Open your Bibles with me in the book of Philippians, a letter of call to the believers in Philippi. Philippians chapter three, and we will read the whole chapter. Philippians chapter three, verse one, finally, my brethren rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me, indeed is not grievous, but for you it is fake. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. For we are the circumcision which worship God in the spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh, Any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more. Circumcised the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew of the Hebrews, was touching the law a Pharisee. Concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gained to me, those I counted loss for Christ? Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dumb, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, that having my own righteousness, which is of the law, not which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith. That I may know Him, that is Christ, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings being made conformable unto His death, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after, if not I may apprehend, that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect or mature, be thus minded. And if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk, so as ye have us for an example. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look towards the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." God bless the reading and hearing of this text this morning, verses 12, 13, and 14. We'll read them again. not as though I have already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after, if not I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark or the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Beloved, when the Apostle Paul was converted by Christ on his way to Damascus, he realized that his former trust or confidence that he put in the flesh was totally of no value as far as the salvation of his soul is concerned. Christ opened his eyes and there clearly the Apostle Paul saw that the righteousness that comes from God by faith in Christ is the only way for him to be right with God and not by or through the obedience of the law. That's in verse nine, chapter three, Philippians. And the gift of God That is, the gift of righteousness from God in Christ given to the Apostle Paul compelled him to seek after, to follow after, to pursue nothing but the goal that God has set before him. His life then was nothing but an ardent, all-consuming, all-dominant pursuing after the goal. of attaining the blessed resurrection of the dead. It is life, therefore, that is the life of the Apostle Paul, focused mainly on the glorious resurrection when the Lord Jesus Christ returns. And this is how a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ views life in this passing world. This is how you and I ought to view our life in this passing world. God called us and God saved us in Christ in order for us to do one thing, and that is to pursue our goal. Our life, therefore, in this world Nothing but an ardent pursuing after that goal, namely the resurrection, the blessed resurrection of the dead, slash eternal life with God in Christ. And that is the theme of the text this morning. Pursuing our goal. Pursuing our goal. Notice with me in the first place, the goal. And in the second place, the pursuit of that goal. And in the third place, the possibility of pursuing that goal. Pursuing our goal, the goal, the pursuit of that goal, and the possibility. Our goal is not only to be with Christ in perfection, but also To be fashioned like His glorious body. Glorious body of the resurrected body of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's what the Apostle Paul is talking here. In verse 14 he tells us, I pressed over the mark. I pressed over the mark and the word mark in the text is used literally and it can mean either of the following. It can be for what a believer aims to achieve in this life, or a goal, a mark by and for which a believer controls, dominates his whole life in this world, or a distant mark looked at. Hence, a goal one has in view. That's what the word Mark in the text means. Let's take, for example, or a mountaineer, for example. It seems to me that every mountaineer's goal is to climb the highest mountain and the most dangerous mountain to climb up with in this world, and that is Mount Everest. And when a mountaineer plans to climb up that mountain, he does not look at the foothills of the mountain, but he looks at the peak of the mountain and he says to himself, that is my goal. That's what I am, what I am aiming for to achieve. You look at the peak of the mountain from a distance with the goal of reaching the top or the peak of that mountain. That's the goal. that mountaineer. But for the Apostle Paul, the goal that he has in mind is to attain not only the perfect knowledge of Christ, but also to attain the blessed resurrection of the dead, to be fashioned like the glorious body of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that is not so explicit in the text, but it is in the preceding context and even in the succeeding context of the text. We notice that in verse 11, after he gave a brief history of how God saved him by faith, by his grace, by faith in Christ, then he tells us in verse 10, this is what he endeavors to do in all of his life after that conversion. He tells us in verse 10 that, I may know him, that is Christ, and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable unto his death. And now He tells us the goal that He has in mind, the goal that He has in view in verse 11. In verse 11 He tells us, if by any means I