Thoughts for the New Year. Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV), “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, 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.” Paul is saying here that he is not by any means a complete Christian but is for ever pressing on. He says that he is trying to grasp that for which he has been grasped by Christ. That is a wonderful thought. Paul felt that when Christ stopped him on the Damascus Road, he had a vision and a purpose for Paul; and Paul felt that all his life he was bound to press on, lest he fail Jesus and frustrate his dream. Every man (and woman) is grasped by Christ for some purpose; and, therefore, every man should all his life press on so that he may grasp that purpose for which Christ grasped him. He is forgetting the things which are behind. That is to say, he will never glory in any of his achievements (and failures) or use them as an excuse for relaxation. In effect Paul is saying that the Christian must forget all that he has done and remember only what he has still to do. There are folks who deny that there is any law at all in the Christian life. They declare that they are within the grace of God and that, therefore, it did not matter what they do; God will forgive. No further discipline and no further effort are necessary. Paul is insisting that to the end of the day the Christian life is the life of an athlete pressing onward to a goal which is always in front (William Barclay, Daily Study Bible on Philippians, italics mine). Happy New Years Resolution to all my family, church members, relatives and friends.
Posted on: Sat, 27 Dec 2014 13:29:58 +0000
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