Stretching Faith Forward

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Philippians 3:12-17
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 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, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an example.


We must keep moving forward in our faith in God and our walk with Jesus Christ. So many times we get slapped in the face by our past. We must learn to leave the past where it belongs, behind us! Vince Gill once sang a song titled “There Ain’t No Future in the Past”. We have all failed in life at some point. Amen? We have all done things that we wish we could take back or do over. This is exactly where the enemy wants us to be and wants us to stay. If the devil can keep us tied up and focused on where we fall short, then he knows he can prevent us from experiencing spiritual growth. In this part of his letter to the Philippians, Paul is expressing how he himself has not yet reached the goal, or has not yet been made perfect, but he persists in doing so by stretching himself forward in faith, and forgetting what lies behind.

Paul goes on to say that we need to live up to the position in Christ in which we have already obtained. If you are a born again Christian, then God has already accepted you and has forgotten your prior sin. He has a plan for your new life in Christ but as long as you keep looking backward, you can’t look forward to see that plan unfold. By allowing yourself to do this, you are not able to live up to the position in which you already have. Perfection through glorification is our goal. We will not reach that goal if we hang on to our past lives.


Cast off your oppressive past and keep moving forward in faith, heaven bound all the way! 
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