Reference Passage:
Philipians 3:7-21 (NIV)
Read the whole passage here
Philipians 3:7-21 (NIV)
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For an average Indian, cricket is more than a game. It's status in India gives the impression that, together with haemoglobin, cricket is an essential component of Indian blood. Even children dream of stepping into the boots of Sachin Tendulkar, and flaying the bowling attack all across the outfield. Team India, led by skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, captured the World Cup this year and quenched the thirst of a nation running high for years since the last triumph in 1983. Yet, a recent tour of England brought our Galacticos crashing to planet Earth, playing a string of matches that have been labelled 'forgettable'. The reason is obvious: failure is a bitter pill. Nobody wishes to dwell too long on the memories of past losses.
The question before us is : is God asking us to ignore the past, so that we can feel comfortable enough to pursue the promises of tomorrow? The issue is a significant one, because it influences the presentation of the Gospel, and the knowledge of God's will for fallen man. The believer is being assailed on all sides with ideas that are potentially liberating by appearance. These days, it is commonplace to coax newbies into thinking that God would eagerly wink at our past, and welcome us into His house with open arms. After all, isn't He the one with the ultimate 'I-don't-care' attitude? Wrong.
History is bound to be repeated by those who neglect it. Every imperfect human being has a past record of failures and losses, that must be examined responsibly if any lasting difference is to be made. We must acknowledge that sin is not the mere result of someone's biological blood flowing through our veins, as many have come to believe. Nor does believing in Christ do anything to our vertebrate heart made of cardiac muscle. It is the absence of God's life-giving Spirit from our lives and the world system to which we belong, that keeps us detached from spiritual reality and drains us of every likeliness to God's image with which we were created. There's a throne in our lives that ought to have been rightfully yielded to the King of kings. Our reluctance to do this has repeatedly allowed history to block our progress.
On the other hand, what we really need to shake off is the complacent cobwebs of past success. Growing experience of success pulls the brakes on our momentum because we are so busy celebrating our yesteryears and foreseeing the next anniversary. We fail to humbly see the challenges of the future. Don't we act like we have 'seen-it-all' and there are going to be no more surprises in our spiritual experience? Knowledge is quite different from understanding, although they sound like synonyms. Reading the Bible cover-to-cover or learning at a theological seminary may help absorb vast amounts of factual information. Nevertheless, realizing the purpose of God's call upon our lives and tuning ourselves to fit that role, is something else. When learning is supported by conviction, the student has entered the realm of understanding.
For example, heaven, at best, sounds like a distant dream to us but we're hardly bothered. Salvation has been reduced to a set of procedures, and no one is surprised. Our weekly church services are more akin to club meetings, featuring the local talents live. What a far cry from being the Body of Christ where members complement each other, feel each other's pain, and serve a single objective! It sounds great to talk about the revival of the 50s and the passionate 70s. In fact, we use this to question the status quo and long for the 'good old days' to return. Yet, there remain doubts surrounding the 'freshness' of the questioner's own experience. Do we have something new from the Lord today, when we point our fingers at someone else? You see, there is no point advertising a product that's unavailable in stock.
All this, and much more, tells us that the Christian Church, leaders and followers alike, are cushioned in the chambers of knowledge while conviction and understanding is largely lacking.
There's also something else to look out for. At times, the conflicts of the present compel us to stop. If our faith has led to today's troubles, we think to ourselves, why should we struggle endlessly? Suddenly, we give up all the grand plans, and our enthusiasm fades away. The disciples in the rough sea had already given up hope, which is why even Jesus in the distance, looked like a ghost to them. It becomes a mammoth struggle to row against the wind, and every pull of the oar is heavier than the previous one. Nevertheless, our Lord doesn't fail to show up, if necessary, even in the fourth watch of the night, His calm voice and authoritative presence bringing swift deliverance. Which is how we managed to suvive the last time! Surely, He won't fail us this time either.
