A dog chasing its tail never goes anywhere!

Philippians 3:3–14

In my struggle with pornography I learned a very important principle. Yes, it is important to “flee” from evil...but that should not be the focus. If it is I am running away...looking back...which means I can easily trip because I do not see what is before me. Flee, yes, but with my eyes focused in front so I can see what I am running after...which is far more important than what I am running from!

Phil 3:12-14

Paul is going to share with us the KEY secret to seeing victory over sin in our life! If we are willing to yield to its truth...we will experience the freedom that Christ intended!

¹² Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

¹³ Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul makes it clear that he has “not arrived”! When we think we have, a fall will be right around the corner! The Christian life is one of becoming “perfect”. What does that mean? The original means nothing more than "complete" or "mature." That is what the Christian life is – an ongoing journey toward maturity...not sinlessness. The step from sinner to sinless is not a journey...it is a leap called either “death” or “rapture”. Only when we are with Him will we experience sinlessness! That requires a miracle. What is a journey is the moment to moment molding that God does in our lives to make us spiritually mature.

Notice – “I press on.” This is a “never quit” mentality, understanding that it is not a new year or a new day...it is always a new "moment" that brings another opportunity for growth. I call this “conscious living”. Walking around with my spiritual eyes wide open. 

Notice the oneness of goal – to “lay hold”. I am going to get out of life everything that Jesus sees in me. A deep hunger for God!

Psalm 42:1–2 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. ² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?

Now Paul exposes the difference between Religiosity and Relationship. Both involve moving away from evil, but with different focuses. Religiosity is focused on what’s behind...how many sins can I say I don’t do any more and I can feel good about that. The difficulty is that the “hunger” of the flesh is mighty and the more you focus on what you know you should not have, the greater the desire of the flesh will be to have it. Like a dog that is focused on its tale...even when it finally catches it, it has accomplished nothing! Also...if you manage to “power” yourself a way from it, usually you replace it with the sin of spiritual pride!

Contrary, instead of running away from something as your focus, in a Relationship you pursue that which you are after. When my focus is Christ and I pursue Him, not only do I move away from evil, but my “new” man is so focused on getting Christ, that I do not hear the hunger pangs of the flesh. The more I pursue Christ, the less I want sin. In fact the victory that is given is that I don’t even think about the sin anymore because my thoughts are filled with the experience and knowledge of Christ! This January it has been 8 years since I have allowed pornography into my life and it has been almost 5 years since I have felt any serious temptation. I have NOT arrived...but I want to be with Jesus so much, pornography does not appeal to me.

Paul states that his pursuit is for “the prize”. What is that? Consider what he encouraged his closest disciple right before he died.

2 Timothy 4:6–8 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; ⁸ in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

The prize was to be so ready to see Christ, that you love the idea of His appearing. No attachment down here that would compete. No sin that is to enjoyable that you do not want to give up. No regret of life due to worldliness, that you are afraid to meet Him right now. What freedom! Paul knew that when he met Jesus, he would still meet Him as a fallen sinner, saved by grace, still struggling with sin...but NOT in love with it or dominated by it!

Are we ready? Is our life with Christ running away from hell and sin...or running toward heaven and Him! It makes all the difference. One, is a system that leads to guilt, burden and insecurity of eternal life. The other, is a growing, changing relationship, founded on His unconditional love and unending forgiveness. This produces freedom to leave sin behind...and when failure happens, the integrity to face that, confess it and repent...then get back in the Race immediately, knowing that He loves you just as much after failure as before! That’s the freedom a Relationship brings that Religion can never match!