God has taken care of your past sins so you need not be taken up with them- but taken up with Him!

 Approximately thirty years after his conversion Paul wrote to the believers at Philippi these wonderful encouraging words to spur them on from living in defeat and failure of the pasts to pursuing Jesus Christ -“forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead ,I press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”-Phil 3:13-14

“ONE THING I DO…”


Paul had singled his pursuits, narrowed them down to One main thing, one master passion, to know the LORD Jesus Christ-Him and pursue Him in his life- Phil 3:8,10, 13-14- to know Jesus Christ more intimately and pursue Him more definitely, deliberately at the expense of all other pursuits. This does not mean he ignored certain things like eating, bathing etc. and withdrew from society, to find a cave and study his navel! But what is does mean is the overriding goal, that which was predominant, no matter what his circumstances was the pursuit of Jesus Christ and being changed into His likeness. He did not say when I get out of prison- which is where he was, when he wrote this, “Then” I will be a man of “One thing.” Often we think if my circumstances change, “THEN…” I will make God my number 1 pursuit. It’s a little like the dear man who once told me if he had a million dollars “THEN” he would give so much of it to missionaries…or like the man who said to Jesus when He had told him to follow Him, “BUT FIRST let me… and “THEN…” There always seems to be something in between us doing something now and what it often is , is we wait for more “favorable” circumstances and “THEN…,” we convince ourselves we will do it differently. How much time, energy and years which have been wasted in waiting for circumstances to change and convincing ourselves, ”THEN…” things will be different and “THEN” I will do that! We too often deceive ourselves and “comfort” ourselves with such utter rubbish and excuses for our lack of pursuit of Him! We believe the “lie” that in the future, “THEN” it will be different, “THEN” I will have more time, “THEN” I will be able and sometimes it seems “THEN’ never comes about!

WE DO NOT “DRIFT” INTO OR STUMBLE INTO BECOMING A PEOPLE OF, “ONE THING.”

There is the honest evaluation to be considered, choices to be made, sacrifices, the eliminations of things that would dampen or distract or hinder our pursuit of Him and His goals for us and through us. Difficulties are not deterrents from seeking Him, but indeed are glorious opportunities to draw nearer to Him. Don’t believe the lie that you have to wait for things to get better or in some cases worse before you seek Him- Now is the time, for you to look to Him and see that the present circumstances are under His control and in them you can know Him better-

Don’t waste your sorrow’s or difficulties, by missing Him in these present circumstances.

Have you ever noticed we make time- take time for the things we prize and value above all. For Paul he was not hindered by past failures, past success’s or present difficulties, he said ” More than that, I count ALL things to be loss in view of the SURPASSING value of KNOWING CHRIST JESUS MY LORD, for whom I have suffered the loss of ALL THINGS, and count them but RUBBISH so that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him.”- Phil 3:8-9. His value and estimation of Jesus Christ far surpassed everything else in his estimation! Sometimes, if we are honest this is the heart of the problem- we do not value, appreciate Jesus Christ above all else and as a result He is our master passion, pursuit and so we do all we can in our pursuit and we are among those of whom the Scripture refers to as a person of “ONE THING…” What is the one thing you do? The master pursuit? The “American dream,” to coin a phrase. That one thing you are pursuing after passionately? This indeed is your “god.” and if it is not Him- then it is idolatry and will be of no eternal value for you, others, or His Honor. And with that new heart you have, your never more satisfied than when you are content with Him! Paul learned to be content whatever the circumstance and so can you and I , and part of that is to become men and women of “One thing I do…” is to pursue Him as the master passion of our lives. This is done when we behold Him. Consider Him- 2 Cor 3:16-18 we are changed into His likeness by considering Him- We find about Him in His Word, searching for Him in these pages the truth about Him, His promises and through obedient faith we are being changed by the Holy Spirit. 

