“Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended (atalambanō: understand with the mind.); but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 3:13-14) The city of Philippi was considered the gateway to Europe. This city was named after Philip of Macedonia, who was the father of Alexander the Great. Philippi was, by all possible points of view, a miniature Rome. By evangelizing Philippi, this insured that the Gospel would be spread THROUGHOUT THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
Let’s look at what Paul discovered in this achievement:
- Look for God’s will in the Bible. Look for God’s will in scripture. Knowing Scripture is our starting point for zeroing in on God’s will. Look for God’s will in prayer. Jesus taught His disciples to pray for God’s will to be done on earth. Look for God’s will in the advice of others. God puts wise, mature Christians in our life to help us spot God’s specific will for our lives.
- The importance of understanding God’s desires for us, in our minds: God desires the salvation of all people. The Word of God never leads us to believe that ALL WILL BE saved, but it does teach that ALL MAY BE saved. God’s will for His children is that they should be holy. The fundamental meaning of service for God is that we present ourselves wholly to God and place ourselves absolutely at His disposal for Him to do His work IN and THROUGH us.
- We must forget about past failures: First of all, we are NOT our behavior. Our past usually controls us because we let our CHOICES or the choices of others dictate our identity. In either case, this is a recipe for disaster. Our bad behavior only reflects our bad choices, NOT OUR SELF–WORTH. The second thing we must do is re-define our identity. We received our new identity through our conversion to Christ. Because we are a new creation in Christ, we can make a choice about our new identity.
- We must always be reaching ahead to achieve God’s desire for us: What do a screaming baby, a thirsty deer, and a Olympic sprinter have in common? They all provide active, vivid pictures of the desire that encourages our spiritual growth. You know, like newborn babies, a thirsty deer and a man running a race. These word pictures represent an intense, insistent yearning for God that can’t be ignored, causing one to reach ahead…
- We must press for the prize of the upward call: Because of our transformation and sanctification as we become anchored in the Word. Our change will come as we grow and challenge ourselves to-Never Give Up…Never Give Out…Never Give In…. “Keep Pressing for the Prize.”
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham