June 20, 2017 FORGETTING AND REACHING
Philippians 3:12-14: “Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead. I press on toward the gold for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
What a healthy view of life! Focusing on past failures, disappointments and hurts rob us of the present as well as the future. I dare say that there is no adult alive that does wish they had done some things differently, and that do not have some regrets from the past. These verses address one of the issues that leads to spiritual stagnation for the believer-that of looking back. There is a tendency to reach a spiritual plateau when we dwell only on the fact that we have been saved, that our sins are forgiven, and that we are going to heaven when we die. Salvation, having our sins forgiven, and going to heaven when we die are indeed wonderful blessings, however, there is much more to the Christian life. As believers, we have been redeemed and we are complete in Christ, but Paul understood that there is a continuing work that Christ wants to do in the believer, after salvation. As believers, we have a ‘calling’ on our lives, and we have certain responsibilities in seeing that the calling that God has for us is realized in this earthly life. God has particular plans for each of us individually, and it should be our goal to work with God in seeing those plans come to fruition. The over-riding, all important calling that God has for every believer is that of being transformed into His image, even in our earthly life. At salvation, we are made new; we are given new hearts, minds, and spirits that reflect the nature of God. At salvation, we are immature, but none the less able to express the new person that we are. From the moment of salvation, our life focus should be set on becoming more and more like Christ, being transformed into His likeness. Looking back and dwelling on past failures, and even past successes, takes our focus off the present opportunity to continue being transformed. To not be being transformed into His image, is to miss the purposes of God- it is an insult to the Spirit of Grace. Hebrews 10:29. As believers, we are the bride of Christ, and as His bride, we are to be preparing for His soon return. God is calling a people to Himself, for His own good pleasure. Just as Paul did, let us not look back, but let us press on the “upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Hebrews 12:1: “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience that is set before us,”
Blessings,
Buddy
RSS Feed