Press On

“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:12-14).”

If you’ve been in church awhile and truly understand the gift of salvation then you realize that the best life is lived in and with Christ. Now this can be good and bad. It’s good because you realize had it not been for Christ you would not have made it this far. However it can be bad if you think because you have come to this knowledge that God can’t teach you anything else. This would be a bad state indeed.

No matter how long you’ve been in the church, no matter how long ago you were baptized, no matter how many church groups you’ve participated, no matter how successful you think you’ve been, there is still much to learn. The Apostle Paul understood this and if anyone could boast he certainly could. In Acts 22 he shared his credentials, his position, his training and most importantly his encounter with Christ. If anyone could boast of his Christendom, Paul could but he didn’t. He came to realize that the goal Jesus had set for him also meant enduring hardship and pain and yet he willingly pressed forward to achieve that goal.

Forgetting the former things is not forgetting the events of the past but using them through the power of the Holy Spirit to move you to the will of God.

Press on children of God, not to receive glory but to fulfill the cause of Christ!

“We must be global Christians with a global vision because our God is a global God.” -John R. W. Stott