Pressing Forward
September 24, 2026 – 3:38 amIt is vital that we let go of the past in order to fully mature in THE SPIRIT!
There is an old saying, “We judge ourselves by our intent and everyone else by their actions.”
It is written by The Holy Spirit in Hebrews chapter 12:
1 As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us.
2 We look away from the natural realm and we focus our attention and expectation onto Jesus Who birthed faith within us and Who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because His Heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be His, He endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the Right Hand of the Throne of God!
The adversary wants us to focus on past failures rather than what lies ahead as we mature as Sons of GOD. Don’t let your past prevent you from embracing the opportunities that lie ahead.
Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Philippians chapter 3:
12 I admit that I haven’t yet acquired the absolute fullness that I’m pursuing, but I run with passion into his abundance so that I may reach the purpose for which Christ Jesus laid hold of me to make me His own.
13 I don’t depend on my own strength to accomplish this; however I do have one compelling focus: I forget all of the past as I fasten my heart to the future instead.
14 I run straight for the Divine invitation of reaching the Heavenly goal and gaining the victory-prize through the anointing of Jesus.
15 So let all who are fully mature have this same passion, and if anyone is not yet gripped by these desires, God will reveal it to them.
16 And let us all advance together to reach this victory-prize, following one path with one passion.
Paul went from being a persecutor of Christ to writing 2/3 of The New Testament. Paul knew firsthand what it meant to forget the past in order to press on to the prize! I dare say that not many have a past as dire as his.
In Philippians 3:13–16, Paul describes the Christian life as a race toward Christ. He says he has not yet arrived at full Spiritual maturity, but he is determined to keep going.
- “Forgetting what lies behind” means refusing to let past failures, achievements, or status govern his pursuit of Christ. Paul remembers his past elsewhere; he simply will not live there.
- “Straining forward” and “pressing on” describe steady, deliberate effort. The “prize” is the fullness of life with Christ that God has called him to receive.
- “Let those of us who are mature think this way” means that maturity includes knowing we still need to grow. Paul adds that God can correct believers where their understanding differs.
- “Hold true to what we have attained” means living faithfully according to the Truth God has already shown us.
The passage’s encouragement is: don’t let yesterday define your walk with God. Keep following Christ today, and put into practice what you already know.
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