But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)
Whenever I read this verse I thought “forgetting what lies behind” meant the bad things I have done or my personal shortcomings that haven’t given me desirable outcomes. But that is not what Paul is talking about forgetting.
He is forgetting his past righteousness. He is moving past anything that might give him a standing with God apart from Jesus Christ: being a Pharisee of Pharisees, having incredible zeal for God, etc. Earlier in this chapter he has called all of his former righteousness dung and now he says he is forgetting it.
And this couldn’t be more refreshing. I tend to get historical with God when I don’t get my way. “God I have served you wholeheartedly.” “I have sacrificed alot to serve you.” And anytime I am saying these thoughts in my heart I am looking for past obedience to secure a future good. I am counting on my righteousness to secure blessing from God.
And that is exactly why I need to forget it. My eyes have swerved from wanting to know Christ right back to myself. And I cannot press towards any goal with my eyes on myself. Its hard, when you are suffering, to not try to present your evidence to God about why things should be better, but all God has to do is bring up the last trial — when I was acquitted for an even greater crime.
And that is enough to keep my eyes on Jesus.
Good stuff! I think as well, Job puts a face on this blog for us….it’s a knee jerk reaction to trials, especially severe ones….the three friends so represent the enemy’s voice of condemnation, the final pressure point that leads us to state our case…another thing is the whole process of pruning, which is a constant process until we go to be w/ HIM (I think a lot of this stuff we go through is allowed for the pruning, which takes us to this Job like place of wanting to state our case)….