might, what? Attain. I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. And then He repeats that same concept in verses 20 and 21. For our conversation, he says, he tells us, that is our, you and I, as the elect believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our conversation is in heaven. From whence we also look for the Savior of the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall, and this is what will happen, who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto this glorious body, according to the working, according to the power, whereby he is able, that is, Christ is able to subdue all things unto Himself. That is the goal that the Apostle Paul has in mind, and therefore the goal of the Apostle Paul is not in this world. It's not found in this world. His goal is not to achieve something in this life. Now you understand, we understand, aren't we, what he meant by that? The Apostle Paul is not saying don't work. The Apostle Paul is not saying don't study well in the school. The Apostle Paul is saying don't shop, don't go to the malls, don't eat to a fancy restaurant, don't build a big beautiful house for your family, don't go there and don't go somewhere, don't buy this and don't buy that, you don't have to have this and you don't have to have that. You don't have to pray for a mate. He's not saying that. But all of the things mentioned above are but the means to an end. And they are not the end in and of themselves. Sometimes, if not always, our inclination, our leaning is towards making this life as if it is the end. As if the place that we live in this world is the permanent dwelling place that God has instored for us. And that is the case. That's what the Apostle Paul is saying. That is not the case. My goal is far greater than that. My goal, the end for which God has set before me, is much precious than that. that the Apostle Paul has in mind, has in view, is to be in glory with God in Christ. It is the changing, the raising off of this body to a glorious, eternal, spiritual, heavenly body. It is fashioning this body like unto the glorious body of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul is aiming at anticipating the final event wherein our Lord Jesus Christ will come again for us to take us with Him in glory with God forever and eternity. That final event when the Lord Jesus Christ will come and all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, dead and living, be raised, be clothed, be fashioned like the glorious body of our Lord Jesus Christ. This goal controls the life of the Apostle Paul. It dominates in his entire life. That even in the midst of sufferings, he can find peace, he can find rest, he can find comfort. There is contentment and there is satisfaction because of this goal. Remember he was writing, when he wrote this letter to the Christians in Philippi, he was in prison. And even inside the prison cell alone, this goal sustained him inside that prison cell. This goal was his food, as it were. that sustained the Apostle Paul throughout the day alone in the prison cell. This goal was his blanket, so to speak, to warm him in the coldest night in the prison cell. This goal was his blood that flows from his veins throughout his body. How so? Well, because of the knowledge, with the knowledge of the relationship that he has with God in Christ, that is sufficient. That is enough for the Apostle Paul to get through another day in the prison cell. With assurance and with the knowledge that whatever besides Him in this life, God is with Him and God is for Him, that is sufficient, that is enough for Him to warm the whole prison cell when He is cold. With assurance and with the knowledge that when our Lord Jesus Christ returns again for us, that God will fashion His body like unto His glorious body, that is sufficient, that is enough for Him. to pump from His heart, the blood from His heart to flow in all the veins of His body. That's the goal. That's what controls, that's what dominates in the mind in all endeavor and desire of the Apostle Paul. I desire, I long for that blessed resurrection to come. And beloved, this is the goal, not only of the Apostle Paul, not only of the Apostles, not only of the office bearers, not only of the theologians, but all believers, elect believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is evident for He is addressing them and calling them brethren, verse 13. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended. It's a term of endearment. Brethren, brothers and sisters in the Lord. But it's more than that. Paul here is saying, Brethren, we are one in Christ. We are united to Christ by faith. And therefore, if I have this goal, if I have this goal in my mind, so you do. That's the implication of that. Because he tells us also in verse 16, Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind, The same thing, and by implication, let us have the same goal in this life. Let us focus, let this goal dominate, let this goal control our life in this passing world. Therefore, this is the goal of every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. There can be no lesser or higher goal than this. This is above all things precious in the life of every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. But if by any reason some of us doesn't have this goal, Then we hope and we pray the same thing that the Apostle Paul mentioned here in verse 15, that as therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded, and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, a God shall rebuild him and listen to you. Beloved, this is the goal of the Apostle Paul throughout his life, and we have no doubt different goal than what he has or what he had. This was our goal last year. This