{"id":26487,"date":"2026-05-05T06:02:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T06:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/?p=26487"},"modified":"2025-11-26T10:43:33","modified_gmt":"2025-11-26T10:43:33","slug":"pressing-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/2026\/05\/pressing-forward\/","title":{"rendered":"Pressing Forward"},"content":{"rendered":"

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before.\u201d\u2014Philippians 3:13<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is well at the beginning of another year to pause, see what advancement we have made in the past in spiritual matters, what growth in grace we have made. This seems to have been the feeling of the apostle when he penned the above words.<\/p>\n

l. We learn he was not satisfied with past attainments.\u2014There were heights to climb he had not reached, truths which God had revealed with which at present he was but very imperfectly acquainted, great purposes for which God had called him by His grace in services for Him, from which he felt he came very short indeed. There was an inward growth in holiness he longed for, an increase of knowledge of divine things which stirred his soul with deep desire to obtain. He panted to fulfill the great designs of his Lord in his conversion and call by grace, that his ministry might be rich with fruits of blessing, and his life yield greater glory to Him who had redeemed him by His blood. He had visions of the glorious destiny intended for him, but as yet “he saw these things as in a glass darkly,” but sufficient to stir all his noblest impulses to seek for this high reward.<\/p>\n

2. He was a man of concentrated purpose.\u2014No man ever achieved anything yet who did not set his mind to it, and with fixed resolution bend every energy to attain his object. This was eminently characteristic of our Lord. “He set his face steadfastly to go up to Jerusalem.\u201d No one could turn Him from His purpose. His lifework absorbed all His time, his thoughts, and every act; thus all obstacles must be overcome by such a spirit as this. Difficulties to such an one only create a more determined resolution to succeed, and when impelled by such high and holy motives as those which carried our Lord onward, and the apostle also, for he had imbibed his Lord’s spirit, there is an inward strength imparted which fortifies the soul in accomplishing the set purpose and aim of their life.<\/p>\n

3. The apostle did not spend his time in vain regrets.\u2014The past was gone; he could not recall it. Whatever failures there were and lost opportunities, it was no use bewailing them, that would not alter facts. He could profit by the experience he had gained, in future avoid the errors into which he had fallen, watch the special temptations which had proved a snare to him, and use the knowledge he had acquired. Nor did the apostle regret the earthly advantages which he had left for Christ; the world was ever behind his back. Nor did he cast one lingering look backward, like “Lot’s wife.” Whatever he might have been in the world’s esteem, or gained of its wealth, never gave him a moment’s thought. He only spoke of it to show the greater gain he had in Christ and his contempt of these things compared to what he now possessed.<\/p>\n

4. He kept his gaze fixed on the future reward.\u2014This fired his soul with unabated zeal; the things which are before. There is full satisfaction of soul, those yearnings of the apostle’s heart all now fully gratified in that world of bliss, ineffable joy. How his heart was oft filled with sadness from many causes, but now eternal joy thrills his breast. Perfect holiness now. Sin made him sigh and mourn, but that is past; heaven’s gates have for ever shut that out now. Thanks be unto God for the victory. Completed knowledge now; no problems that perplex: the mind in providence or grace; all is clear now in the light of that eternal day. Now he knows even as he is known.<\/p>\n

Abiding fellowship with Christ. No brief glimpses of His presence and then withdrawn, but to see His face forever without a veil between. Unbroken service, without weariness, or weakness, or fault to mar it. Perhaps it will be ours, dear reader, this year to enter into all this.<\/p>\n

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It is well at the beginning of another year to pause, see what advancement we have made in the past in spiritual matters, what growth in grace we have made. This seems to have been the feeling of the apostle when he penned the above words.<\/p>\n

l. We learn he was not satisfied with past attainments.\u2014There were heights to climb he had not reached, truths which God had revealed with which at present he was but very imperfectly acquainted, great purposes for which God had called him by His grace in services for Him, from which he felt he came very short indeed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":180,"featured_media":18681,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1417],"tags":[1227],"class_list":["post-26487","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-edwin-white","tag-spiritual-assurance"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/180"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26487"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26487\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26488,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26487\/revisions\/26488"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.baptists.net\/history\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}