Session 5: Pressing Toward the Goal

5.1 A Stern Warning: Confidence in the Flesh

Whoa. Paul’s tone just changed, didn’t it? After the warmth of the last two chapters, he goes from pastor to pit bull in a heartbeat. “Rejoice in the Lord,” he starts, but then immediately follows it with, “Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision”.

This fiery language is aimed at a group of false teachers, probably Judaizers, who were causing trouble. These teachers insisted that faith in Jesus was a good start, but to be a truly first-class Christian, Gentile believers had to adopt the whole Jewish package—especially circumcision and the Law of Moses. Their big mistake was putting their “confidence in the flesh,” relying on their heritage, religious rule-following, and moral effort to make them right with God.

To tear this teaching down, Paul uses his own life as Exhibit A. If anyone had a reason to be confident in the flesh, it was him. He then rattles off his spiritual resume, and it is impressive. He was circumcised on the eighth day (perfect obedience), from the tribe of Benjamin (a loyal tribe), a “Hebrew of Hebrews” (pure lineage), a Pharisee (the most zealous religious party), a persecutor of the church (proof of his passion), and as for the law, he was “blameless” (a straight-A student). By any human standard, Paul was a spiritual superstar.

5.2 A Radical Re-evaluation: From Gain to Loss

What he says next is one of the most stunning reversals you’ll ever read. “However,” he declares, “what things were gain to me, these have I counted loss for Christ”. He takes his entire list of spiritual assets, everything he had built his identity on, and moves it into the liability column.

He doubles down in the next verse, saying he counts it all as “loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord,” for whom he lost everything. And then he says he considers it all to be “nothing but refuse”. The Greek word here is skubala. It’s a very coarse, strong word. It means “dung” or “garbage.” Paul isn’t just saying his religious achievements are worthless compared to knowing Jesus; he’s saying they are utterly disgusting if they are the basis of his trust.

He threw it all in the trash for one reason: “that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own... but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God”. This is the heart of it all. There are two kinds of righteousness: the kind you try to earn by being good, and the kind you receive as a free gift by trusting Jesus. Paul is shouting from the rooftops that the only one that matters is the free gift.

Table: The Great Reversal — Paul’s spiritual balance sheet (Phil 3:5–9)

| Confidence in the Flesh (Ph 3:5–6) | Paul’s Re-evaluation (Ph 3:7–8) | The Surpassing Gain (Ph 3:8–9) | | --- | --- | --- | | Circumcised the eighth day | Counted as LOSS | The excellency of knowing Christ | | Stock of Israel, Tribe of Benjamin | Counted as LOSS | To gain Christ | | A Hebrew of Hebrews | Counted as LOSS | To be found in Him | | Concerning the law, a Pharisee | Counted as LOSS | Righteousness from God by faith | | Concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly | Counted as LOSS | — | | Concerning righteousness in the law, blameless | Counted as REFUSE (skubala) | — |

5.3 A Forward-Looking Faith: Pressing On

Being declared righteous by God isn’t the finish line; it’s the starting block. Some people think that if our salvation is a free gift, it will make us lazy. Paul’s life proves the exact opposite. Because he was totally secure in his relationship with God, he was finally free from the exhausting treadmill of trying to earn God’s approval. And that freed him up to pursue Christ with everything he had.

His one great ambition now is “that I may know him”—not just know about him, but to know him personally, deeply, and experientially. This means knowing the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of his sufferings, and being conformed to his death by dying to his own self-will every day.

Paul is quick to say he hasn’t arrived yet. “Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on”. He paints a picture of a runner straining for the finish line. “Forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus”. His past—both his sins and his proudest achievements—is behind him. His eyes are locked on the future prize: being with Jesus forever.

5.4 A Tale of Two Citizenships

Paul wraps up the chapter by showing two competing ways to live, based on two competing citizenships. He begs the Philippians to imitate him and warns them, with tears, about the “enemies of the cross of Christ”. These are people “whose god is the belly... who think about earthly things”. Their lives are all about satisfying temporary, earthly appetites.

In stark contrast, Paul declares, “For our citizenship is in heaven”. Remember how proud the Philippians were of their Roman citizenship? Paul is telling them their true passport is from another kingdom entirely. And it’s from that heavenly home that “we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory”. This incredible promise of a glorified, resurrected body is the ultimate hope that fuels the Christian race.

Reflection & Discussion

• What are the modern-day things we’re tempted to put our “confidence in the flesh” in? (E.g., our career, our education, our moral reputation, our political party?)
• What does it mean for you to “press on toward the goal” in this season of your life? What might you need to “forget” in order to “stretch forward”?
• How does knowing your ultimate citizenship is in heaven change how you view your responsibilities and ambitions here on earth?

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