February 11

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. — Phil 3:12 BSB

The Apostle Paul, likely the greatest saint who ever lived, admitted that even he had not yet attained. There were things in Christ that he had not yet seen, known, felt, tasted, or experienced. There were heights in Christ’s glory, depths in His love, in His sufferings, in His agony in the garden and on the cross, that Paul could not fully comprehend. So he said, “Not that I have already obtained all this.” He still saw himself as a learner, a child, as weak and helpless as ever to obtain what he sought. Though he pressed on, forgetting what was behind and reaching forward to what was ahead, he knew he had not yet attained it.

Now, where do you see yourself in this? Are you following after God? Have you tasted, felt, or experienced anything of the precious things of God? Have you ever had moments when your heart was melted by His goodness and mercy? Have you felt the sweetness of God’s love, a blessedness that nothing else could compare to? Has your heart been enlarged by His love, so that you felt the peace and spirituality that come from knowing Him?

These moments are the sips and foretastes that draw our hearts to follow after God. But when darkness comes, when sin rises, when trials perplex and doubts flood our minds, we can feel as though we are falling short, and wonder if we have deceived ourselves or if it was all a delusion.

Yet these very struggles serve to stir our hearts. They open our eyes to what true faith is, which is found in the work of the Holy Spirit in the heart. Our shortcomings and doubts are used by God to push us forward in the race set before us.

Even the most spiritually mature saints will still have to confess, like Paul, “Not that I have already obtained, or am already perfect.” There is imperfection in our understanding, hearts, words, and lives—imperfection in everything except the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and the work of the Holy Spirit in the soul.