is our goal this year. And this will be our goal in the coming years to come until our Lord Jesus Christ returns for us. As long as we live in this world, this goal ought to control our life. This goal ought to dominate in our minds. And since that is the case, by the grace of God, our life therefore in this passing world is nothing but an ardent pursuit of that goal. We pursue our goal while yet in this life. And we read that in verse Well, Paul said, not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, that is, I have not yet reached the goal, it's not yet in my hands, but I follow after, this is what I do, I follow after. And then he repeats that same concept in verse 14, I press toward the mark, again the goal, I press toward the mark, for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. That word follow after and in verse 12 and in verse 14 that word press. They are the same word in the original and the meaning is to pursue. To pursue. I follow after. I pursue after. I press on toward the mark. I pursue toward the mark. And it carries the idea of pursuing after things with earnestness. striving with all effort to reach the goal, to have that goal. That's the idea. And that's what the Apostle Paul did throughout his life here on earth. Regardless of his physical, regardless of his financial, emotional, inward and outward circumstance, He pursued the goal with his utmost effort, striving hard to reach the goal. He pursued the goal with earnestness out of the immensity of God's love for him in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's first. And he pursued the goal with all earnestness, with the privilege of knowing Christ, with the privilege of experiencing the sufferings that Christ suffered in this life. For Paul, for the Apostle Paul, that is a privilege for him. That was a privilege for him to see that and to experience that and to have that. And all the painful trials, difficulties in this life, he views it as a privilege for him to experience the sufferings that Christ has suffered for him. And therefore, he pursued the goal with utmost effort, With the abilities and the gifts and the talents and the skills that God has given him, he used all those things to pursue this goal. And thirdly, he pursued the goal with earnestness for the Apostle Paul knew who and what he was before God. He is nothing but a wretched, vile, useless sinner, hell-bound sinner like you and me. And therefore saved by grace, saved by faith alone, saved by Christ alone, and saved for the glory of God alone. He knew that. He is always and constantly reminded of that. That's first before Him. And so whenever He is reminded of that goal, pursuing that goal, striving, following after with earnestness to reach the goal that God has set before him. Why pursue the goal? We cannot know how to pursue the goal if we do not know why we have to pursue the goal. We have to pursue the goal because we have not yet arrived. We have not yet arrived in having that goal, in accomplishing that goal. That's what he says in verse 12. It's in the negative. Not as though I had already attained. He has in mind verse 11, by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Now he's saying in verse 12, not as though I had already attained. Either we're already perfect, but I follow after. That's the idea. I have not yet attained. I have not yet reached the goal. And same thing in verse 13, brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended to seize the goal. It is as yet in my possession. It is one thing I do, he said. And therefore, he pursues, he is pursuing the goal. As long as we live in this life, Until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, it is one thing that God has called us to do, is to pursue that goal. Theologically speaking, the Apostle Paul is talking about the doctrine of sanctification. And as you know, the doctrine of sanctification is the work of God in us by the Spirit of Christ to put to death the old man of sin in us, which is also active in us. That is in the negative, to put to death the old man of sin, but in the positive, to quicken the new man in us, to conform us continually into the image and likeness of Christ. Beloved, as long as we are in this world, we cannot reach perfection. There is growth in our holiness, in walking in righteousness, in the knowledge that we have. We grow in the knowledge of God in Jesus Christ by studying the Scripture and reading all the books, the theological books that will help us understand the explanation of who God is in Jesus Christ from the Word, in the Word. But we will never have reached that perfection while we are in this life because the old man of sin is still in us. But that will not hinder us in growing. Growing in our learning, in our knowledge of God in the Lord Jesus Christ. And this must be understood because Paul is correcting two heresies. Most likely correcting two heresies in this text, or in this context. First are the Pharisees, the legalistic, pietistic Pharisees who contend that they can reach perfection in this life in their allegiance to the law. And the second one are the antinomians. are contending since we are saved by grace and therefore there is no need for us to uphold the law of God. And therefore the result of that is we can sin more in order for the grace of God to abound more. And Paul said, No! No! On the one hand, we cannot reach perfection in this life because of the old man of sin that we must put off, put to death continually. But on the other hand, because of the Holy Spirit that dwells in us, causing us to seek out, to pursue the goal, that is to know Christ. And that's what the Apostle Paul desire, desiring with the utmost effort, striving to reach for the goal. And we cannot do this with an undivided heart. We cannot strive hard and use all the effort that we have with an undivided heart. That's why the Apostle Paul pursues the goal. He pursued the goal with a singleness of heart. Listen to what he says. One thing I do in this life. And the object of that activity is again to attain the goal, the blessed resurrection. One thing I do. He mentioned that in verse 13. