“I press on toward the goal”

“Brothers, 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”(Philippians 3:13-14).

I had a precious time in meditating on the Word of God Philippians 3:13-14 before passing the year to the eternal past and welcoming the hopeful New Year.

                Paul is telling us two things about how to press on toward the goal: (1) Forgetting what is behind, and (2) Reaching forward to what lies ahead.

                What is "what lies behind" that Paul is speaking here?  It can be thought of as two things.  First, I think he was speaking about those six things that he could put confidence in the flesh (vv. 4-6).  When Paul was Saul, he was a man who could put his confidence in the flesh more than anyone else.  But whatever things were gain to Paul, those things he had counted as loss for the sake of Christ (v. 7).  Second, I think Paul was speaking about those things that God had accomplished through him until he was writing the Philippians.  Of course, Paul had done so many wonderful things for the Lord.  But he always considered himself as ‘unworthy servant’ (cf. Lk 17:10) and he wanted to forget about what the Lord did through him because he believed that the Lord could accomplish a greater thing in the future.

                I have applied this Word to myself.  As I did so, I wanted to forget about what lied behind me such as the things that I put confidence in the flesh and/or those things that I had done for His church.  The first reason is because I wanted to throw away all the worldly things that I put confidence in.  I want to forget about all those worldly things that I can put confidence in the flesh because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  The second reason is because I want to forget about year 2004 by faith because God will do greater things in the New Year 2005 through us.

                Paul forgot what lied behind him and reached forward to what lied ahead.  Then what was “what lies ahead”? (v. 13)  We can think of this in two ways.  First, “what lies ahead” for Paul was his commission.  And his commission was to carry His name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel (Acts 9:15).  Paul was a servant of the Lord with a clear sense of mission and an apostle who didn’t spare his life in carrying out his mission.  Second, “what lies ahead” for Paul was death.  Paul said in Philippians 3:10 that he wanted to Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings.  How could he know the power of resurrection?  Isn’t it impossible to know the power of the resurrection until we die in the midst of suffering?  How can we know Christ fully?  Isn’t it possible when we die and be resurrected see Jesus face to face in heaven?  Apostle Paul wanted to know Jesus so he pressed toward the goal of death.  And I believe he now sees Him face to face with the Lord in heaven and know Him fully as he is fully known by the Lord.

                 In this year, we came thus far as we held unto the Lord’s promise, ‘I will build my church’ (Mt. 16:18).  We have seen the gracious hand of God among us.  We are now still seeing that our Lord is fulfilling His promise of building His church.  But I am going to let this year go to eternal past and forget about it because I am confident that God will do greater things in the coming year.  So I want to start the New Year with the Lord as I pray, expect, and wait upon the Lord.  I want to run only toward the God’s promise Word.  The Lord will build us up.  The Lord will build His Kingdom through us.  Running toward this goal, we should not spare our lives like Apostle Paul.