Paul on Spiritual Growth
By Pastor Tim
PHILIPPIANS 3:3-17
Paul has much to say to us on spiritual growth. In our passage today we come to, in all practical purposes, a love letter from Paul to the church at Philippi. Paul was instrumental in starting this church & this church had a special place in Paul's heart.
In all of our lives there is room for spiritual growth. Even Paul said that he had not yet made it to complete Christlikeness. He wrote to this special church & gave them a few guidelines for spiritual growth. Let's look at just a few this morning...
I.) The Essentials for Spiritual Growth
We must be....
(A.) Dissatisfied with where we are (v.3-11)
One of the biggest problems with true
growth is contentment with where we are
in our Christian walk.
If anyone had a reason to be satisfied with where he was, it was Paul.
Paul had....
1.Inheritance (v.3-6)
2.Importance (v.5)
3.Instruction (v.5,8)
4.Interests (v.3-6)
Paul still wanted more. Notice he says he wanted to " know Him" (Christ). By this he meant that he wanted a deeper knowledge & relationship with Christ. Even though Paul was a believer, an evangelist, a pastor and a hard worker for the Lord, he still wasn't what he wanted to be.
Paul also goes on to say that he wanted to know the "fellowship of His sufferings". By this Paul was saying that he wanted to "partnership" with Christ in suffering. He was willing to suffer for the cause of Christ.
Even yet, Paul does not stop. He now says..."being conformed to His death". Paul was willing to die spiritually & physically for Christ. He then says "by any means" - by any way at all
Paul did not settle (v.12-14). To be satisfied to settle is not what Paul meant by being content.
There must also be.....
(B.) Detachment From the Past (v. 12-14)
"Forgetting those things which are behind.." v.13
Let me suggest five areas of our lives we have to be willing to leave behind, if necessary, for the cause of Christ...
1.Family - Paul certainly had to do this.
2.Friends
3.Fun
4.Fantasies
5.Failures
Let me also say, that even though Paul had a host of things he had to overcome as far as sin & failures go, he also gave a list of all the good he had & had experienced. Paul did not just leave the bad behind, he also left the accomplishments & good behind. He only wanted to focus on becoming Christlike.
There must also be a.....
(C.) Determination to Press Toward the Goal of Christlikeness (v.12-17)
Paul is in a continuous pursuit of "perfection", i.e., Christlikeness. He was "pressing on", i.e., giving all diligence & every effort to reach the goal. The "goal" is Christlikeness & the "upward call of God" is the Father's call to Heaven. Remember, Paul tells us in Romans 8:29 that we are being conformed to Christ. Paul was writing as a saved man, a pastor, an evangelist, a mature leader, yet he was never satisfied with the current state of his spirituality.
II.) The Evidence of Spiritual Growth
Paul was concerned with four main things that demonstrated his continued growth spiritually...
1. Fellowship in the Gospel (Chpt. 1, verse 5)
2. Furtherance of the Gospel (Chpt. 1, verse 12)
3. Faith of the Gospel (Chpt. 1, verse27)
4. Faithfulness to the Gospel (II Timothy 4:1-8)
The first concern of Paul addressed the family of God. By "fellowship in the Gospel" Paul was addressing his heart's desire to know that the folks at Philippi were saved. He wanted them to be partakers with him of salvation. He was confident that they were. By "furtherance of the gospel" Paul was showing his ultimate calling in life to carry the gospel to as many as he could. Everything in Paul's life was geared to spread the good news of Christ. Then he mentions the "faith of the gospel". By this he does not speak to just having faith, but standing for & defending the faith. It was THE FAITH. Then finally, we see, about six years later in II Timothy that he was still concerned with staying faithful to them all.
What demonstrates your spiritual growth? Are you concerned with always growing & becoming more like Christ every day? Does Christ mean nothing to you, something to you or EVERYTHING to you? Are you, like Paul, concerned with the fellowship in, furtherance of, faith of & faithfulness to - the good news of Christ?
When WE can show these things in our lives....
A Dissatisfaction with where we are,
A Detachment from the past,
A Determination to press on to perfection,
As well as decreased sin in our lives, we will exemplify a deeper sense of union with Christ & a decreased concern with the earthly.