It would have been very easy for him to completely abandon his heritage and upbringing, but instead, he brought his knowledge and experience to work for the Gospel, instead of against it. We can apply this principle in our own lives as well.
We should certainly lay aside every sinful habit and thought pattern in our lives because it keeps us from God. However, there are still many good things in our lives: godly influences, prior experiences with God, and our own gifts and abilities that God gave us even before we recognized Who gave them to us. We should not callously ignore the ways that the Holy Spirit can work in our lives through our talents and knowledge; this also puts us on a path away from God.
Instead, we should bring everything God has given us to bear as we push forward to be His disciples in the world. We should forget our sinful lives that were in a state of separation from the Father, and reach with outstretched arms, with all our mind and heart and strength, with everything we have to reach what Jesus has in store for us.
This is the only way to live a life that is full of purpose and meaning, and this is what Paul has modeled for us throughout his epistles. This is a goal we can never reach on this side of heaven, but we can do our very best to live in a manner worthy of the Gospel, so that when we do reach heaven God will call us — like Paul — His good and faithful servant.
Putting Off the Old Man Paul knew from firsthand experience how a life can be changed from hindering the Gospel to proclaiming it. I fail as a wife. I fail as a mother. I fail as a friend, daughter, and child of God.
Yes, I need to learn from my mistakes and strive continually to be the woman that God created me to be. But, I cannot live in a place of self-condemnation. God inspires us with conviction. Satan disables us with condemnation. Regret wastes too much energy. Instead, past mistakes should be forgotten, so that we can move on and move forward in Him. God requires forgiveness from us, just as he offers forgiveness to us. In addition to that, He realizes the harmful effects of bitterness and holding a grudge.
It will hold you back and prevent you from giving yourself fully to Him and His purpose. I challenge you to read it. There are so many disturbing aspects to this story, but mostly it shows the dangers of holding on to worldly pursuits. Lot was so caught up in the sinful world in which he was leaving that he had to be physically pulled away from the city Genesis , even after being told that it would be destroyed.
If there is something in your life that needs to be left behind and forgotten, I pray that God will help you release it so that you can do as Paul, and forget those things that are behind and press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus!
This passage in Philippians is one of my favorites. It's one of those verses that is easily memorized and so pertinent to so many things in our lives…forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead…love it! Thanks for these thoughts, Gail BibleLoveNotes.
Thank you, God gave me that scripture today so I looked it up. The city of Philippi at the time this particular passage of scripture was penned, it was considered the gateway to Europe. This city was named after Phillip of Macedonia, who was the father of Alexander the Great.
Philippi was, by all possible points of view, a miniature Rome. By evangelizing Philippi, this insured that the Gospel would be spread throughout the Roman Empire.
The Philippian Church could be considered an ideal church, because it was one which was grateful and generous. This letter serves as a spiritual love letter of sorts, filled with warmth and gratitude. The Philippian Church had sent Paul a gift. So this letter was a means of Paul saying thank you for their kindness. In order to reach our goal, the first thing I want you to bear in mind, you must keep your eyes fixed on your goal- stay focused.
Paul had a vision and a goal ahead of him, and he is letting us know that he is keeping his eyes on that goal. Secondly, you must press on.
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