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended and then stopped. stop growing, since I cannot be perfect in the first place, then why pursue it? That is not, because there is growth in sanctification, there is growth in our knowledge as long as we are here. But this one thing I do, with a singleness of heart, to pursue the goal, while I am here yet in this world, waiting for that glorious, blessed resurrection of the dead. One thing I do, And that one thing is twofold. First, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before. That phrase, those things which are behind, speaks of the past. And the Apostle Paul adds this word, forget those things in the past. while we ought not to forget the lessons. While we are not to forget the lessons that God has taught us in the past, but we are to forget the things that we did and we did not do in the past. If you don't want to lose your focus in attaining the goal that God has set before us, we should leave behind all the things that happened in the past. including the sins and even the achievements that we receive or we have done in the past. Because that would hinder us in focusing not only but also in reaching forth, in attaining, in reaching the goal that God has set before us. And this is true, not only of the Apostle Paul, but all of us, by nature, we love to brag of the achievements that we did in the past. Or we look at the past, or the painful memories that we had in the past, and we pity ourselves, and sitting on the corner, crying. We cannot go forward that way. cannot reach our goal that way. Of course, we cannot forget those things. But what the Apostle Paul intends to say here is, don't be clouded by those things. Since then, in the past, if you confess and repent of those sins, they are forgiven by the blood of Christ. Forget them. The achievements that God has given us in the past, well, they are good. God knows them. but don't be clouded by them. Pursue the goal now. We are talking about in the present tense or in the present day. Pursue the goal now. Leave the year 2011 and pursue the goal in this new day, the first day, which is the Sabbath day. Pursue the goal that God has set before us by forgetting those things and leaving those things behind. If I'm going to think all of those things, I cannot stand here even for a moment. That will hinder me in pursuing the goal that God has set before me. Same thing with the Apostle Paul. That's the first thing that he does. Doing this one thing, pursuing the goal, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth. unto those things which are before, that is in the future. Leave yesterday behind, concentrate in pursuing the goal today, but with your eyes on the future. Reaching forth unto those things which are before, the figure is that of a runner. The runner is running, is contending in a race. And as it were, His hands is reaching forth and His body is bended. And as it were, looking for that yellow stripe in front. And He desired nothing and He longs nothing but to pursue and to finish the race and to touch that yellow stripe to finish, onto the finish line. Now you can imagine the intense, the intensity, and the desire and the longing of that runner to finish the race, not only but to be the victors of that race. His hands are flying into the air. His throat is dry, and the heartbeat is so fast, and the stomach is groaning, and his legs are thundering, or hammering, or pounding, as it were, the pistons in full speed. And his speed is hammering the course, the track, and reaching forth that yellow stripe to finish the race. That's the figure that is used here by the Apostle Paul. and the runner cannot look back. He cannot look on his left and his right side. But he cannot look back. Why? There's not only the tendency that he will lose his focus on the prize or on finishing the race, but he might stumble. But steadily, his focus that goal. And he's reaching for it, striving, using all full effort, the energy that is left in his body to finish the race. That's the figure before us here in this text. That's what the Apostle Paul is doing here. And that's what we are to do. One thing that we do with an undivided heart to pursue the goal. We're getting those things from behind, reaching forth to our goal. And we can be encouraged, or there's a help for us in order to do so. And that is the price. That is the price. And Paul says here in verse 14, I press toward the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Now we need to understand that the gold and the price are one thing. But the price is the culmination of the gold. Let's go back to the analogy of the mountaineer. The mountaineer's goal is to reach the peak of Mount Everest. Why? That is the climax. That is the climax because that is the tallest mountain and the most dangerous mountain to climb up with. And every mountaineer climb up and reach the top of the Mount Everest, that's the climax of their career as a mountaineer. Can get any far from that. And so the Apostle Paul is pursuing the goal, striving hard with full effort, but with his eyes focused on the price. The mountaineer's goal is to reach the peak of the mountain, and when he is there on the top of the mountain, that is the price. itself, being on the top of that mountain. And so it is with us. The goal is to attain a blessed resurrection. And