Philippians 3:12 - I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already achieved perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me.
I love how Paul wants to make it clear that he isn't attempting to be boastful or make himself seem better than anyone else. He lets the Philippians know that he is no different from them. He is still seeking to know God more intimately until the day comes when he goes to Heaven to be with God forever.
One of Paul's more endearing qualities (for me), is his humility. He didn't do what he did because he believed he was better than anyone else. He was commissioned by Jesus Himself, so it could be easy for him to say, "Hey, He sent me directly so I obviously know what I'm doing." Being a Pharisee, Paul no doubt had intimate knowledge of the Scriptures, but that doesn't mean anything without Christ. He was given the opportunity and second chance (grace) to have intimate knowledge of Christ.
When I was younger, the only people I knew that were Christians were the type of people that acted like they were better than everyone, because they were religious. As if they had some inside information that they weren't going to share and the rest of us weren't worth their time. People like that really turned me off of Jesus and church for a long time. Years later, when I started to read the Bible for myself, I saw that it wasn't supposed to be that way.
People who love Christ, love everyone else and want to share His Word and His promises with everyone. They understand that we are all in this together, and we have a responsibility to not just strive to know God more intimately, but also to share, lift up, and encourage others to do the same. The key is humility. Just like Paul.
Dear Lord, thank You for changing my heart to seek You and find out for myself what You really are all about, instead of going off my impressions of some misguided people. I am so blessed that I have sought You, and I will continue to seek You until my time comes to be with You in Heaven. I pray for those that are struggling with a misguided perception of You and Your people. I pray that their hearts will be changed, and they will see that You are a God of love and grace, and we are here to help and encourage them to know You more intimately. In Jesus' name, Amen!
God Bless!!!
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