What Should We Remember? Paul on Forgetting What Is Behind

Introduction

Forgetting what is behind does not mean ignoring the past. On Remembrance Sunday, Philippians 3:12-21 shows Paul pressing on towards what Christ has won. Revd. Mark Fletcher asks what we choose to remember and what we cannot forget, why choosing better role models matters, and why, for those in Christ, our citizenship is in heaven.

We are defined as nations and as people by what we remember and what we forget. We live in a world scarred by old enmities and ancient grudges. And in our lives too, we carry the weight of the wrongs that we have experienced, of the struggles that we have faced. And what we choose to remember defines who we become. And Remembrance Sunday is about remembering what matters most. We remember the courage and the sacrifice who gave themselves for our freedom and those who fought for a better future. Now, we are coming to the end of this wonderful epistle to the Philippians. And Paul has been looking back and all that he has lost, all that he has sacrificed to become an apostle and now a prisoner for Christ. And in worldly terms, he has nothing. And yet he would not trade that for the world. He says in verse 13, this one thing I do: forgetting what is behind, I strain towards what is ahead. And it is a picture of a life that is single-minded, of choosing what matters most, like an athlete or a pilgrim or a soldier fighting for a great cause. Single-mindedness, letting other things fall away. And if you take nothing else from this sermon this evening, take this: the amazing thing about Christianity is that it allows you, your life, to be defined not by your past, but by the future that Christ has won for you.

And I think in pursuit of that, Paul has two things to say to us this evening. The first is that point that we’ve already made, that you need to remember what matters and not so much what doesn’t. Remembering is a really important part of what we do. Of course, the central act of Christian worship, communion that we’ll be sharing tonight, is an act of remembrance. We remember the sacrifice of Christ, the life that he lived, the death that he dies in our place. And at the end of that, he says, it is finished. The victory has been won. And if we can set our heart and our mind on that, on that central event in human history, on that foundational moment in our faith, then it allows other things to fall away. We can let go of things. I am struck that if you are not defined by what you choose to remember, you will be defined by what you can’t forget. And those old hurts and disappointments and regrets and bitterness are powerful things. And they are long-lasting and can easily dominate our sense of ourself. They can easily become the defining story of our lives. And I think there’s a sense in which we need to be really deliberate about facing those things, looking them in the face and learning to recognise the significance of them, but then to put them aside, to learn to forgive, to let go. Hard as that is, just because they are part of your story doesn’t mean it has to be the whole story. Because in Christ, you are part of an infinitely greater story. And in order to put things aside, I think we need to be much more intentional about taking hold of that greater story. Verse 12, he says, press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of you. Isn’t that actually a lovely verse? Listen to that again. Press on to take hold of that for which Christ took hold of you. Take hold of that for which Christ won for you. It’s a wonderful thing to talk about striving for that which has already been done, to leave the past behind. And that is possible because Christ has won the victory for us. Our job is not to fight the fight all over again, it is to take hold of the victory that has already been achieved. There’s some amazing scientific studies on the power of faith to allow people to change, to see lives transformed in a way that’s totally beyond what we expect. Change is possible in Christ. And so we press on. We press on towards a greater goal. You know, when you become a Christian, you are choosing a different goal in life to the rest of the world. And so we need to be really deliberate about not getting distracted by what everybody else is chasing after. We walk a different road, a narrow way, and it isn’t the easy way. It can be very hard sometimes, but the Good Shepherd promises that he walks with us on that way, even through the darkest valley. He will be with us even at the hardest times. So Paul’s first call to us is to that kind of single-mindedness, to seek first the kingdom of God. We’ve asked this question before, but it remains essential. How do you start the day? What do you do first? Because if it isn’t by seeking the presence of God and his word, then you are missing out on the greatest source of strength and of joy.

The danger is you’re allowing your old story to set the stage. And if you don’t start with gratitude, then it’s almost certainly going to be dissatisfaction and grumbling that comes crowding in. We are forgetful people, and if we are not intentional in remembering the good, then the negative stuff comes crowding in. So that’s Paul’s first priority. His second is really interesting, I think. This is in verse 17. He says, join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do. Can you see that what he’s talking about is choosing better role models? I think it’s a really significant thing. And we live in such an individualistic culture that the idea of role models seems, well, slightly, we sneer at it slightly. But I’m struck, if you think about it, that we all have role models. We all have people who we measure our lives against, people we are emulating, even if we’re not conscious of that, particularly those people who are the sort of benchmark for success for us. And they are often really not that helpful as examples.

And as you go on in life, you will often see the fruit of their lives in terms of their character and their relationships. And what Paul is saying is actually, you know what, be more intentional about whose lives you want to emulate, who you are following, who’s running alongside you in the race to set the pace for you. There are 2,000 years of saints and heroes of the faith who are there to shape and inspire us. Scripture is full of character studies and the church is brothers and sisters. I think that’s primarily what Paul is referring to. Keep your eyes on those who live as we do. Our job is to be examples to one another, to inspire and encourage one another on the way. And I think in doing that, we need to have a much clearer picture in our hearts and in our heads of what a life well lived looks like. Because if you don’t do that, then we take on the example of those in our world who look impressive outwardly. But if we ask the question, are their lives really what we want to become? Observe people closely. Look at the fruit of their lives. Be better at asking people questions about how they live, what inspires them, who their role models and examples are. We’re not looking for perfection. Did you hear? Even Paul himself recognised that he fell far short of perfection. But what matters is faithfulness, trustworthiness, love. And if we are not careful about whose lives we are emulating, well, there are plenty of people whose example will lead us down fairly treacherous paths. Did you hear verse 19? It was quite stark. Their destiny is destruction, their God is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. It is a grave warning. Beware of those who are actually self-seeking, self-indulgent, attention-seeking. Find better role models in history, in your community. Understand what a life well looked like, and be single-minded in becoming like that. So essentially what Paul is saying is set your eyes on the prize. Be intentional about where you are going. Verse 20: but our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Saviour from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. If you sometimes feel like you don’t fit in, like you don’t belong in this place, well, that’s okay, because you don’t. Because your citizenship is elsewhere. You know, that word citizen would have carried great weight in the ancient world. To be a Roman citizen granted you the greatest privilege, the rights and protections of the empire. But your citizenship is in heaven. And how much more privilege is there in that? That is what Christ has won for you. You are an adopted child of God. Your true belonging is in eternity. Your inheritance is part of a new creation where Christ will bring all things under his control. And did you spot that lovely line at the end? If this old body of yours is letting you down, there is still hope. Because verse 21: he will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. We have this inheritance that can never perish or fade.

If you are not defined by what you choose to remember, you will be defined by what you can’t forget. So day by day, set your mind on what matters most and not what doesn’t. In Christ, you are being renewed. You have citizenship in the new creation. Be deliberate about what you remember and what you don’t. Set before you a better goal and seek those who are walking the narrow way ahead of you, and press on intentionally, deliberately, day by day. Remember who you are and what has been won for you, and be single-minded in the pursuit of that, that you might take hold of that which Christ has won for you. Amen.