It is a fact that no one except God and His Christ is perfect. At the same time, it is possible and expected that we attain the goal God has set for us as an individual. If we do not, we are courting the outer darkness. The Lord takes no pleasure in laziness and disobedience.

Sometimes we seem to believe the goal of the Christian discipleship is an external event in time or place, such as the coming of the Lord Jesus or our going to Heaven when we die. The Jews missed their Christ by expecting Him to appear in an outward display of physical power. It is possible to have an incorrect hope and goal.

Perhaps if we would note carefully the words of Paul in Chapter Three of Philippians we would gain understanding concerning the goal of the Christian discipleship. Since the feast of Tabernacles portrays the fullness of redemption, we might, by studying Philippians Three, gain insight into this last and most joyous of the feasts of the Lord.

The goal of the Christian discipleship. In verses four through six of the third chapter of Philippians, Paul recites his background and accomplishments as a Hebrew. Then he declares, "Those I counted loss for Christ" (verse 7).

Right here is the goal of redemption. It is right at this point that we can miss the logic, sequence, and scope of God's plan of redemption.

The goal of the Christian discipleship is not an external event in time or place, such as the second coming of the Lord or our going to Heaven. These two events assuredly will occur literally, and many Christian churches regularly and in good faith present these as the goals of the Christian discipleship.

They are not.

The fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles, the fullness of redemption, is the winning of a Person—the Lord Jesus Christ.

Our confusion may arise over the location of the point in our Christian experience at which we believe we possess Christ in His fullness, or at least in the only fullness possible before we die or before the Lord returns.

Some set the point of maximum attainment at the born-again experience. Paul had been born again at the time of the writing of Philippians.

Some set the point at speaking in tongues. Paul was speaking in tongues more than anyone else before he wrote Philippians (I Corinthians 14:18).

Paul had known to the full all our fundamentalist and Pentecostal experiences, some others besides, and was able to look back on many years of fruitful ministry—all before he took pen in hand to write to the saints in Philippi.

Well then, what does Paul mean, "That I may win Christ"? (Philippians 3:8).

In terms of the doctrines commonly taught in our churches, Paul's words are mere platitudes—the sort of well-intentioned but largely meaningless religious "talk" one hears so commonly in the Christian churches. Paul's words do not fit with the Christian understanding and teaching of the Christian plan of salvation.

Either Paul's concept of the Christian discipleship is incorrect or our concept is incorrect.

Some of the terms Paul uses are repeated by us. However, the background of understanding and experience in which he uses them and the background of understanding and experience in which we repeat them do not always agree. The voice is Jacob's but the hands are Esau's. We use Paul's words to support our notions and practices.

To be continued.