Text: Philippians 3:12-17
Theme: “Straining forward”
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Introduction – What do these situations have in common?
- A track and field athlete whose running shoe falls off mid-race.
- A cyclist whose helmet slips off on the highway.
- Someone who forgets their car keys.
- A person who can’t let go of a grudge.
- Someone who continually blames themselves for a past mistake.
What they all have in common is that Holding on to what’s behind impacts our ability to move forward. Whether it’s physical, emotional, or spiritual baggage, if we keep holding onto what’s behind us, it will inevitably compromise our future. If we keep looking back, how can we adequately move forward? The rearview mirror, which is so helpful when driving, can cause a crash if we keep our eyes fixed on it.
As we look to Philippians 3, we see Saint Paul teaching us about leaving things behind and moving forward. In a sense, he is showing us that the Christian life is a constant “go ahead.” He even brings some urgency into his words, reminding us that we cannot afford to stay put. We leave certain things behind, and we move forward. What are those things that are “manure” as Paul refers to them, and need to be discarded?
- To Crucify Our Flesh
Paul is calling us to follow his example by crucifying things we hold dear yet ultimately cause us problems and keep us from the Gospel. He himself had to leave behind his most cherished identity—being a Pharisee—so that he could press on.
But we often fail. How does that happen?
For one, sometimes we put things down only to pick them up again later — much like when we make New Year’s resolutions and fail to follow through. We might tell ourselves, “Well, I was born this way; there’s nothing I can do to change it.” And we go back to the old ways.
Another way we fail in crucifying our flesh is by keeping our garden tidy but reserving a small plot for weeds.[1] This illustrates a danger in our spiritual life: we know the need of weeding certain desires, thoughts, and actions out of our heart because they hinder our relationship with God. But we don’t do so. They remain in this little plot on the corner of our heart, and over time they inevitably spread again.
Still another way we avoid change is by denying we need to leave something behind. We create a narrative to justify what we do, trying bend the facts, even the Bible, to fit our desires. What makes things harder here is that we’re not just talking about leaving behind harmful things, but things we esteem.
As you can see, it’s a lot. We can’t do this alone. We need Christ. We need to be reminded that He nailed our sin and condemnation to the cross so that by faith, we may have what we need to press on. We are forgiven. In Christ, we are called not only to fight our flesh but to crucify it. Daily.
Here are some concrete ways of working on crucifying our flesh. Not an infallible one-off recipe, but a daily work in the Holy Spirit:
–Don’t cultivate pet sins. You know those things that we just can’t let go? A pet sin is not one we fight against, but one we hold onto and take secret pleasure in. This is what the Psalmist means when he says, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Psalm 66:18). So when tempted, pause and ask for God’s strength to turn away. Repent and move away from it.
–Don’t miss opportunities to learn and grow. – Engage in daily opportunities to deepen your relationship with Christ in faith.
-If you do notice a pet sin or a “favourite temptation”, in your life, work on a clear path out of it. – In faith, create a clear structure that works for you to walk away from it.
In all of this, prayer, connection and strengthening from God are fundamental. Because you are not fighting a small thing, you are fighting sin. So, you need the One who conquered sin for you.
- To Anticipate Eternal Life
The Church calls this topic “Eschatology”. Paul is pointing out the tension between already being saved by Christ, yet not fully experiencing the fulfillment of salvation. We look forward to the prize of the upward call from God.
This can be difficult for us, especially because life here is so good. The economic stability, peace, and abundance of opportunities we have had in the past 80 to 100 years are unparalleled in world History. We are wealthier and more prosperous than many kings and princes of the past. IN that context, life is so good that death and eternal life is something to think about tomorrow, not today.
Adding to that, increasing life expectancy moved us from living to our 40s to living into our 80s or beyond. So, talking about “the last things” seems so distant, especially to young people in their 20s or 30s.[2] In a culture of living in the moment where many goods are disposable, from diapers to electronics—it can feel unnatural to think about long term. Let alone eternity.
How often do we get caught up in the things of this world, so distracted by the blessings around us that we forget to long for the greater blessing? How often do we forget that we were made for something eternal?
In this context, we are called to make a sacrifice. And my favourite definition of sacrifice in this context is: Sacrifice is to give up something good for something better. Does life offer much good? Yes. Can some good things in life can become temptations that distract and derail us from the path to eternity? For sure. As Christians, we want to give up some things that seem good now for something much better, actually, something that is perfect: eternal life.
Paul urges us to strain forward because this is our temporary home. Our eternal home is yet to come. Nothing under heaven is worth going to hell for. We press on to the eschatological things because we know we want to be guarded in Christ for life everlasting.
- Overcome Distractions
We live in a materialistic world filled with distractions. Many temptations to stray away from God’s Word are ever-present and growing larger. Some are slippery slopes, pulling us away from God and toward eternity without Him.
Distractions aren’t just the obvious ones like social media or material pursuits. They can be more subtle— like our own us from taking time to focus on Christ. If we let them steal our attention, we begin to lose sight of the finish line. Every distraction is a detour from the upward call of Christ.
How do we do that in practical ways? There’s no one-size-fits all solution, but here are ideias of small, actionable examples:
_In a world full of screens and notifications tempting you to drift away from faith, perhaps you need to schedule intentional “screen-free” time where you focus on the things that really matter in daily life.
_Ackowledge distraction in your life. There may be things you excuse for important, but that are actually disposable.[3]
_On another angle, here’s one more: Paul urges us to keep our eyes fixed on Christ. Keeping our eyes fixed on Him doesn’t mean we become fanatics, ignoring everything around us. Christ asked us to love and serve others! If we become so absorbed in our faith that we ignore everything else, we must ask ourselves, “Where are our eyes really fixed? On Christ? Or on something else, maybe even ourselves?” When we strain forward with our eyes on Christ, we know we can help others.
In all of this, we know that for smaller distractions—like losing keys, helmets, or shoes—we can usually find a quick fix. But for the heavier things—like sin, guilt, anxiety, resentment, pain, and sorrow—we need much more. These things can truly keep us stuck in the past. We need Christ. Here, looking to the past is fundamental: on the cross, He provided the cure for our sins, directing our gaze from painful memories to the joyful remembrance of His great love. Looking back to the cross is not only necessary but crucial. By looking back, we know we can strain forward because Christ has already made us His own. He has removed our past—our sin—through His death and resurrection. If He has done this, why would we go back? It is finished.
Conclusion – Remember those scenarios from the beginning? The runner with a missing shoe, the cyclist with a slipping helmet, the person who can’t let go of a grudge? They all have something in common: holding onto the past makes moving forward difficult, if not impossible. Paul reminds us in Philippians that the Christian life is a race—not a casual stroll, but a pressing on, a straining forward toward the goal. We are not meant to run weighed down by past failures, guilt, or distractions. Remember, driving ahead looking into the rearview mirror isn’t only not effective, but dangerous. Instead, we run with our eyes fixed on Christ, knowing that He has already won the victory for us
Today, as you leave, hear Paul’s words anew: don’t let the past determine your future, unless we’re talking about the cross. But this is exactly what the cross leads us to do: we press on toward the goal—eternal life in Christ Jesus. Because in Him, the best is yet to come. Eternal Life.
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[1] From a quote by Dag Hammarskjold.
[2] Think of marriage for example: the idea of it lasting for life used to be less daunting when people married young and died young. Today, the commitment of “till death do us part” can span 50 or more years. It seems to hard to maintain such a long term commitment.
[3] It could be the endless pages you follow online, or binge watching bad news, or indulging in instant gratifications, or spending to much time in spaces, whether real or virtual, that fill your mind with those things that distract you.
