Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.
Summary: Paul’s words in this passage are almost poetic. He describes himself striving for his goal. Our goal is to understand what he means.
Oops! Observant readers will note that there was a glitch in the order of meditations last week. For some reason, I skipped over this passage. Today, we correct that oversight, and tomorrow we will be back on schedule.
———— <<< ◊ >>> ————
Once again, we are confronted with the question, “What is ‘it’?”
Let’s return to the Amplified translation of the Bible for a recap:
“Not that I have already obtained it [this goal of being Christlike] or have already been made perfect, but I actively press on so that I may take hold of that [perfection] for which Christ Jesus took hold of me and made me His own.” (Philippians 3:12, AMP)
If Paul, at this point in his life and ministry, has not yet “taken ahold” of the goal of being Christlike, who has?
The answer is, “No one.”
There is only one Jesus Christ. We can try to be like Jesus, and we should, but there will always be only one Jesus.
So what does that mean for us as individuals?
The answer to that depends on who we are. More to the point, it depends on what God made us to be.
In another letter, Paul writes:
”Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. “ (1 Corinthians 12:12)
He then proceeds to paint a rather humorous picture of various body parts telling other parts they don’t belong in the body. For example, he writes:
“The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’” (1 Corinthians 12:21)
Anyone who has ever broken their foot knows that the head doesn’t get very far without the feet!
Being Christ-like does not mean we become Christ. Instead, it means that we become like Christ in what we think, what we do, and what we say.
So, what would you say was the most significant thing about Jesus? What, exactly, did he do?
Interestingly, Jesus answers this question directly. When asked, he said:
“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (John 5:19)
He kept his eyes on the Father!
What do you suppose he saw?
The long answer to that question is found in reading the whole Bible. The short answer can be summed up this way:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
Application: Strive to be like Jesus.
Food for Thought: Where is the line between being like Jesus and trying to be Jesus?
Where is the line between being like Jesus and trying to be Jesus?
Great question. I don’t have a biblical answer that comes straight to mind but I believe it has to do with a few things like pride or the aspect of thinking that a person could be as great as The Son of God is just crazy. that person loves themselves more than anything else which breaks the greatest command.
Tim,
Well said! Thank you!
Good response brother.
I think trying to be Jesus is the same lie as believing we can be our own god. That we are, in fact, god. This is the lie that goes back to the garden of Eden – when Satan convinced Eve (and Adam who was with her) that they could be like God. He made a counter truth claim to God.
Being like Christ, as you mentioned in the devotional, is at least partly keeping our eyes on God and seeking to do His will and please Him (Hebrews 12: 1 – 2 comes to mind). There is a huge difference between keeping our eyes on Christ and imitating His character and keeping our eyes on ourselves believing that we are god.
Genesis 3: 4 – 7: “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Rich,
Thank you!
Yes, I agree. I like the way you put it:
“There is a huge difference between keeping our eyes on Christ and imitating His character and keeping our eyes on ourselves believing that we are god.”
You mentioned Hebrews 12: 1 – 2 which brought to mind John 14:9.
It’s a good question.
The Bible doesn’t offer a lot about Jesus wrestling with His own desires. We do have Matthew 26:36-46 and Mark 14:32-42 where Jesus prays before his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane. In those passages Jesus is clearly distressed and asks the Father to “let this cup pass from me,” but submits to God’s will, and prays “nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.
I bring up the desire part of this because I do experience the transformative power of Christ in my life, but only realize it after the event, that I reacted and acted as Christ would, in love, truth, grace, and compassion. I recognize it because I realize that “X time ago” I know I would have (and previously did) react differently. And then I feel gratitude and praise God for this transformation. I believe in those times I am being “like” Jesus, and it is natural and flowing from me.
Then there are times when my reaction is more self-centered, and I am reminded of particular verses or passage, or the Holy Spirit straight up asks me a question. At those times I have to choose to be like Jesus, try to be like Jesus. I believe that is part of God’s grace in my life, and is part of spiritual growth and maturity. And the hope comes to know that as I continue to make choices like this, eventually it will become a part of my transformed mind.
Titus 2:11–14
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
So I think “the line” is where I am at in my surrender to Him. It is easy to claim surrender, it is hard to live it. But I believe that is part of the design of God’s grace. We desire to be like Jesus, so we try to be like Jesus, and the hope is that He will transform us daily to be like Him. So that the entirety of our being surrenders to Him in willing faith.
Of special note is when we start the day in prayer, praise, and submission to God, it sets the tone for surrender throughout the day. There is less trying and more being when we continually keep in contact with the Holy spirit throughout the day.
I think I may have misread the question lol.
“Where is the line between being like Jesus and trying to be Jesus?”
I answered this question “Where is the line between being like Jesus and trying to be like Jesus?”
Hi Chris,
It feels like, at the end of the day, you DID answer the question. 🙂
I especially liked this:
“It is easy to claim surrender, it is hard to live it. ”
Thank you!
Where is the line between being like Jesus and trying to be Jesus?
Being like Jesus is the work of God as He changes our hearts and we find ourselves becoming more christlike. Trying to be like Jesus is seen as we consider ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ. Romans 6:11.
Galatians 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
2 Corinthians 5:17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Philippians 1:6, And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:10, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Thank you, Ron!
Well said!