But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 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.
– Philippians 3:7-16

 

I turn thirty years old tomorrow. I’ve been following Jesus since childhood, but does my thinking operate with a maturity that matches my spiritual (or physical) age? Many of us have been following Jesus for years but not aligning our thoughts with our spiritual age. In Philippians 3 Paul makes a significant statement when he says, “Let those of us who are mature think this way”. There’s a way that we’re supposed to be thinking as we mature in our faith and life. What is the “this way” that he’s referring to? The preceding verses in Philippians 3 give us the key. There are 6 key things that a mature follower of Jesus thinks.

 

A mature Christian thinks:

1. My accomplishments don’t define me

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish…

Paul realized that every one of his impressive list of religious achievements and fleshly efforts at following God’s law were worthless or worse. Like Paul, the mature believer has discovered that religious practices and disciples don’t bring us one inch closer to Jesus. Instead they count each of them as a loss when compared to the simple reality of getting to know Him.

2. My righteousness comes by faith, not works

…in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith…

The mature Christian knows that righteous living doesn’t come from trying harder and doing spiritual disciplines to do better at keeping God’s rules. They have settled in their soul that righteousness – right standing with God – depends solely on the trusting faith that is placed in Jesus. Instead of constantly evaluating whether or not they’re doing what God wants and trying to grow they have ceased from their striving and are resting in faith.

3. I haven’t yet reached the goal

…Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own….

That resting in faith doesn’t mean the mature believer thinks they’ve “made it,” though. Instead they realize that they have a long way to go. They acknowledge their sin but don’t see themselves as defined by it. They don’t think of themselves as perfect, but are confident of being perfected.

4. So I will press forward

…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…

Like Paul, the mature follower of Jesus knows that they are free from having to work for their standing with God, and that inspires and empowers them to work with a joyful ferocity toward what Paul calls “the prize of the upward call of God”. This feels like a paradox – I don’t need to work, so I am freed to work – but it is a paradox that the mature believer has understood. Paul writes elsewhere that he toils with all the energy that God works within him (Col. 1:29). Grasping these two concepts is at the core of mature Christian thinking.

5. And not think about my past

…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…

For me personally, this is the most challenging of the statements that Paul makes. “Forgetting what lies behind” is incredibly challenging, but it is key to mature thinking in Christ. The mature believer doesn’t spend excess time analyzing their past. They don’t let their history define their present, instead they enjoy the beautiful freedom of the total forgiveness in Christ, remembering again that they are defined by the righteousness of Christ. After all, they are his treasured possession.

6. Because Christ has made me his

…because Christ Jesus has made me his own…

One of the clearest threads that weaves throughout Paul’s writing is that we are in Christ and he is in us. We are His, and He is ours. This intimate possession is what drives Paul’s efforts and defines his faith. So it is with the mature believer. They know Christ as their Lord, master, and friend. They know themselves as the bride of Christ, the one whom He loved and gave himself for, and they delight to love Him and give themselves in return.

 

Brothers and sisters, let’s get our minds right. Soak in the way of thinking outlined in Philippians 3:7-16 until it reshapes those neural pathways to operate in line with the truth of God in Christ. Anything less and we’ll be missing out on the love, joy, and peace that God has already set aside for us. “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.”