ONWARDS AND UPWARDS
(Continued)
As I quoted in my first part of this blog, Jesus says in Luke 9:62 No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
I mentioned that the word NOSTALGIA is made up of two Greek words: NOSTOS - A Return Home, and ALGIOS - Pain, so the word NOSTALGIA could be literally said to mean: A Painful Return Home, or a painful yearning to return from where you have come. Interesting, eh!
In Paul's letter to the Philippians in the third chapter, the apostle gives a concise summary of his pre-Christian resume, as it were, as a "Hebrew of the Hebrews", with an outstanding pedigree in the Jewish faith, and so zealous for the Law that he literally sought to wipe out all who would not conform to Judaism. His encounter with the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus was such a dramatic encounter that his life could never be the same as before. What were once considered assets in his life lived in the Jewish faith were now liabilities for his forward progression as a Christian, born again by the Holy Spirit. Read Philippians 3:7-11.
Paul's resolve in Philippians 3:12-14 is this:.....I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me.
Brethren, I do not consider myself to have laid hold of it; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Italics mine)
The Book of Philippians was written by the Apostle Paul to the Church at Philippi, a Roman colony - at about 61 AD during his first Roman imprisonment.
Horse racing with light chariots was a popular sport with the Romans, and some Bible commentators believe Paul's words in Philippians 3:13,14 were written with a chariot race in mind. Paul pictures himself in a chariot - knees pressed against the curved bar, his arms and body stretched out over the front of the chariot, holding the reins. In such a position, and situation, it could well prove fatal to look back!
Another very graphic picture of the Christian life as a race is found in the familiar (to Christians) verses in Hebrews 12:1,2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
LET US FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS, THE AUTHOR AND PERFECTOR OF OUR FAITH, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
RUNNING was one of the most popular of the Olympic Games sports of the Ancient Greeks. The place prepared for the race was called the Stadium because of the length, which was a stadium, which was 600 Greek feet. This was equal to 625 Roman feet or six hundred and six and three quarters feet English. Do we assume from this that the Greeks had bigger feet than the Romans and the English? I don't know.
The stadium was oblong in shape with a wall at each end, and tiers of seats on either side of the stadium for the spectators or witnesses.
The starting place was designated by a square pillar at one end of the stadium. At the opposite end was the Goal or the Finishing Point where the judge sat, holding the prize, a crown or a wreath of leaves.
As with the chariot race, for a runner in the stadium to look back while running could prove at the least to be a costly distraction, and at worst could cause him to stumble and fall.
As Bible believing committed followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our "forerunner", in order for each one of us to make significant progress in seeing the unfolding of God's plans and purposes for us - ongoing - we need to have our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, not looking back, longing for the past to be revisited in our minds with a drawing sense of regret!
Each day brings new challenges , new opportunities, new potential for us to draw closer to Jesus and to continue the journey of faith we have embarked upon in life.
To be continued soon
If you are not a Christian and would like to know more about how you can come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, as suggestions, you could go to www.vision.org.au Click on the Resources button at the top of the screen, then from the drop-down menu, click on Christianity, or livingwaters.com (wayofthemaster.com)
I mentioned that the word NOSTALGIA is made up of two Greek words: NOSTOS - A Return Home, and ALGIOS - Pain, so the word NOSTALGIA could be literally said to mean: A Painful Return Home, or a painful yearning to return from where you have come. Interesting, eh!
In Paul's letter to the Philippians in the third chapter, the apostle gives a concise summary of his pre-Christian resume, as it were, as a "Hebrew of the Hebrews", with an outstanding pedigree in the Jewish faith, and so zealous for the Law that he literally sought to wipe out all who would not conform to Judaism. His encounter with the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus was such a dramatic encounter that his life could never be the same as before. What were once considered assets in his life lived in the Jewish faith were now liabilities for his forward progression as a Christian, born again by the Holy Spirit. Read Philippians 3:7-11.
Paul's resolve in Philippians 3:12-14 is this:.....I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of me.
Brethren, I do not consider myself to have laid hold of it; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,
I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Italics mine)
The Book of Philippians was written by the Apostle Paul to the Church at Philippi, a Roman colony - at about 61 AD during his first Roman imprisonment.
Horse racing with light chariots was a popular sport with the Romans, and some Bible commentators believe Paul's words in Philippians 3:13,14 were written with a chariot race in mind. Paul pictures himself in a chariot - knees pressed against the curved bar, his arms and body stretched out over the front of the chariot, holding the reins. In such a position, and situation, it could well prove fatal to look back!
Another very graphic picture of the Christian life as a race is found in the familiar (to Christians) verses in Hebrews 12:1,2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
LET US FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS, THE AUTHOR AND PERFECTOR OF OUR FAITH, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
RUNNING was one of the most popular of the Olympic Games sports of the Ancient Greeks. The place prepared for the race was called the Stadium because of the length, which was a stadium, which was 600 Greek feet. This was equal to 625 Roman feet or six hundred and six and three quarters feet English. Do we assume from this that the Greeks had bigger feet than the Romans and the English? I don't know.
The stadium was oblong in shape with a wall at each end, and tiers of seats on either side of the stadium for the spectators or witnesses.
The starting place was designated by a square pillar at one end of the stadium. At the opposite end was the Goal or the Finishing Point where the judge sat, holding the prize, a crown or a wreath of leaves.
As with the chariot race, for a runner in the stadium to look back while running could prove at the least to be a costly distraction, and at worst could cause him to stumble and fall.
As Bible believing committed followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our "forerunner", in order for each one of us to make significant progress in seeing the unfolding of God's plans and purposes for us - ongoing - we need to have our eyes firmly fixed on Jesus, not looking back, longing for the past to be revisited in our minds with a drawing sense of regret!
Each day brings new challenges , new opportunities, new potential for us to draw closer to Jesus and to continue the journey of faith we have embarked upon in life.
To be continued soon
If you are not a Christian and would like to know more about how you can come to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, as suggestions, you could go to www.vision.org.au Click on the Resources button at the top of the screen, then from the drop-down menu, click on Christianity, or livingwaters.com (wayofthemaster.com)
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