Reaching Forward

Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Paul describes a beautiful picture of redemption in the verses above. The Bible first introduces Paul as Saul, who had a history of persecuting believers, was a Pharisee of the Pharisees, was well-trained, and was a keeper of the law. He had a whole history of self-righteousness and one of sin in the name of the Jewish religion. Then he had a life-changing encounter with Jesus and he was forever changed. Saul became a new man who experienced redemption with a new name, Paul.

When Paul says that he forgets what lies behind and reaches forward to what lies ahead. That word “forget” is a picture of one letting go of what once used to define them. Paul no longer identified with his past, his past accomplishments, sins, failures or shame. He let it go so that he could reach forward to the plans and purposes of the Kingdom of Heaven.

In the same way, we can forget what lies behind us, no longer allowing the past to define us, instead, our identity is in what Jesus has done for us, in us and through us. We let go of what has been done to us, or what we did to someone else, and we reach forward to what Jesus has for us.

This is what redemption is! Jesus paid the price for us so that we don’t have to live with the weight of the past. We are fully free to run forward to what lies ahead. In Jesus, there is always a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

Let’s get our minds off the past and instead, choose to rejoice in the redemption of our Lord and Saviour, magnifying His goodness in our lives.