"Pressing On Toward the Goal"

“Pressing On Toward the Goal”

 

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

 

Paul’s letter was written to the Philippian believers some thirty years after his conversion on the Damascus Road.  So the Apostle Paul had fought and won MANY spiritual battles.  Yet he was determined that the Philippian believers know that he had NOT yet reached his GOAL, which God had set for him. 

 

He had NOT yet obtained the relationship with Christ Jesus that he was striving for.  He wanted to KNOW Christ on a more intimate level.  He wanted to KNOW the POWER of the resurrection of Christ, and to PARTICIPATE in His sufferings.  Sufferings that came with living a DEDICATED Christian life.  He desired to become like Christ in His death.  Christ died FOR sin, the believer dies TO sin.  In other words, Christ died FOR the sins of ALL mankind, to obtain their SALVATION, the believer dies TO sin, to be SEPARATED FROM their sin.  And Paul wanted to attain the RESURRECTION of the dead.  Should he die, before the RAPTURE, Paul KNEW he would be RESURRECTED with ALL the other SAINTS of God.

 

Yet Paul knew that he had NOT reached his GOAL, but that he MUST PRESS ON to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus had taken hold of him.  The ONE thing that Paul knew was that he HAD to FORGET his PAST and STRAIN toward what was ahead.  He had to PRESS ON TOWARD THE GOAL, in order to win the prize for which God had called him heavenward, in Christ Jesus.  His SANCTIFICATION and SALVATION would then be COMPLETE.  He then, would have reached the GOAL.

 

So it is with ALL TRUE BELIEVERS, today, we MUST PRESS ON TOWARD THE GOAL that God has called us to in Christ Jesus.  We MUST, like Paul, desire a more INTIMATE relationship with Christ, to KNOW the POWER of His resurrection, and to be willing to SUFFER for the cause of CHRIST.  We MUST die TO our sinful lifestyle, and be RESURRECTED to a NEW life in Christ. In order to do this we MUST FORGET our PAST and STRAIN towards what is ahead.  We MUST PRESS ON TOWARDS THE GOAL, God has set before us, in order to WIN the prize.  Are you in the RACE for the PRIZE of spending ALL ETERNITY in Heaven?

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God then you are NOT in the RACE, and are headed towards an ETERNITY in Hell, the place of UNENDING torment, torture, pain, agony, heartache and despair, with NO HOPE of ESCAPING.  However, God has provided a way for you to ESCAPE HELL, by coming to Him with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART, CONFESSING your sins to Him, and asking Him for His FORGIVENESS, BELIEVING, with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU, and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God, then ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION, and enter the RACE, PRESSING ON TOWARDS the GOAL, which God has set before you.  Do it NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!