I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved
these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on
to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I
have not achieved it, but I focus on
this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,
I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the
heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Philippians 3:12-14 NLT
Have you ever
wanted something so much that you were willing to do just about anything to
achieve that goal? You learned your craft or attended school or saved up for
that once-in-a-lifetime trip or maybe even relocated to a new town or state to
make it happen.
You’re passionate.
You’ve pressed on—no matter what. Reaching the pinnacle is all that
matters.
Are we as
passionate about being Biblical Christians? You might scratch your head and ask:
Are there any other kind?
The Apostle Paul
acknowledged in the verses above that reaching perfection in Christianity is
near to impossible while on the earth, yet we must continue to press on toward
that goal. In the verses preceding, he admonished Christians not to get hung up
on their past accomplishments or get rooted in the present day Christianity
morph that so many in our culture are getting trapped by.
In other words, safeguard
our faith (Philippians 3:1).
I’ve noticed a
trend among some Christians—winking at sin because, after all, we’re all
sinners. Who are we to judge?
While we’re not
called to pass judgment on those around us, we are to make judgments about
right and wrong based on Biblical truths. Forget what social media or the
latest cultural trend tells you. Simply vet the lifestyle or choice by the
Bible. I often hear people say, “Well, not everything is spelled out in the Bible,”
or “that was then, this is now.” While some of the Bible is meant to give us an
historic perspective on creation, Mosaic Law, and mankind, the principles of
everything in the Bible are applicable to our lives. Think of it like this: “We
are citizens of heaven.” (Philippians 3:20).
In other words:
If the choice wouldn’t be permissible in heaven, it’s not permissible
in our lives.
Makes our
decision-making pretty simple, huh?
And while it’s
hip to quote “judge not, lest ye be judged,” remember, the most loving thing
any of us can do is keep our fellow man out of hell. Yet our complicit approval
often does the opposite. Instead of trying to ride the edge of the envelope on
what’s permissible while living in a secular progressive society, maybe we’d do
well to focus on what Paul discovered—“everything else is worthless when
compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
Jesus often hung out with the social outcasts and sinners, but his message was
clear on these encounters—“go and sin no more.” Let us press on toward
that goal in our lives as we seek to become more like Christ and bring his
promise of salvation and hope to a lost and dying world.
***************
If you would like
prayer for a particular need, please leave a comment or e-mail me confidential
requests. I’d love to pray for you. J
I’m excited to
announce the launch of my quarterly newsletter next month entitled “So You Want
To Be Encouraged!” In the inaugural edition, I’ll share my exciting publishing
news, as well as give away a copy of one of master wreath maker Nancy
Alexander’s books on wreath making, just in time for the holidays. To be
eligible for the drawing to win her book, you simply have to be a newsletter subscriber.
The subscription box is at the top right-hand side of this blog.
Join me next
week for a two-part series on battling depression and mental illness, written by
two women on the front lines. Whether you have a lot of knowledge or no
experience with mental illness, you’ll learn something from their stories.
God bless,
Laura
©Laura Hodges Poole
Athlete Jumping photo courtesy of
David Castillo Dominici/Freedigitalphotos.net
Future photo courtesy of graur
razvan ionut/Freedigitalphotos.net
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