The Mature Christian Mind

Philippians 3:5

Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

The word perfect in the verse above is talking about maturity. When something is perfect, it is complete. For instance, I will often say to somebody that what someone has done is perfect, meaning that it is complete or it finishes the job. God was teaching us that the mature Christian will have a mind that represents verses 13 and 14. Let me share four attributes of the mature Christian mind.

First, the mature Christian mind will say, I have not yet apprehended. Paul says in verse 13, Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended… Paul was saying that he had not yet arrived. He was saying that he had not finished everything that he needed to do. Though Paul had accomplished much, he was saying he had not yet apprehended all that God had for him to do. You will never be for God what you should be when you believe that you have apprehended. One of the greatest detriments to the Christian walk is to believe that you have spiritually arrived. Let's just be clear: nobody has arrived spiritually. When you believe you have arrived spiritually, you lose your drive for God. Sadly, there are many who think they are something for God when they are really nothing because they have stopped apprehending.

Second, the mature Christian mind will say, I don't live in the past. Paul continued in verse 13, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind… Paul understood that his accomplishments in the past were done; therefore, he must put them out of his mind if he was going to continue to have an apprehending mindset. You cannot live in past accomplishments and accomplish great things for God today. The best way to put this is that you must stay hungry, and the only way to stay hungry is never to look back. Those who look back lose their hunger for accomplishing greater things for God. Stop looking back at what you have done and instead look forward. It is wonderful that God has used you in the past, but the past will not do anything for you today. The only thing that will help you to accomplish something today is to forget what you accomplished yesterday.

Third, the mature Christian mind will say, I reach forth unto that which I have yet to apprehend. Paul continues to say verse 13, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. The moment you stop living in the past is the moment you start seeing what you have yet to do for God. It is when you start reaching forward for what you have yet apprehended that God can work through your life. In other words, keep a great vision for God. Always see what more you can do for God if He will use you. The moment you lose your vision is the moment you stop reaching forward to apprehend what you have yet to accomplish.

Fourth, the mature Christian mind will say, I press toward that which I have yet to apprehend. Verse 14 says, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Once you realize that you have yet to arrive and that there is so much more to conquer, you will develop a passion that will push you to do greater things. Never give excuses as to why something can't be done, but keep a burning passion on the inside that you have yet to apprehend, and you will find it will be easy to press yourself to do greater things for God.