Philippians 3:15-16; Maturity in Christ

“All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. ¹⁶ Only let us live up to what we have already attained.”

What is the “such a view of things” that Paul encourages us to take?  The previous passage:

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

This is a great opportunity for a summary!  A couple of comments as I read those verses: 1. Humility, 2. Perspective of your past, 3. Persistence in the present, 4. Hope for your future.

Humility. Paul, the evangelist and church planter who wrote much of our New Testament, does not believe he has arrived.  If he hasn’t arrived, then no one has arrived!  And that is the point; no one has a perfect relationship with Christ.  No one has attained complete intimacy with Christ.  No one is 100% obedient all the time.  We never outgrow our need for grace and we never have room for boasting in anything other than Christ.  Humility is the mark of a disciple.

Two, Paul had a healthy perspective on his past.  He knew that he had done terrible things – persecuting the church to name a big one.  While he exhibited remorse, he didn’t allow his past to define him or confine him.  He accepted God’s forgiveness and moved on in God’s grace.  Nothing you have done is too big for God to forgive.  To think otherwise is to say the sacrifice of Christ was not enough for you. 

Third, persistence.  In Acts 14, Paul was stoned by the people of Lystra, dragged out of town and left for dead.  He woke up, limped over to the next town and kept preaching.  When he left that town, he went back to Lystra, ministered to the church and appointed elders.  Persistence is not my strongest quality – but it needs to be.  I believe we miss many blessings because we give up too soon.

Finally, Paul had an accurate hope for his future.  His future was heaven, eternal relationship with Christ in glory!  When you know how the story ends, you don’t have to get too worried about the journey along the way.  Regardless of what happens in this world, we have an eternal hope to look forward to.

Those are a few trademarks of a mature follower of Christ.  How are you doing in those areas?  Would your friends and family describe you as humble?  Do you have a proper perspective on your past and hope for your future?  Are you persistent in the face of difficulties?  A daunting list…but with Christ, all things are possible!