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FORGET THE PAST AND REACH TO THE
GOAL
Philippians 3:12-14(KJV) states” Not as though I had
already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend
that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not
myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things
which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I
press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus”.
Paul changed from accounting language to athletic language, saying that his
goal was to know Christ, to be like Christ, and to be all Christ had in mind
for him. This goal absorbed all Paul's energy. This provides a helpful
example. We should not let anything take our eyes off our goal -- knowing
Christ. With the single-mindedness of an athlete in training, we must lay
aside everything harmful and forsake anything that may distract us from being
effective Christians.
What is holding you back?
Philippians 3:12 states that; Not that I have already
obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take
hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
Obtain can mean to take hold of, to receive, to make
one's own, to apprehend in the moral or spiritual sense. So Paul may have
been saying that he had not fully grasped all the meaning of Christ in his
life. There is more to receive by pressing on. The power of Christ in Paul's
life aroused him to want to know Christ better, and this would take a
lifetime. Paul saw
the Christian life as a process. While believers are considered righteous
when they accept salvation, their entire lives are marked by growth toward
Christlikeness. Complete perfection will not be obtained until Christ's
second coming, when he will take his people with him. While Paul may have seemed like a nearly
perfect Christian to his Philippian
friends, he emphasized
that he had not obtained perfect knowledge of Christ, the power of his
resurrection, the fellowship of his suffering, and conformity to his death
(All of these were part of the process of sanctification -- of getting to
know Christ better and better as he lived the Christian life.
And even Paul, despite all his sufferings and victories for Christ, still had
much to learn. He had not yet been made perfect. He knew that only upon
Christ's return would all believers be made perfect in knowledge and
experience, but he was willing to press on to take hold of the goal -- living
and working for Christ -- because of what Christ had done for him.
"Pressing on" is a hunting term meaning to chase or hunt down.
Christ Jesus took hold of Paul almost thirty years earlier when Paul was converted
on the road to Damascus.
Christ laid hold of Paul so that Paul could lay hold of the prize -- knowing
Christ completely.
Personal Relationship
True Christian faith is often called a "personal relationship" with
Jesus Christ, and no verse describes
it better than this. A relationship requires two persons, each actively
searching, seeking,
and building a bond between them. In your spiritual life, God takes the
initiative (Christ takes hold of us), then we enter into it (pressing on) to
pursue all that our new friendship offers. We are truly relating to each other,
together pursuing God's goal for all creation -- eternal life free of all
pain, all death, and all sin. Are you pressing on, taking responsibility for
your progress in faith and character? What steps are you taking to know
Christ better?
Philippians 3:13 states that; Beloved, I do not consider
that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies
behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.
Paul had not yet attained perfection or complete
knowledge of Christ. Unlike the Judaizers, Paul did not consider that he had
achieved spiritual maturity; he was not perfect, but he lived in absolute
confidence of his ultimate salvation. Christians know they will be saved, yet they must have
perfection as their goal (Matthew 5:48) while not pretending that sin does
not exist (1 John 1:8). Like Paul, they should not dwell on the past. The
past should not be used as a barrier to the future, as an excuse for dropping
out, or for avoiding proper spiritual conduct in their relationship with God.
Believers should be devoted to God whatever their present circumstances (Luke
9:62; 17:31-32) and should strain forward to what lies ahead. Paul would
forget his past with all its credentials and accomplishments (and sins) and,
like a runner in a race with his whole body reaching for the finish line,
would press on toward the goal (Philippians
3:14).
Let It Go
We have all done things for which we are ashamed, and we live in the tension
of what we have been and what we want to be. Because our hope is in Christ,
however, we can let go of past guilt and look forward to what God will help
us become. Don't dwell on your past. Instead, grow in the knowledge of God by
concentrating on your relationship with him now. Realize that you are
forgiven, and then move on to a life of faith and obedience. Look forward to
a fuller and more meaningful life because of your hope in Christ.
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