Philippians 3:12-16 English Standard Version 

12 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. 13 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, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

Now the real work begins. Before we move on to talk about gifts and ministries let us concentrate on what just happened on resurrection Sunday. His death and resurrection put an end to obedience to the law as a means of having a personal relationship with God the Father. We often call that righteousness, which should be seen as a right standing before God the Father.

Recognize in verse 12 that having placed our faith in Christ through His death and resurrection  we now belong to Christ. We are in Christ and God the Father sees us only through the love of the Father for His Son and what Christ has done to win us to Himself.

Paul tells us in verse 13, we didn’t make it on our own. Christ made all this possible through faith in His sacrifice for us, He won us to Himself.

Then Paul encourages us to forget what we have done in the past and put our efforts towards what lays ahead for us. It is important to link His winning us as His prize for obedience unto death in order to understand what the prize is in the upward call of God.

We are members in the body of Christ, His betrothed, the universal church. That body is incomplete and we will not be called to the wedding feast until His bride is complete and whole.

Then Paul declares “if” we are mature, we will think in these terms. Our gifts and ministries are given to achieve this one goal, to raise up the newborn to be mature in a like manner and in so doing accomplish that task at hand. We are to preach the gospel in word and deed, let the seed take root, water and nurture that which will produce fruits of the Spirit.

They, like us, belong to Christ and are to be loved as He loves us.