Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to
have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and
straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for
which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14-NIV).
None
of us will arrive at Christian perfection in this life, but it should be our
goal! We should be changing from glory to glory as the years pass. If we’re not
changing, we’re not growing, for growth demands
change.
Paul
mentions in verse 13 that he did one
thing. Too many times we have so many life pursuits that we become a “jack of
all trades and master of none.” If my one life ambition is to become like
Jesus, it will temper my hour, my day, my week, and my year! Some things should
be left undone if they do not add to my growth in Christ. Growing in Christ in
a healthy way includes daily time meditating in the Word, in prayer, with
spouse and children, in service to others, and in personal rest and leisure.
Burnout is not progress.
As we
enter a new year we should follow Paul’s admonition to forget those things which are behind. If you look back, you may
stumble. Satan is master of bringing to remembrance our misdeeds and failures.
The Father never reminds of past confessed sins; I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake,
and remembers your sins no more (Isaiah 43:25 – NIV). His Spirit urges us
on toward the mark of becoming like Jesus. He lifts us up and faces us forward,
not backwards! For though a righteous man
falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity
(Proverbs 24:16).
Likewise,
we can’t live on yesterday’s or last year’s experience with God. We must choose
each day to remain in close fellowship with Him by abiding in the Word and
letting the Word abide in us.
Paul
mentions pressing on in verse
14. This denotes great exertion. I’ve
been running for 28 years now, and when you run long distances, you hit the wall, or reach a point where you
feel like you just can’t go any further. But if you just press on a little
more, you find a second wind, or a new strength, and the run becomes much
easier. Salvation is a free gift to us. But each level of spirituality reach
will cost you self-denial in a thousand ways. We must press on more than
average if we want to give our best to the Father.
As we approach 2011, let’s forget the past
and decide to give the Father our all. The prize awaiting us is eternal!
Great post. We cannot press on if we are looking behind.
ReplyDeleteI believe that one of the biggest victories Satan accomplished was that of convincing Eve that she needed to be 'like God' - inferring that she was inadequate on some level in her natural form.
This concept of inadequacy has been passed down to every generation. And if we look at most (if not all) sins, we will see that they involve an attempt to build up the flesh.
When we approach God with our tools of acquittal, (confession, repentance, and faith in what Christ accomplished) He takes on permanent amnesia with regards to those sins.
When you know you're right with God, and the devil tries to tell you that you're not, rejoice, because you've got him on the run.