Philippians 3:13, 14 - Is It a Wing or a Weight?
Philippians 3:13, 14 (NLT) No, dear brothers
and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but
I am focusing all my energies on this one
thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to
what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the
race and receive the prize for which God, through
Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven.
Philippians 3:13, 14 (CWR) I certainly don't
consider myself as having reached perfection.
However, this one thing I do: I forget the things of
the past and press toward the goal to win the
heavenly prize God is calling me to receive through
Jesus Christ.
INTRODUCTION
Our most important goal should be getting to
know Christ better. Paul says that his goal is to
know Christ, to be like Christ, and to be all
Christ has in mind for him. This goal absorbs all
Paul's energy. This is a helpful example for us. We
should not let anything take our eyes off our
goal--knowing Christ. With the single-mindedness of an
athlete in training, we must lay aside everything
harmful and forsake anything that may distract us
from being effective Christians. [Life
Application SB]
COMMENTARY PEARLS
Forward Momentum.
The moment you become a Christian you
enter a race.
The apostle Paul wrote about it in
Philippians 3: Not that I have already attained, or
am already perfected; but I press on, that I
may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has
also laid hold of me (Philippians 3:12 NKJV).
We see from this verse that to win in
this race of life, we must be dissatisfied with
where we presently are. If were spiritually
mature, well have this mindset. A modern version
of Pauls statement puts it this way:
Im not saying that I have this all together,
that I have it made. But I am well on my way,
reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously
reached out for me (Philippians 3:12 MSG).
We need to be ready to gain ground, not
lose ground. But to do that, we need to get rid
of extra weight and things that would hinder us
in this race.
A few verses earlier Paul wrote, But
what things were gain to me, these I have counted
loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all
things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of
Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the
loss of all things, and count them as rubbish,
that I may gain Christ (verses 7"8 NKJV).
In the original language the word for
rubbish that Paul used here actually describes
excrement. Paul was saying, Whatever I accomplished
before I was a believer is rubbish. Its garbage.
Its excrement compared to what Christ has done
for me.
We must look at things we do, as well as
relationships we have and then ask ourselves these
questions: IS IT A WING OR A WEIGHT? Does it speed me
in the race of life, or does it slow me down?
[Greg Laurie from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
Travel Light
I dont know about you, but I always
take too much stuff with me when I travel. I have
a bag with wheels, and no matter what size it
is, Ill still manage to fill it up. I dont
even need everything I put into it. And then I
drag around my bag on wheels.
Some of us are like that in life. Were
just wheeling our burdens around. We take them
with us everywhere, but we need to cast those
things aside. The Bible tells us to strip off
every weight that slows us down, especially the
sin that so easily trips us up (Hebrews 12:1
NLT).
The J. B. Phillips New Testament renders
it this way: Let us strip off everything
that hinders us, as well as the sin which dogs
our feet. In other words, we need to cast
aside the sin and weight that holds us back.
And sometimes what slows one person down
wont necessarily slow another person down. For
instance, some people have a metabolism that allows
them to eat anything they want and never gain
weight. I dont have that kind of metabolism. I
did when I was in my 20s, but I dont
anymore.
So the weight that slows us down can vary
from person to person. But sin is sin, and you
know what may dull your spiritual appetite. You
know what issues can distract you from your
faith. You know what relationship will pull you
down spiritually. And you certainly know what God
doesnt want you to be involved in.
Maybe today youre carrying a lot of
weight, and I dont mean physical weight. Im
talking about burdens, hardships, difficulties, and
problems youre dragging around.
Lay aside the things that are holding you
back. And KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS. [Greg Laurie
from Harvest Ministries;
https://www.harvestdaily.com]
CLOSING THOUGHT
The Scriptures plainly show that the work of
sanctification is progressive. When in conversion the
sinner finds peace with God through the blood of
the atonement, the Christian life has but just
begun. Now he is to "go on unto perfection;" to
grow up "unto the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ." Says the apostle Paul: "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. And Peter sets before us the steps
by which Bible sanctification is to be
attained: "Giving all diligence, add to your faith
virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge
temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience
godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to
brotherly kindness charity If ye do these things,
ye shall never fall." 2 Peter 1:5-10. {GC
470.1}
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS PASSAGE
Philippians 3:13, 14 - Determination and
Forgetting the Past.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210421-0836.html
Philippians 3:13, 14 - Forgetting the Past
and Pressing Toward the Goal.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2016/20160926-1856.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
