Bible Reading: Exodus 40; Proverbs 16; John 19; Philippians 3
Philippians 3:13-14 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
We have not yet arrived! We are a work in progress and as such, we still walk in the flesh and sin sometimes. That is not what God wants for us. As his children we are new creatures and he wants us to live out of the new life that Jesus Christ has given us. He does not want us to take the grace of God in vain and live like we are still lost!
1 John 2:1-2 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: 2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
Don't sin! But if you do sin, run to your advocate – Jesus Christ the righteous and receive cleansing and forgiveness.
We haven't yet reached heaven. We are not yet glorified. We have not experienced the resurrection of the body. But, while we are in this body we must live like Paul. We must live facing forward! To live facing forward, you must forget those things that are behind. Have you done sinful things in the past? (Yes, because we all have.) Then confess them to God and forsake them and press on! Have you been hurt in the past? (Yes, because we all have.) Then forgive those who hurt you and press on! Remember, not only did Jesus Christ die to pay for your sins but for the sins that were done to you as well.
Have you missed God in the past? Then get your eyes on Jesus now and press on! Have you started well in the past only to stumble and fall? Then get up and press on! The past is over and you must give it to God through confession and forgiveness and press on! If you run the race looking backward you will always be focusing on the past! Bitterness and grief come from running looking back. The Bible says to reach forth unto those things which are before. The mark is Jesus Christ! The mark is heaven! The mark is to live for him.
God has called us to a high calling in Christ Jesus. Run the race. Forget what happened yesterday and press toward the mark! Don't live in the past. Past victories and past failures are just that – past. Many times in the Word of God it says, "And it came to pass…" Those hard times pass. Those failures are past. Today – run toward Jesus and run for the prize!
In Christ,
Rody
