Advancement:God's desire,Human's responsibility

Introduction

In the world, everyone desire to be great or to be successful, but not so many have the technical know how to make it, many pursue it in an ungodly manner. To be successful is the mind of God for his children, Job 1:8b, 3 Jn 2, Deut 8:18 etc, Therefore, advancement is God’s will for His children. Several places in the N.T, pictured the Christian life is as a race (I Cor. 9:24 -27; 2 Tim 4:7; Heb 12:1), Also, to fully understands advancement is to know what race means.

·         Can we briefly discuss Advancement and Race?

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In today’s text, Apostle Paul uses that analogy to describe his own spiritual experience. In essence, Paul outlines some basic parameters or principles for
spiritual advancement, he uses the athletic picture on how to be fit spiritually for advancement.

            Some weeks ago, we saw the goal of the Christian life (3:10-11) i.e to know Jesus Christ and to be like Him. Since, Christianity is a relationship, firstly with the living Lord Jesus and fellow humans. This goal is to be like Him.

Phil 3:12 – 16that we will study from today will show that we’ve got to  be in the race with right attitude or character and with proper effort or power before real advancement can be realized.

1.         To advance as a Christian, Be in the race. Vs 12

   * What does it mean to be in the race?................................................................................

   To be in the race is more than being :

-          Sincere

-          Dedicated

-          Zealous

-          Energetic

3:4-6, Paul was doing all these with the thought of pleasing God. But there was a major problem: he was not genuinely converted to Jesus Christ.

“I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.”

2.       2.  To advance as a Christian, you need attitude. Vs 13-15. Attitude is crucial in the spiritual life. They say, your attitude determines your altitude. Right thinking, right action, positive thought, and positive result. The Greek word phroneo (to hold an opinion, to think, to have a certain attitude) the view is that Christianity is a life-long process; there is a correlation between attitude and joy. It is a kind of advancement where you never can say, “I’ve arrived,” Therefore, keep moving on:-

            -  It is a lifelong process, keep working on your attitude

               * Twice he mentioned “I press on” i.e. pursue (3, 12, 14)

Note:   There are some challenges humans face that may warrant cutting corners, quick fixes, easy answers to difficult situation.

               * Therefore, to be patient and gracious with one another.

-           To advance requires always moving ahead. *The “not-having-arrived attitude. 2Tim 4:13. “But one thing” the attitude of Paul (One – in the three facets.) 3:13-14

i.        An attitude of moving ahead from the past: Leave it there “forgetting what lies behind.” How this be exemplified today? Heb 10:17, Gen 45:1-15, Lk 17:32

ii.   An attitude of moving ahead toward the future: Aim for the goal! “Reaching forward to what lies ahead. ICor 3:14-15,

iii.  An attitude of moving ahead in the present: keep moving “I press on toward the goal”

Note:   Sinless perfection or absolute perfection is not attainable in this life. But we can become mature.

3.      3.   To advance as a Christian, you need proper effort. Phil 2:12 They say, heaven helps those help themselves.There is need for an individual to do his/her own part.

-           Read and study the word of God. 1Pet 2:2

-           Fellowshipping with God’s people Phil 3:17

-           Prayers

-           You must keep on resisting temptation 1Tim 6: 11-12

*          Be diligent, put forth real effort to live for God 2Tim 2:15

4.         To advance as a Christian, you must be disciplined vs 16

            Self-discipline is necessary to run a race effectively. Vs 16. Stay on course, live up,   

walking by the same rule.

Note: 2Tim 2:5, Rom 14:10-12

·          Lack of discipline leads to lack of reward. I Cor 3:15

-  The instance of Lot (Gen 19) in his decision to follow Abraham, because of lack of

     discipline, he ended poorly.

-     What of Samson (Judges 16)       

A devoted – Nasserite, but he yielded to lust and temptation, and was defeated by his enemies.

   -     Saul (I Sam. 28, 31) started out so well, with so much promise, but he ended poorly.

Conclusion

            Brethren, to advance in the race of life as Christians, it takes the word, it takes prayer, It takes a model to follow and one more thing, it takes trials. 1Pet 5:10, James 1, Trials have their perfect work.” Do these, in order to gain the prize with maximum effort, concentrating on nothing else