Forgetting the Past
Forgetting What is Past
Phillipians 3:10 - 15 Weymouth N.T.
Phi 3:10 I long to know Christ and the power which is in His
resurrection, and to share in His sufferings and die even as He
died; 3:11 in the hope that I may attain to the resurrection
from among the dead. 3:12 I do not say that I have already won
the race or have already reached perfection. But I am pressing
on, striving to lay hold of the prize for which also Christ has
laid hold of me. 3:13 Brethren, I do not imagine that I have yet
laid hold of it. But this one thing I do--forgetting everything
which is past and stretching forward to what lies in front of
me, 3:14 with my eyes fixed on the goal I push on to secure the
prize of God's heavenward call in Christ Jesus. 3:15 Therefore
let all of us who are mature believers cherish these thoughts;
and if in any respect you think differently, that also God will
make clear to you.
We are called to a total identification with Christ. To a close
personal knowledge of Him. To a life which embraces the
spiritual power flowing out from His resurrection and a
partnership in His sufferings and death.
Paul makes it clear that he does not consider himself to be some
great avatar who has arrived at a place of spiritual knowledge
beyond that which is common to man but states that his goal is
to keep pressing into the things of God until he attains the
prize Christ has offered. It is sobering to realize that a man
of Paul's spiritual stature, one who heard and saw things in the
third heaven which were unlawful to utter, should say,
"Brethren, I have not yet arrived."
The humility of the apostle is tempered by his exuberance. He
puts aside all else to attain his goal of knowing Christ. Some
look at verse 13 and think this means forgetting the baggage of
the past. Laying aside broken dreams, unfulfilled desires, and
the failures of life. Nothing is farther from Paul's thought.
Earlier in the chapter he delineates the things he has left
behind. His spotless heritage as a Jew, his devotion to the law,
his righteousness under it. All things he had been proud of.
When he met Christ he saw all his past pride of life and success
as garbage and laid it aside. It was not worthy of being
compared to the risen Savior he met on the road to Damascus.
He became totally focused on His relationship with the living
Christ and states in verse 15 that every mature believer will
feel the same way, and that if we have not yet had that
revelation, our continued fellowship with Christ will draw our
mind to the same conclusion as Paul. Namely, that the most
important thing on this earth is our personal relationship with
Jesus Christ. It carries rewards both in this life and in the
one to come.
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