The passage I read
was Philippians 3:7-21
You can find that passage here:
The verse that most
stood out to me:
13 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,
As I reflect:
Yesterday I looked
at the starting point for representing Christ; recognizing our need for
Him. We can’t do it ourselves. We must rely on God. Today I started off looking at one of the
first things that change in many believers’ lives. It’s perception.
Once a person comes
to Christ, everything changes. For some,
it’s immediate. For others, it happens
over a lifetime. Both happened/are
happening in me. One of the things that
happened immediately to me was that I counted all I used to be as completely
lost and I held on tightly to the Christ.
It was no small change in me.
Overnight, I became a new person with new values. I no longer wanted to do the things I had
done up to that point and even my very way of thinking was changed. I wanted to live for Christ, no matter what it
meant changing or giving up. It wasn’t a
struggle to lay down who I was at His feet because I saw it as freedom from
this world’s bondage. It was exciting
and powerful. Since then there have
been many more changes. If someone told
me the word says “this” and it didn’t align with my life, then I would research
it, pray on it, and change my life to align to it. I didn’t do this to perform my way to
Heaven. I did it because anything in me
that is not what God wants in me doesn’t belong. I trust Him and His plan for my life and want
to throw out the garbage so there is more room for the characteristics He wants
to build up in me. There is no fighting
against Him on this. He says, “get rid
of that and let me put this in you instead so I can better use you.” And I happily
reply, “yes sir!” What reason would I
have to respond any differently? Didn’t
my way lead me to hell? Doesn’t His way
lead to life? This is the way I thought
the experience of entering into a relationship with God ought to be. But I don’t see that in everyone that comes
to Christ.
There are many who
come joyfully and thankfully to Christ but then immediately start resisting His
work in them. He wants them to listen to
things that glorify His name and encourage them in this relationship, but often
I see Christians holding on to and willing to fight for their secular music…
Why not count it garbage that you may gain Christ? The King calls them to speak in a patient and
loving manner keeping all which is perverse from their lips. But far too often I see Christians defending
their foul language and jokes saying, “God accepts me the way I am.” Well, that’s true, but after He accepts you,
He molds you. Why not lay down the filth
of the world and take up Christ, having a righteousness that comes from
faith? Why hold on to the way we
were? Don’t we consider it garbage to
continue in the same ways that were leading us down a path to hell? We can participate in the death and
resurrection of Christ by dying to our old selves and being born again. This is the exciting news of the Gospel and
yet so many who profess faith in Christ are in a constant battle to keep from
losing the old man. The old man is
garbage I say. Throw him away and take
hold of Christ. Be born again. Allow Him to make you new.
Paul humbly admits
that he hasn’t yet obtained that which he speaks of. A wise statement for him to make and I will
here say the same. For at no point in
our walk should we feel as though we have reached a place where we no longer
require growth and molding. God’s chisel
won’t be set down till we are complete. Paul
says he presses on toward the goal to win the prize. I picture a race and in this particular race
there are some who show up just to cheer on others. To them I say, “Get in the race! You can’t win without entering.” Then there are those who show up to the
starting line, take one step over, stop, and then turn around and admire where
they came from. To them I say, “Run!! You must run the race!” There are those still that begin running and
refuse to reach out for any of the drinks held out from the sidelines or
coaches. They quickly become fatigued and eventually stop running all together
because it’s just too hard. To them I
say, “Take the help. You can’t do it
alone. I know it’s hard but run with me
and let’s hold each other up.” The
analogies could go on and on. I love
that Paul chose running a race to convey the message. You must press on toward the goal to win the
prize. This means never becoming
content with your walk saying that you have been changed enough or witness
enough or study enough or pray enough or have a close enough relationship with
Christ. Keep growing, keep praying, keep
witnessing, keep studying, keep running the race. We aren’t finished yet.
In verse 17 Paul
says to keep your eyes on those who live as Paul and the others who disciple
after Christ and share the Gospel do. I
have mentors who follow God the way the Bible instructs us to. They know me and I know them so that we might
hold each other up in the race and point out hazards to one another. If you don’t have a mentor, find one who
authentically represents Christ and ask them for their help. In requiring them to lift you up, you also
help them to make sure they too are on the right path. Then both of you together can keep your
identity in Christ, your eyes homeward bound on Heaven, and eagerly await Our
Savior who will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his
glorious body. (v21)
So to summarize,
once we have come to a realization of our need for Christ and we have become
reliant on Him, we must then also count all lost for the sake of taking a hold
of that which He has in store for us.
Keep our eyes forward and run the race, holding each other up and
pulling the bystanders in to run also with us.
Count the old a loss and let it go.
Become new. Accept your new
citizenship in Heaven and identity in Christ.
Be changed.
My response to the
Lord:
My Savior I thank you for all you have done and are doing
through your Holy Spirit here with me. I
am truly not the man I used to be.
Please continue the work you have begun in me and help me to run this race. Use me to help others along the way as well,
that none should be left behind. Help me
help them. Give me eyes to see and ears
to hear that I may better do your will.
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