In Philippians 3:10-14, Paul reveals his real desire, “that I may know Christ and the power of his resurrection” and his real goal, “to win the prize.”
Paul’s real desire: to know Christ
His real desire is quite simply to “know Christ.” That is what life is about, that is where joy comes from, that is Paul’s simple and clear and ultimate and ongoing desire: to know Christ. But he then fills out what that means a little bit more. Knowing Christ means knowing the power of his resurrection, and that means taking up his cross (participating in his sufferings) that also with Christ he will rise again from the dead. He cannot say that he understands all this – even the apostle Paul knows that he is looking into mysteries: but “somehow” he will attain to the resurrection of the dead. According to Paul, the great desire to have above all desires is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection.
Paul’s real goal: to win the prize
But then he reveals his real goal. He wants to win the prize for which God has called him heavenward in Christ Jesus. His goal is a prize in heaven. That is what he is working for. He wants to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant, come and enter your rest.” He wants God to be pleased with how he used his time, his gifts, his talents, his resources. It enables him to forget what is behind and strain towards what is ahead. Christians, of all people, are people of hope. We have a reason to live, and a purpose beyond this material and brief existence, and therefore we can not only rejoice, but also be people of hope and future. And this means that we strain forwards, to know Christ and the power of his resurrection
Scripture recitation
You, too, can recite passages of Scripture, like this passage in Ephesians 2:4-10 about God’s compassion. In whatever way you naturally communicate, you can convey the message of the Bible. Visit the By Heart website to learn how you can memorize Scripture and learn to recite. Visit the By Heart recitation videos webpage to see our other recitation videos, like 1 Peter 1:1-25.
Read it for yourself at Philippians 3:10-14 on Bible Gateway