The Christian's upward call is a continuing process of learning and practising the nature of Christ. There remain lots of unexplored territory in our quest, and we must not allow our past or present, whether failure or victory, to drag us down. To forget where we belong, and to divert our focus onto earthly things will be the biggest shame of all. The glory of our future lies in the undying love of the Saviour who called us to Himself, and His power will bear us all the way to the finish line and beyond.
The question before us is : is God asking us to ignore the past, so that we can feel comfortable enough to pursue the promises of tomorrow? The issue is a significant one, because it influences the presentation of the Gospel, and the knowledge of God's will for fallen man. The believer is being assailed on all sides with ideas that are potentially liberating by appearance. These days, it is commonplace to coax newbies into thinking that God would eagerly wink at our past, and welcome us into His house with open arms. After all, isn't He the one with the ultimate 'I-don't-care' attitude? Wrong.
History is bound to be repeated by those who neglect it. Every imperfect human being has a past record of failures and losses, that must be examined responsibly if any lasting difference is to be made. We must acknowledge that sin is not the mere result of someone's biological blood flowing through our veins, as many have come to believe. Nor does believing in Christ do anything to our vertebrate heart made of cardiac muscle. It is the absence of God's life-giving Spirit from our lives and the world system to which we belong, that keeps us detached from spiritual reality and drains us of every likeliness to God's image with which we were created. There's a throne in our lives that ought to have been rightfully yielded to the King of kings. Our reluctance to do this has repeatedly allowed history to block our progress.
On the other hand, what we really need to shake off is the complacent cobwebs of past success. Growing experience of success pulls the brakes on our momentum because we are so busy celebrating our yesteryears and foreseeing the next anniversary. We fail to humbly see the challenges of the future. Don't we act like we have 'seen-it-all' and there are going to be no more surprises in our spiritual experience? Knowledge is quite different from understanding, although they sound like synonyms. Reading the Bible cover-to-cover or learning at a theological seminary may help absorb vast amounts of factual information. Nevertheless, realizing the purpose of God's call upon our lives and tuning ourselves to fit that role, is something else. When learning is supported by conviction, the student has entered the realm of understanding.
For example, heaven, at best, sounds like a distant dream to us but we're hardly bothered. Salvation has been reduced to a set of procedures, and no one is surprised. Our weekly church services are more akin to club meetings, featuring the local talents live. What a far cry from being the Body of Christ where members complement each other, feel each other's pain, and serve a single objective! It sounds great to talk about the revival of the 50s and the passionate 70s. In fact, we use this to question the status quo and long for the 'good old days' to return. Yet, there remain doubts surrounding the 'freshness' of the questioner's own experience. Do we have something new from the Lord today, when we point our fingers at someone else? You see, there is no point advertising a product that's unavailable in stock.
All this, and much more, tells us that the Christian Church, leaders and followers alike, are cushioned in the chambers of knowledge while conviction and understanding is largely lacking.
There's also something else to look out for. At times, the conflicts of the present compel us to stop. If our faith has led to today's troubles, we think to ourselves, why should we struggle endlessly? Suddenly, we give up all the grand plans, and our enthusiasm fades away. The disciples in the rough sea had already given up hope, which is why even Jesus in the distance, looked like a ghost to them. It becomes a mammoth struggle to row against the wind, and every pull of the oar is heavier than the previous one. Nevertheless, our Lord doesn't fail to show up, if necessary, even in the fourth watch of the night, His calm voice and authoritative presence bringing swift deliverance. Which is how we managed to suvive the last time! Surely, He won't fail us this time either.
The Christian's upward call is a continuing process of learning and practising the nature of Christ. There remain lots of unexplored territory in our quest, and we must not allow our past or present, whether failure or victory, to drag us down. To forget where we belong, and to divert our focus onto earthly things will be the biggest shame of all. The glory of our future lies in the undying love of the Saviour who called us to Himself, and His power will bear us all the way to the finish line and beyond.