MOTIVATED BY A MASTER PASSION TO BECOME A PERSON OF -“ONE THING;”

For Paul- imprisoned, his master passion was “that I might KNOW Him…” Phil 3:8-10 and this was thirty years approximately after his first encounter with the Lord Jesus! How was this so? One reason is he never got over the fact of the Love of Christ for Him. He wrote, “The life I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” The influence of the love of the Lord Jesus INFLUENCED the way he lived- by faith… TRUST in Him. It also was the master influence for his TESTIFYING of Him. He wrote in 2 Cor 5, “… the LOVE OF CHRIST COMPELS us…” His love for Paul motivated him to Trust and Testify of the Lord Jesus. Love is an amazing motivator. Thirty years later his desire has not been dampened if anything his goals and desires have honed in, like a lazar- locked in on it’s target on this master passion – to Know Him, be like Him, and as an outworking of this love of Jesus Christ for Paul and his desire and love for Him, the desire to proclaim Him- even in unfavorable circumstances! Paul was imprisoned for proclaiming Good news that sinful men can be forgiven and be made right with God though repentance towards God and faith in Jesus Christ. Unfair treatment, the loss of one’s freedom physically did not hinder him from his pursuit and proclamation of Jesus Christ- Phil 1:12, 3:8,10. There was no, “when things get better and I am free THEN I will have the time, energy to pursue and proclaim Jesus Christ.”- There was no “THEN…” with Paul only “NOW”…IRRESPECTIVE OF HIS CIRCUMSTANCES- Jesus Christ was his life- 1:21; his Lord- Phil 2:5-11; His Master Passion-Phil 3:8,10 and his CONTENTMENT; Phil 4:11. “Contented”- fully satisfied with Him and still this master passion to Know and be like Him- motivated him! Irrespective of his circumstance- he lived in the present with a present tense Lord and He was “content” to pursue and proclaim Him NOW. “This one thing I do… forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead ,I press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”-Phil 3:13-14

What is the motivation to becoming and maintaining a person of “one thing?”- Jesus Christ and His love for you- is the greatest motivation!{See Galatians 2:20}

 

GOOD NEWS;
you can live in the NOW and not wait for the “THEN…” in pursuit of Jesus Christ. How is this possible for You and me NOW- Irrespective of our circumstances, indeed in the very circumstances we find ourselves in..

 

“ONE THING I DO.”

  1. Motivated by the Love of Christ for you- think much on Him, His cross, His sacrifice, saving of you from His wrath and saving you to- Himself and blessing you with every spiritual blessing. Think much on Him.
  2. Ask Him to help you prioritize your life in what will help yo to become a person of “One thing.” that is a God honoring “thing” for you to pursue.
  3. Evaluate what is the “one thing” you ultimately pursue, think about what you are presently working towards and does it match up with the “One Thing” Paul gave himself to- Knowing Jesus Christ and becoming like Him, in thought, word, deed, and pursuit. Do you need to repent? Make the “One thing” from Phil 3:13-14 the Major thing – Knowing, becoming like and proclaiming Him your pursuit!

 

How can I become a person of “One thing,” Now and not wait until, “Then”- Let’s consider some truths from Phil 3:13-14

  •  Determine, Depend upon Him to enable you to be a person of “One thing” . Deliberate upon His person, promises and love for you -that you may be to Him who He would have you to be to Him and for Him.,,, and part of that will include
  •  “Forgetting what lies behind”- the word forgetting speaks of “willfully neglect… cease to be affected “ by your past failures, sins- God has taken care of your past so you need no longer be affected by it, or taken up with it- but rather, you are frees to be taken up with Him.
  • “Reaching forward to what lies ahead…”- the word “reaching” was used of an athlete who with every ounce of energy, concentration…it means, “to stretch” it is describing an athlete who is stretching their muscles to the limit- to reach the finish line.
  • “Press On”- to Pursue relentlessly
  • “Towards”- the word comes from a word meaning, “Down” to “bear down on the goal”
  • “Goal” – comes from a word – “skopos”- meaning “ a mark to fix one’s eyes.” The goal is- Knowing Jesus Christ and becoming like Him in our responses, pursuits, motivations, speech, thinking and deeds.
  • The Scripture teaches about Paul, David-Psalm 27; Mary-Luke 10 and Paul were all people of –“ONE THING…” You and I like them can in the “Now” be a people of “One thing.”-…“Press on” to know Him and be like Him and proclaim Him- this day!. You are loved! Let His Love be your motivation- He loves you