“…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.” Philippians 3:13,14
When seeking God in the Scriptures, it is essential to learn the truths of God and His ways, these inestimable, priceless gems of worth and power, which unlock doors of opportunity to faith, that great foundational principle by which that which is of God becomes our own. And example of this is found in the Apostle Paul’s to the church, or body of Christ. He has done this so that by them we too can with certainty know God. A few of these truths have to do with a vision of that which is before the believer, that which is called his eternal “hope.” In that “hope,” or expectation, is revealed the element of patient endurance, and overcoming life, that waiting for its full realization, or manifestation. Paul puts it like this: “…For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” (Romans 8:23) What does this mean?
Paul is looking down a very broad, sun-lit corridor of time, and the brevity of it, to a moment when all shall be changed. In another passage he speaks of it being “…in the twinkling of an eye.” There is the expectation of something great and wonderful, beyond what we could ask or think, something that has not even entered into the heart of man but is being revealed in part now. Paul calls this perception, “…looking through a glass darkly.” The eye of faith has caught a glimpse of glory, of God, of heaven. The witness to the heart of the believer is by the Spirit, revealing in him the “first fruits” of Christ’s presence in the heart. Those fruits testify of the believer having been sealed in Christ, never to be forsaken by, nor separated from, Christ. That secure place of certain good, IN CHRIST, testifies of that which is on the horizon, that eternal day when all is light, life, love and peace in God. Here on this earth, where sin and the curse are so rampant, the suffering of creation and the creature being so very evident, there has been planted in the heart of the believer a seed of perception. It is that glimmer in the distance of something greater and more wonderful which has been testified by the Spirit, confirmed by the resurrection of Christ, and provided certainly for to be realized fully. What is this hope?
When Paul writes to the Philippian believers, he speaks of “…those things which are before.” He ties this in with what he then calls, “…the high calling of God.” For every believer, there has been established by God a calling, a specific role and responsibility before God, where he has been entrusted by God with every capacity and means, to fulfill his purpose. The believer’s calling and gifts are as unchanging in the eyes of God, as Christ’s presence in the heart is real. They are meant to give direction and purpose for one’s life, realized fully in response to faith in Christ as Lord, and Shepherd. That calling is specific, and original, to every individual believer. There are no two callings alike, except that highest of all, that present communion with Christ, and one day, fellowship in its fulness with Christ, unfettered by faithlessness, weakness, or limitations. So, Paul by the Spirit, reveals to us how to live in this present moment, with regard to the past, and looking to the future. His word is emphatic: “One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind.” Paul is “reaching forth,” leaning forward, running well, towards that which is before him.” He is not looking back, but onward and upward, trusting Christ presently for all.
Dear Father, Fulfill all Thy purposes. In Jesus’ name, Amen.