Let's Win the Race for the Righteous Presenter

Scripture: 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.

Insights: Let’s put today’s verse into context of the entire book.  Paul had been writing about the joy we ought to have as Christ-followers and in many ways that subject was a precursor to about what he really wanted to write to them.  He knew there was persecution from outside the body of Christ that they were facing.  He knew such opposition might steal their joy.  So, in this third chapter he turned the corner and laid down the very root issue for retaining joy in the midst of external discouragement.  That issue was, of course, knowing Jesus fully.  Literally as soon as he wrote about the desire to know Jesus he wrote today’s verse and it is the start of a sports analogy.  That analogy is that of a race.  Two things were required to run a race in Roman times.  One, the runner had to be a citizen of Rome.  Two, they had to have a sponsor for the race.  In the same way, we need a “Sponsor” to run in the Christian race.  Our Sponsor is Jesus.  When we have received His free gift of eternal life and declare Him our Lord and Savior by faith, then we are cleansed by His blood and made citizens of His kingdom.  Now that we have a Sponsor and are citizens we can run the race.  Paul declared he wanted to run this race in order to lay hold of that for which he also had been laid hold of by Christ Jesus.  In other words, he wanted to lay hold of the love of Jesus.  We are now back to Paul’s desire to know Jesus, and as he wrote, he had not obtained that knowledge perfectly as of yet.  Because he did not know Jesus and His love perfectly, he was going to press on in this race for knowing Jesus.  Warren Wiersbe called this attitude of Paul’s “a sanctified dissatisfaction.”  Wiersbe went on to explain this further when he wrote, “Many Christians are self-satisfied because they compare their ‘running’ with that of other Christians, usually those who are not making much progress.  Had Paul compared himself with others, he would have been tempted to be proud and perhaps to let up a bit.”  Beloved, let us not become self-satisfied, but let us retain that “sanctified dissatisfaction” and run this race for our Righteous Presenter, Jesus Christ.  Jesus is worthy of our running the best race possible.

Questions:

1. Does your life reflect “a sanctified dissatisfaction”?
2. How well are you running the race for Jesus?

Prayer: O Lord, I so desire to live a life pleasing to You.  Help me to understand I am really running this race for You and allow me the “sanctified dissatisfaction” to run better.  Amen.