
everyone else will and be found cast into that abyss of hell
forever and ever. So we have such words as this
to encourage us and to set before us clearly the desire that the
Apostle had. And of course Paul was wonderfully
privileged because he was caught up into the third heaven and
had that personal view of the Saviour. Therefore he saw things
which it was not right for him to display and speak of, but
nonetheless it was that which was in his heart, in his mind,
and therefore he was able to describe the desire that he had. And so he goes on to say, 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." And to apprehend really means
to comprehend. And the word here, apprehend,
really means to comprehend eagerly. So he was eagerly looking forward
to the time when he would pass out of this world and to be with
Christ. It wasn't something that he didn't
want to occur, it wasn't something which he shunned away from, but
he looked forward to it. What a great blessing for us
today, if in our little life we are looking forward to that
time we shall be indeed with Christ, which is far better. We are of course born into this
earth, born into time, And we are, of course, earthly by nature.
What a blessing when the Holy Spirit, that Spirit of God, directs
us to see the wonder and the glory and the beauty of being
with Christ eternally. So much better than all the things
in this world. We look around and we can see
the glories of Christ in creation. We are thankful for it. but it
doesn't really compare with that which the Lord has prepared for
His church, for those that love Him. And so may we indeed be
able to comprehend the blessing of these things, not as though
I had already attained, either were already perfect, well of
course He would never be perfect naturally in this life, And he
could look forward to that perfect condition in glory, where there
would be no sin and no sorrow and no crying and no pain, but
peace and joy and that eternally. And so he then goes on to tell
us, brethren, addressing the whole Church of God here, not
only the Philippians, the whole Church of God, which includes
you and me, If we are amongst those who belong to the Church
of Christ, I count not myself to have apprehended or to have
comprehended. No, but he says this, but this
one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind. Now the Apostle had many things
to think upon, those things which were behind. He'd had wonderful
blessings, he'd had much opposition, much persecution, much hardship,
but there they were, they were behind him. It doesn't mean to
say that you and I are to forget all the mercies and all the blessings
that God has granted to us, but he really recites it in this
way because he then says, and reaching forth unto those things
which are before and really gives us here the picture of a race
and here he was reaching out he was stretching forward that
was his great desire because the next verse confirms that
where he says I press toward the mark for the prize of the
high calling of God in Christ Jesus There is a pressing forward. You see, the devil wants to hold
us back. And often he's successful. But
what a mercy when God gives us that grace to press toward the
mark. It merely means to press toward
the end of our journey, to press toward the time. when we should
have reached the finishing line and we shall be taken from time
into eternity. That's the wonderful scene we
have before us. And so he tells us, I press. There is a pressing for us today. The race is not easy. It never
has been. It never will be. That's why
he says there's a pressing, there's a reaching forth. He could see,
as it were, the finishing line. And therefore his desire was
to reach forth and to press toward it. And there was a great and
glorious prize at the end of the road. And that prize, of
course, was the wonderful gift of eternal life. Well, surely
that is worth, is it not, pressing the ward? Is it not worth reaching
forth to look forward to the glory of that prize, of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus. It is a high calling. It's not
the calling of this vain world. It's a high calling. The Apostle
Peter gives us a little inkling of this. He tells us to an inheritance,
something we haven't worked for, something given to us to an inheritance
incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved
in heaven for you. Isn't that wonderful to think
that almighty God should have reserved a place for sinners
like you and me hardened sinners like you and me, redeemed sinners
like you and me. What a wonderful prospect it
is. What a wonderful privilege it
is to be found looking forward to this great and glorious day. And James, you know, in his little
epistle, He tells us some encouraging words in the first chapter of
the Epistle to James. He tells us this in the 12th
verse. Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of
life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. The wonderful blessing of this
prize then, the crown of life. What a mercy then, the Lord to
indeed give us this. He tells us in the 17th verse,
every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh
down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variable vest,
neither shadow of turning. What a blessing that God never
changes His mind. He doesn't vary what He has said
comes to pass. And so tonight may we be encouraged
by the words of the Apostle and be found indeed pressing toward
that mark, looking forward to that glorious time where we shall
receive that place in glory that has been reserved for us. I press toward the mark for the
prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.