Bible Studies

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The Letters
Philippians 3:4-14 – Keeping Our Eyes on the Ball!
Key Verses: (NLT)

• 4: “Yet I could have confidence in myself if anyone could. If others have reason for confidence in their own efforts, I have even more!” – Reputations, networks of business associates, achievements, awards, and affiliations: nothing we earn or accomplish exceeds the value of God’s grace.
  
  
• 5-6: “For I was circumcised when I was eight days old…” – Paul lists his credentials.
  
  
• 7: “I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done.” – He has had a life of many achievements along with generations of impressive heritage and yet, Paul considers it all worthless.
  
  
• 8-9a: “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ ⁹and become one with Him.” – Not only is everything in Paul’s life worthless by comparison to Christ, he is willing to throw it all away in order that he can focus entirely on living a Christ-like life.
  
  
• 9b: “I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God's law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God's way of making us right with Himself depends on faith.” – Earning salvation through personal effort does not work. Setting our Self aside and trusting in Christ is the pathway to God’s righteousness.
  
  
• 12: “I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be.” – Paul warns against righteousness leading to self-righteousness. We are always a work in progress. And though we do not earn salvation through our good works, we can work on our ability of focusing on Christ so that His transformation in our hearts will take place.
  
  
• 13b-14: “but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.” – Dwelling on the past, both our glories and failures, keeps us from moving forward towards Christ.
  

Points to Contemplate:

• Are you confident? Are you proud of what you have achieved in your life? Do you have an impressive list of credentials? Paul is asking: What do these credentials get you? His qualifications were impeccable. His upbringing, nationality, religion, moral character, and achievements could not be more perfect. But, for what purpose? Has what you have done had any bearing on your relationship with Christ? No matter what you have achieved do you see that it falls short of God’s holy standards?
  
  
• Is everything in your life worthless? Is Paul suggesting that our entire lives are meaningless? Or is he calling us to recognize that without Christ it all becomes worthless? Have you felt Christ’s love? Have you experienced the Holy Spirit reaching into your life and lifting you to amazing heights? Have there been times when you have heard God’s still small voice or felt His warm hand? As you think back on these instances in your life, does it help you to realize that you cannot have your old life and reap the benefits of a new life in Christ at the same time? Is knowing Christ your primary focus and passion?
  
  
• "Are you going on to perfection? Do you expect to be made perfect in love in this life?"¹ Does your salvation have purpose? Paul suggests that the entire purpose of the Cross is so that you can be made perfect. How are you doing? Are you “working toward that day when (you) will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved (you) for and wants (you) to be?” What steps do you need to take to allow Christ’s transforming love into your heart? What priorities in your life do you need to set aside so you can focus more fully on “this one thing?” Are you straining “to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling (you) up to heaven?”
  

Promises of the Gospel:

We are not perfect. No matter what we attempt to achieve in life, we will not achieve perfection. Yet, perfection through Christ is our goal. As Christians it should be our primary focus and objective. John Wesley suggests that each morning as we look into the mirror we should ask our selves, are we going on to perfection? Are we on the path to righteousness? Amazingly, this perfection is obtainable. It is obtainable simply by focusing all of our energies, desires, actions, deeds, and thoughts on Christ. Just as basic as keeping your eye on the ball in sports, when we keep our eyes on the one thing, Christ, everything else will fall into place. He will lead us onto the paths of righteousness and into the glory of the kingdom of heaven.

¹Two basic questions for all Christians - Methodist founder John Wesley, from Collected Sermons, Dr. Bill Bouknight, ChristianGlobe Network, Inc., 2002, 0-000-0000-13.

FUMC Devotionals

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