Throwing Away our Past and Pursuing our Future Hope

PHIL 3:1-16; 20-21
The Past He Threw Away because of the Present and the Future He Pursued in the Present

Paul's identity no longer was placed in his past in who he once was. Although he had a past to boast about. He was of the real circumcision party, which was Israel. Paul was an ancestor of the tribe of Benjamin. He was a zealous Pharisee who was extremely skilled in the law. However, in light of all this past, he considered it rubbish, dung, feces because of the surpassing worth, grace, salvation, and identity he had in Christ. The present reality of salvation in Christ overwhelming took over Paul's life in such a way he was willing to throw away the past. His past and who he once was no longer mattered to Paul. What did matter was Christ. Joy and purpose for Paul flowed through knowing Christ and Christ's will for his life. 

In his present reality Paul prayed for him to continue to know Christ. In this pursuit of knowing Christ, Paul prayed for three distinct things, but interconnected with one another, in the pursuit knowing Christ more. First, he prayed he would know the power of (Christ's) resurrection. He wanted to experience the resurrection power that Christ had experienced. Second, Paul prayed this knowing Christ would allow him to share in Christ's suffering. This is a difficult thing to pray for the majority of believers. Obviously Paul knew Christ had suffered prior to the resurrection. The road to experiencing resurrection might be marked by suffering. And here Paul is praying he participate and share in Christ's suffering. How many of us pray like this? I know I do not. The third thing Paul prayed for in the context of the pursuit of knowing Christ was for him to become like Christ in his death. What was Christ in his death? Victor, redeemer, a perfect sacrifice, pleasing aroma to God. Christ completed what God had willed for him to complete. He came to save sinners by being the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world. 

In other words, Paul is praying that he would emulate Christ, even to the point where he shares in his suffering, completes God's will for his life, so that the resurrection he is looking forward to will be that much sweeter and savory. He is not working for his resurrection. That is already a reality because of his salvation. What Paul is doing is vigorously striving to know Christ, which leads him to taste the future resurrection he will experience.

This future hope was a part of Paul's life that conformed him and shaped him into the person he was the the way he lived. Paul goes on to share with his readers that his desire had not become a reality yet, but that he presses on to obtain it. Paul in pursuing with intensity the thing which Jesus purchased for him, which was salvation, reconciliation, restoration, glorification, which all will be completed in the resurrection. In Paul's vocabulary this is the 'goal' and 'prize' of the upward call of God. Our future hope should become a present reality to us in such a way that our lives mirror this future hope. 


Paul ends this particular context with these words, "But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved."  This is a huge part of Paul's motivation to forgo, forget, and even throw away his past in order to pursue this future that Christ has obtained for him. Paul lived in light of heaven. Notice he did not live to earn heaven. That had already been purchased through Christ. Paul's citizenship was paid for. Now, all that is left is a life of gratitude and service in the kingdom of God. Are we living in light of our future citizenship? Are we striving and pursuing Christ with vigor and intensity? Are we forgetting who we once were in the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ and identifying with him? May today we live in light of what Jesus has done for us as well as live in light of what Jesus has obtained for us in the near future.