when we have, and when Christ returns, that is the price that we have, attaining that price of the blessed resurrection of the glory of the body, our body fashioned after the body of our Lord Jesus Christ. What is the price? Christ of eternal life, the crown of eternal life, the crown of receiving that glorious resurrected body, and the crown of living with God in Christ forever in eternity. That Christ, beloved, causes the Apostle Paul to reach the goal, to pursue the goal, with earnestness. And as long as we live in this life, God wants us to do that. As long as we are able in this life, God wants us to do one thing, and that is to pursue our goal. As long as we are able, we will continue to write books that will help us understand the Word of God. We will continue to write articles after articles in the Standard Bearer and in the Beacon Lights. As long as we are able, we will continue to preach the Word of God and the people of God are fed by the nourishment of the Word of God. As long as we are able, we will continue to ask God to bless our work, the labors of our hands, that we may support the cause of the poor in the church and the cost of the gospel of Christ in this church and in this denomination and in the mission field. As long as we are able, we will support our Christian schools. That's the reason why we're asking God to bless our businesses, to bless the labors of our hands, not for selfish reason, but to attain the goal together. All of us are to attain the goal together. And God will do that. God will do that. God will bless us. Because all of us are living in this life to reach our goal, to pursue our goal. As long as we are able and have the capacity and the skills and the abilities and the gifts that God has given us, we will do so and spend our life and being spent by God to pursue the goal. Knowing Christ, growing in Christ, and each day of our life we are one day closer to the goal. And the question, how is this possible? Beloved, it is possible. Our goal is to attain the blessed resurrection, What we are called to do in this life is to pursue that goal. It is possible for us to do so because the calling of God is effectual. What we read in verse 14, I pressed over the mark for the price of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. That word high calling, that phrase high calling, literally it means calls from above. calling from above, which indicates to us that God is the One who called us and saved us in the Lord Jesus Christ. It indicates that God is the One who planned our salvation. That speaks of our salvation that God has planned and purpose and will in eternity in Jesus Christ, accomplished in time by sending His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to die on the cross to redeem us from all our sins. He died in our place as our substitute. take away our guilt and receive the pardon and forgiveness of God by imputing unto us His righteousness, by clothing us by the perfect righteousness and obedience of Christ. We are justified by God, declared as righteous as if we have never done anything wrong and as if we have done everything right before Him in Jesus Christ. It speaks of our salvation from from planning, from purposing, from accomplishing that salvation in time. And Christ ascended into heaven, and He sent the Holy Spirit, and that Holy Spirit now dwells in our hearts, causing us and forming us continually into the image and likeness of Christ, reminding us always, every day of our life, of our goal in this world. That our life, our goal, is not in this world, There it is found in Christ alone. There we have it already in principle. Now waiting for that final consummation of that life when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. It is possible for it is God who works in us and through us. Carrying us through, brother. to reach the goal in this life. That's what we read already in chapter 1. Paul mentioned that to the believers in Philippi. Chapter 1 verse 6. We'll begin reading verse 5. For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now. Now listen to this, and listen how the apostle Paul worded this verse in verse 6. Be incontinent Having that assurance of this very thing, that in which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Beloved, the calling of God is effectual. God will accomplish the good thing or the salvation that He has given unto us in Christ. We are not striving in pursuing the goal in vain. We are not running in vain. But there is certainty that we will receive the prize of the highest calling, of that high calling which God has called us in Christ. All the effort and all our work that we do for God, by the grace of God, by the Spirit of Christ in us, not in vain. We will certainly receive the price of the blessed resurrection of being fashioned into the glorious body of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now that having said that, let us be reminded of our goal. And let us pursue that goal Let us ask God to bless us in this year. He will give us all the things that we need in order for us to pursue that goal. And let us pursue that goal for His glory and for Jesus' sake, by His Spirit. Amen. Let us pray. Our Father, we give thanks, O Lord, that wonderful work of salvation Thou hast given unto us in Christ. For the Holy Spirit causes us, Lord, to strive hard in this life, that we may focus our life in this passing world to reach and to attain the goal, to pursue the goal. And it is possible for Thou art with God, art with us, going forth with us in this life. Therefore, we are confident Thou wilt indeed, as Thou hast promised that in Thy Word, Thou wilt give us the price of that blessed resurrection. This we pray for Thy glory and for Jesus' sake. Amen.