1Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord! To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not tiresome, but for you it is safe.
2Beware of the dogs; beware of the evil workers; beware of the false circumcision. 3For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh; 4though I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If any other man thinks that he has confidence in the flesh, I yet more: 5circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.
7However, I consider those things that were gain to me as a loss for Christ. 8Yes most certainly, and I count all things to be a loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I suffered the loss of all things, and count them nothing but refuse, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, that which is of the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith, 10that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming conformed to his death, 11if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect; but I press on, that I may take hold of that for which also I was taken hold of by Christ Jesus.
13Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do: forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you. 16Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let’s walk by the same rule. Let’s be of the same mind.
17Brothers, be imitators together of me, and note those who walk this way, even as you have us for an example. 18For many walk, of whom I told you often, and now tell you even weeping, as the enemies of the cross of Christ, 19whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things. 20For our citizenship is in heaven, from where we also wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21who will change the body of our humiliation to be conformed to the body of his glory, according to the working by which he is able even to subject all things to himself.
Stretch Out and Move Forward
Philippians 3 Part Two
Stretch Out and Move Forward
13 Brothers, I don’t regard myself as yet having taken hold, but one thing I do: forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, think this way. If in anything you think otherwise, God will also reveal that to you. 16 Nevertheless, to the extent that we have already attained, let’s walk by the same rule. Let’s be of the same mind.
One of the greatest mistakes we make in living life is by dwelling in the past. This prevents us from appreciating the present, and we never have genuine hope for the future. We might have a hurt or a wound from our past, and it is tough to let it go. Many years ago, we had a woman who would frequent our church, and as she would engage in conversations with others, within one minute she would relate how much her husband had hurt her and how he was continuing to hurt her. She could not let go of her past enough to live in the present. Because she had no present, a better future never came. She was hopelessly stuck in her past. In my own case, many years ago, I suffered a significant wound. My wife and I had started a business, and over time, we added great junior partners to our staff. It is a long and complicated story, but in time, these junior partners wanted not only an equal share in the business, but they wanted to own it all. Through a series of events, we were forced out of the company we had founded. With that takeover, all of our hopes and dreams of a secure future went down the drain. In retrospect, I don’t fault those guys. They were hardworking, and they had no personal interest in making my retirement comfortable at their expense. I can’t really blame them. But it was very, very difficult for me to let go of the feeling of betrayal. Many of us have experienced such betrayals.
However the old wounds might come; when we nurture them, we are hopelessly stuck in the past. I was so focused on my wound that, for a long time, I couldn't see the incredible things God was doing in my life in the present. As a matter of fact, I can now say, looking back, it was the greatest thing that ever happened to me in my life. How could the worst thing that happened to me become the best thing that happened to me? It happened when I decided to let go and let God sort things out. I stopped trying to be God. I submitted to Him as the sovereign ruler of my life. Many miraculous events occurred, helping me understand that God was in the middle of it all, and I should never have relied more on my own efforts and understanding than on Him.
Reader, I encourage you today to leave your hurts and wounds at the foot of the cross. Stop trying to be God. Stop trying to figure them out. Stop expecting an apology. Your life will become much easier when you realize that you are not God. Obey Paul and STRETCH FORWARD to the things that are before you. God has a high calling on your life, and it is NOT good for you to wallow in the mire of self-pity. Think in a perfect way. That means in a mature way. That is in a spiritually “grown-up” kind of way. Paul assures you that in time God will ‘reveal it to you’. He is so gracious. He is so loving. He is so wonderful. He has a hope and a future for you when you can’t see it yourself. Rejoice in Him today! Leave the past in the past. Move forward to a new day!