Run to the Finish Line: Forget What Is Behind

Introduction

American pastor Jeff Marshall came to share a simple, direct message: the Christian life is like a race you want to win. Not winning against others, but winning by finishing well, by crossing the finish line without stopping halfway. His starting point is what the apostle Paul writes to the Philippians: "not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect, but I press on, forgetting the things which are behind, and reaching forward to the things which are ahead."

This message is for you if you're dragging a past that weighs you down, if you doubt because you haven't "arrived," or if you're tempted to slow down. Jeff Marshall reminds you of three things: Jesus loves you just as you are, you can move beyond your past, and you were made to finish the race, not to stop along the way.

Article Outline

1. Jesus loves you as you are: this is the starting point

Jeff Marshall opened his message with a statement that might sound ordinary if you don't truly receive it: "Jesus loves you better than you can imagine, just as you are." He insists: "There's nothing you can do. He's already done everything for you. He's the answer to every problem happening in the world right now."

This good news is the foundation of perseverance. You don't run to be loved; you run because you're already loved. As long as you think you have to earn your salvation through performance, you'll wear yourself out or give up. The Christian race is run from a heart that has understood it is loved, not a heart trying to become worthy of love.

The pastor also notes that Christian joy should be visible: "As Christians, we have to show the world what real joy looks like, because Jesus has done so much for us." Perseverance isn't sorrowful. It's carried by an overflowing gratitude.

2. Forget what is behind: but keep the lesson

Jeff Marshall returns to Paul in Philippians 3: "I want to know Christ, and the power of his resurrection." Then Paul admits something few of us are willing to acknowledge: "I haven't obtained it yet. I'm not yet made perfect. I don't have it fully yet."

The pastor asks a question: "Do you know anyone who is perfect?" The answer is no. No one is. And yet Paul keeps running. How? By doing "one thing": "forgetting the things which are behind."

Jeff Marshall clarifies that this isn't total amnesia: "It doesn't mean we forget completely, that we no longer remember what happened, but we don't let the bad things from the past affect our decisions today." That's the nuance. You can remember a fall without letting that fall decide what you'll do tomorrow morning. The past can inform without dominating.

And the key to getting there? He quotes the spirit of Proverbs 3: "We trust in the Lord with all our heart; we don't rely on our own understanding. But in everything, it's the knowledge of God, and he will make it so you can move on from your past." It's not your own strength that moves you forward, it's your trust in someone greater than your memory.

3. The race takes work: prayer, the Word, community

Jeff Marshall uses the image of a race to be blunt: "We're not going to become perfect, but we become more and more like Jesus. When we start thinking like Jesus, when we start acting like Jesus." That is the real goal of the race: Christlikeness, not performance.

He continues: "When you run a race to the finish line, you give everything you have inside to finish. Nobody wants to come in second. We want to finish this race, and finish it well."

But he refuses to romanticize it. Finishing well "takes work":

• Spending time in prayer, not only when everything is going wrong.
• Spending time reading the Word of God, letting yourself be transformed by what God says, not only by what you feel.
• Not staying alone, "spending time on Friday nights here, coming together, each one in the presence of God, encouraging one another."

He quotes a passage the Bible states plainly, Hebrews 10:25: "Don't stop meeting together. Encourage one another for the days that are coming." Jeff Marshall adds his own personal conviction: "I deeply believe the day of the Lord is coming soon." Whether or not you share that outlook, the conclusion is the same: no one finishes a Christian race alone.

4. Impact the people in your circle

Jeff Marshall shares what pastor Peter told him about what's happening in France: "God is pouring out his Spirit, and more and more people are beginning to know the Lord. Young people are beginning to have a passion. Young people are passionate about following the Lord."

He also shares that his own son, who works with teenagers, tells him: "Teenagers today are hungry, they're starving to know Jesus more."

His conclusion for you: "You can have an impact on the people you know in your circle, in your family. You can impact them for Jesus through the way you live." Perseverance isn't just a personal matter. Every step you take in the right direction becomes a sign to someone watching you from a distance.

Key Takeaways

• Jesus loves you as you are. This isn't a greeting-card line: it's the non-negotiable starting point of all perseverance.
• No one has arrived. Even Paul writes "I'm not yet made perfect." Stop waiting to be perfect before you start moving again.
• Forgetting isn't erasing. The past can serve as a lesson without dictating today's decisions.
• A race is finished through work. Prayer, the Word, and community are the three basic disciplines for holding on to the end.
• Don't run alone. Hebrews 10:25 isn't optional for those who happen to like it. It's the support that helps you hold on.

Personal Application

1. What are you carrying from your past that influences your decisions today more than it should?
2. What do you actually rely on when making a decision: your own understanding, or the knowledge of God?
3. Of the three disciplines (prayer, the Word, community), which have you neglected most over the past three months? What small decision can you make this week to restore it?
4. Who in your close circle is "watching how you run"? How will you live in front of that person this week?
5. Are you tempted to give up on something specific right now? Name it, and ask God for the strength to take one more step forward.

Verses Cited

• Philippians 3:10-14 (WEB) · "That I may know him... forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before, I press on toward the goal."
• Hebrews 10:24-25 (WEB) · "Not forsaking our own assembling together... but exhorting one another."
• Proverbs 3:5-6 (WEB) · "Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, and don't lean on your own understanding."
• Hebrews 12:1-2 (WEB) · "Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus."

FAQ

Does "forgetting what is behind" mean I have to erase my memory?

No. Jeff Marshall makes it clear: "It doesn't mean we forget completely, that we no longer remember what happened, but we don't let the bad things from the past affect our decisions today." You can remember a fall without letting it drive your present.

Do you have to be perfect to keep running?

No. Even Paul admits he isn't perfect (Philippians 3:12). The Christian race isn't reserved for those who have arrived; it's open to those who refuse to give up. You don't become perfect, you become more and more like Jesus.

Why is community so important for perseverance?

Because the Bible states it plainly in Hebrews 10:25: don't stop meeting together and encouraging one another. No one finishes a spiritual race alone. Friday nights, church services, and small groups aren't extras: they're the refueling stations that let you hold on all the way to the end.