Standing Firm in Difficult Times
Week 3 Study Guide
“Stand Firm With Full Surrender”
Introduction
Few verses in the entire Bible have as much power as the verses before us. These verses give us the Apostle Paul's inner motivation. It is here in this passage that we find the source of Paul's incredible energy and devotion. Without understanding these verses, we cannot possibly understand why Paul willingly suffered so much in building Jesus' kingdom. These verses contain the heart of who Paul was. Here we see Paul's perspective. Here we see Paul's priorities. He writes of gains and losses and of exchanging what he had for what he was called to be.
Paul makes clear in these verses that it was a passion to know Jesus that drove him and motivated his life. These verses challenge our perspective on what is a loss and what is a gain. These verses inspire passion in our hearts. Verse 10 is key and probably the one verse in the Bible that explains Paul's motivation clearly. It is an excellent verse to use as a prayer for yourself or for someone else.
Background Information
Paul was a Jewish leader and scholar before his conversion. He gives a summary of his background in verses 4-6. When Jesus revealed himself to Paul on the Damascus road (see additional verses above), everything changed—his perspective on life—his motivation—his purpose. Jesus was not an add-on to Paul's life; instead, it was as if Paul exchanged one life for another new life. Paul was, as he wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "a new creation … the old was gone, the new had come."
Paul makes clear that human advantages (such as birth, religion, position in society, and so on) and human accomplishments are ultimately things without value (Gerald F. Hawthorne). Paul, in human standards, was the best; yet in God's eyes, he was the worst. When God opened Paul's eyes, he began to see everything in proper perspective. This impacted every aspect of Paul's life. When Paul writes about his desire to "know Christ," he is talking about a “personal, relational” knowing, not an “intellectual” knowing.
Message Outline
I. Perspective: Losses and Gains Reversed — Verses 7-9
II. Passion: The Power Source for a Life After Jesus — Verses 10-11
III. Focus: How to Live Day to Day — Verses 12-14
Digging Deeper Questions
Has there been a change in your perspective since you started following Jesus? Discuss verse 7 and how it applies to you. What have you considered a loss since coming to Christ?
How can you tell if someone has a desire to know Christ in their life? What does it look like? How would you describe your desire to know Christ at the present time in your life? What does Paul mean by the phrase “I want to know Christ" (verse 10)?
Read verse 10: Discuss what each part means and how that applies to your life in practical ways.
How would you summarize Paul's statement in verses 12-14 in your own words?
What kind of things in his past life did Paul have to forget? What are some things in your past life you have to forget or put behind you? Why is it difficult to go ahead if you do not forget what is behind?
What does it mean to press on? What would that look like in your life right now? Why is it important to keep the goal in mind?
Summarize these verses in your own words. What will you apply from these verses to your life?
This Week’s Challenge
Pray for each other to have the same passion that Paul writes about in these verses.
Additional Resources
The Bible Story of Paul (Saul) — This is the Bible story of Saul who later became Paul.
Read Scripture: Philippians—from “The Bible Project” — Watch the Read Scripture video on the book of Philippians, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought. In Philippians, Paul thanks the Philippian Christians for their generosity and shares how they are all called to imitate Jesus’ self-giving love.