Part Two / The Straining and Pressing Forward

Rick McNally, September 5, 2025

Philippians 3:13-16 / Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Straining and Pressing Forward

Here we see Paul, after letting go of the past, looking forward.  There are two Greek words to contend with — the first pictures “stretching forward with great effort” and the other is a “pursuit of a goal.”

Paul already told us he hasn’t reached the goal that Jesus has set for him.  He is in pursuit.  He is reaching forward to something that is not in his grasp.  He has a goal in his mind that he can see with the eyes of faith but has not reached and touched with his hand.  He can, however, smell it.

This is our experience.  There is a goal.  There is a target.  Many of us have lost sight of such a goal.  Evangelicals — myself included — like to see salvation as a done deal.  God did it.  It happened on the cross.  This is definitely the truth.  This is the idea of Justification by faith.  But what is equally Biblical is the idea of Sanctification, the growing into the image of Christ that all Christians should pursue, powered by God’s word and Spirit.

We were saved to become more than we were.  The Bible describes this sanctifying process in many places and many ways.  It is growing in “grace and knowledge,” it is “walking in a manner worthy,” it is begun by God and also through him brought “to completion.”  

The goal is out there.  In a couple of other places, Paul uses similar language to express the same straining toward a goal.

In 1 Corinthians 9, he speaks of a race that only has one prize or reward, and he “runs” that race so as to be the one who receives it.  Of course, in Christ, there is more than one reward, but his intensity is such as to win the singular prize.  To do so, he exercises self-control.  To do so, he doesn’t box the air but rather “punches” his own body so as to discipline it and keep it under control.  He doesn’t want to be disqualified.

In 2 Timothy 4, he speaks of being toward the end of his race, just cresting the finish line.  He has “fought the good fight”, he has “finished the race,” he has “kept the faith.”  He looks forward to the crown of righteousness that will be bestowed on his weary head.  He longs for this above all.

Though not necessarily written by Paul, Hebrews 12 speaks of a race as well.  Before many witnesses, we run the race — the wise runner strips off all hinderances and sin — to run a race.  The wise runner looks to Jesus as the goal, the example, and the one on the throne.

In other places, the scriptures speak of this “pressing on” with other phrases and pictures for us to consider:

• We are asked to “seek first”
• We are asked to “hunger and thirst”
• We are to “fight” and “struggle”
• We are to be like “athletes”
• We are to “hold on”

People don’t run races just for the fun of it; they run to reach a goal, to gain a prize.

A prize that is gained by the effort of the runner.  Many of us don’t like this kind of language.  How could it be so if it was won by Christ?  Don’t look at me; it’s in scripture.  If it makes us uncomfortable, we must ask why?

We will speak more of the prize next time. Without a prize a race is something difficult to commit your life to.