B y Mmw. B oo th Sm ith P aste? ©2 Im m uu iel JPrastoytestoa Church, IL©s Aaigalss
Note.— Address delivered before the graduating class of the Bible Institute of Los Angeles, on June 28, 1917. Text:' ^ ‘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, I press toward the mark for the prize.”—Philip- pians 3:13, 14.
much of being satisfied here (I shall be when . . . ). Do not adjust yourself in a comfortable chair to go to sleep, for you don’t belong here; you are due to go higher yet. In Chesterton’s story, “The Man Who Was Thursday,” the men get angry with Sunday because he represents rest, the peace of God, and contentment, while they are dissatisfied wjth the present order. A Forgotten Past. Now, of course, there are_ some things which vve cannot forget. They are indelibly stamped oil tabula rasa, but Paul says, “If I can’t rub them out, I can at least turn over the sheet.” When Jesus said to some men, “Follow me,” one replied, Lord, suffer me first to say fare well to them that are at my house,” and you recall Jesus’ answer, “No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God”—that is, don’t even go back'to bid good-bye to the Past; come right on, for if you go back, it will say, “Why follow your vision? It means lonely privation; stay here with us, where you have three meals a day and butter on your bread.” A Beckoning Future. “Reaching forth unto those things which are before.” Try ing to fight my way to tomorrow. What if yesterday’s work was a failure? What if
HIS is the Program of a Progressive Life. Paul lets us;into the Holy of Holies here and tells us the secret of his inmost being. He
shows us the ground-plan; as an architect he displays his specifications. Like a man showing another through his house and pointing out a framed motto,on the wall and saving, “That is the synopsis of my days!” When a man becomes famous, the papers send interviewers to him to ask him to set down in a few words his habits of life, ideals for himself, and advice to others. Here is Paul’s psalm of Life, his Footpath to Peace, his birds-eye view, his formula for success: “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, I press toward the mark for the prize.” You see at once that there are three main elements in Paul’s program, or three viewpoints, if you will: Present, Past and Future, or Circumspective, Retrospective and Pros pective. “I count not myself to have appre hended”—a Discontented Present —man feeling a vague sense of dissatisfaction. Thank God for it. The Bible doesn’t speak
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter