By Rob Flaherty - Interim Student Minister
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. Philippians 3:13
One of the first things I do daily is ask myself, who is the Gospel for? Of course, this might sound ridiculous, illogical, or elementary, but is it? Most of us start with a cup of java black, boujee coffee from Wildhero, Redbull, Bang, Dr. Pepper, or a simple sugar like orange juice. So why not ask a simple question right out of the sack, right?
The world will say that the dominating influence in your life is your past. If you come from a difficult home life, that will control the direction of your life. If your culture is mistreated, it will control the condition of your life. If your youth was spent in rebellion, the remainder of your life will be spent struggling with your past. The world is preoccupied with the past because it faces an uncertain future.
As believers, on the other hand, we live in freedom because Christ has overcome our past. The “old things” have been done away with, and “new things” have come (2 Cor. 5:17). God, through His Son, has so totally forgiven sin and chooses not to remember it (Isa. 43:25). So, what does that mean for my daily question?
Personally, as a sinner, I do not forget the past, nor am I controlled or motivated by it. As a Christian, I look forward to the future with hope, grace, and mercy. I remind myself people focus, dwell, and perseverate on struggles, sin, and strongholds. Unfortunately, people have no relationship with Jesus. They also have little or no knowledge of the things to come. In verse 14, Paul boldly tells us to “press on toward the goal to win the prize.” We must look forward and remember who the Gospel is for.
We know God can do amazing things. We know that all evil and death will be ended. We know that He brings unmeasurable comfort and grace. As a believer, the future is secure, and eternity supersedes whatever happened in the past.
Remember who the Gospel is for! It sustains the saints and saves the lost. If you know someone preoccupied with the past, ask God to do something big! God is always at work in His world. He seeks to bring every person into a personal relationship with Himself. God will work through you to accomplish His divine and eternal purpose. The call to salvation carries a summons to be on mission, so let’s go!