It's been a very full few weeks so I have been a tad MIA when it comes to dropping into The Gathering Place, I hope that doesn't stop you from dropping in though! Because many of you were in our class session together this week, you have a lot to offer the girls that were not able to make it.
Sally is one of your sisters that is unable to attend our class sessions and she had a question for this particular weeks study. Although she posted the following two questions in the Comment Cafe, I thought I would answer one of them here in The Gathering Place.
Hello everyone,
Love to hear your thoughts on "being conformed to His death" and "forgetting what lies behind". I spent some time on these last week because it jumped out at me and now I see it's part of this weeks lesson.
Hey Sally! I''m glad that we were able to chat a bit on Saturday night and also touch on briefly what it means to be conformed to His death. What we didn't get to chat about was the "forgetting what lies behind" part! So let's first take it back to the Greek!
FORGETTING = EPILANTHANOMAI
1. to forget
2.neglecting, no longer caring for
3. forgotten, given over to oblivion, i.e. uncared for
BEHIND = OPISO
1. back, behind, after, afterwards
a) of place: things that are behind
b) of time: after
In verse 13 there are two things that are going on... reaching (pressing) forward AND forgetting what lies behind. Paul had said in verse 8 that he COUNTED ALL THINGS to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus. This is what the reaching (pressing) forward is... it is the surpassing value of knowing Christ. So in comparison to that... we forget what lies behind. It certainly does not mean that we stop remembering and giving thanks for what God has done, that would be to go against everything that is plainly seen throughout scripture, the prayer of Jehoshaphat in next weeks lesson is a prime example! But it's a taking of who we know God is into our very present moment today and then pressing forward into what lies ahead.
One of my favourite scripture verses is Isaiah 43:18-19...
“Do not call to mind the former things,
Or ponder things of the past.
“Behold, I will do something new,
Now it will spring forth;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even make a roadway in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert."
The only reason we would NOT be aware of the something new" that God is doing in our lives TODAY, is that we are still CALLING to mind and PONDERING things of the past. Whenever we ponder or dwell on a person, place or thing from the past to the point where we cannot see the SOMETHING NEW that God is doing in our lives today... we are wrong, and we are missing out on the blessings of God today... a roadway in our wilderness and rivers in our desert.
Bless you today!
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The Comment Cafe
Hello everyone,
ReplyDeleteLove to hear your thoughts on "being conformed to His death" and "forgetting what lies behind".
I spent some time on these last week because it jumped out at me and now I see it's part of this weeks lesson.