Yesterday

Somehow I have drifted into the “I remember when” generation.  I don’t really remember how it happened.  One day, I was up on all the latest trends, topics, and technologies, and the next day I was remembering what it was like when I was young and foolish.  It seems that, as we become more chronologically enriched, our memories begin to kick into high gear.  Things that we have either forgotten or purposefully pushed from our minds begin to come back.  Some of them are pleasant memories and others fit more in the “I can’t believe I ever did that” category.

Philippians 3 (NIV)
 ⁷But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.

Saul was a “spiritual” giant in the religious order of the day.  He was a “pure bred” Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised when he was eight days old.  He was a Hebrew of Hebrews when it came to the law.  He had received his education in the Jewish law from a scholar by the name of Gamaliel.  Gamaliel was described as a teacher of the law who was honored by all the people when he stood up in front of the Sanhedrin to calm this religious body as they considered what to do with Peter and the other apostles. (Acts 5:33ff)  Saul’s educational credentials were impeccable.  Consequently, he had been brought into the Pharisees – the society dedicated to the strict application of the law

We know that Saul’s life before his experience on the Damascus road was anything but Christ-like.  He was on a mission, a mission to rid the world of what he considered to be a disease.  That disease was Christianity.  He convinced the Pharisees to give him written, legal authority to take whatever steps necessary to accomplish his mission.  He witnessed the stoning of Stephen and led many believers to Jerusalem in chains.  The term religious zealot comes to mind when thinking about Saul.  He was proud of what he had accomplished and looked forward to attaining even higher status in the religious order of the day.  Then something happened.  Saul met Jesus and he was never the same.

In this passage, Paul (the teacher formerly known as Saul) is speaking to us about the transformation that takes place when Jesus becomes Lord and Savior of our lives.  There is a metamorphosis that occurs.  We begin to view life differently.  He tells us that all of those things that he considered to be not only important but spiritually legal and required have taken on an entirely different perspective.  He now sees that what he was doing was not only morally abhorrent, it was spiritually damning.  His “spiritual” roots were leading him to an eternity in hell.  That which he called success was in actuality a colossal failure.

What to some might read like a trip down memory lane by Paul is really a lesson in focus.  Paul says that he is more than qualified to be proud of what he accomplished to get where he had been, but he can’t do that.  His focus is now on Jesus instead of Saul.  He sees that everything he had done as Saul was like garbage to be discarded.  His righteousness comes not from the law but from the Savior.  His focus is no longer on learning and executing the law but on learning how to be more like Jesus.  It is no longer about Paul but all about Jesus.

There is nothing wrong with reminiscing about the past.  God told the Israelites that they were to keep the events of the Exodus and the taking of the Promised Land in front of their children forever.  However, we must not become nostalgic about that past.  Paul puts it best when he says, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” 

(Philippians 3:13b-14)

Press on!  The prize is worth the pain.

We serve an awesome God!!!!!