Having labored to expose the deepest recesses of his heart (“I want to know Christ,” v. 10), the Apostle emboldens the Philippians to press on in their heavenward march. The Christian life is an “already-not yet” reality. Christ has taken hold of us already; we have not yet obtained all that He has promised (v. 12). As long as we draw breath, we press on toward the goal (v. 14). This is the mindset of the mature in Christ (v.15). A fixed forward gaze characterizes a life lived for that which Christ has already secured (v. 16).