"Pressing On!"

“Pressing 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

 

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Christians in Philippi, was encouraging them to NOT give up, but to PRESS ON in their quest for CHRISTLIKENESS, which should be the goal of EVERY TRUE BELIEVER.  Paul’s desire was to KNOW and BE like Jesus Christ in the POWER of His RESURRECTION, His SUFFERINGS, and even in His DEATH.  Paul told them that he had NOT obtained all this, meaning he had NOT reached the FULLNESS of being CHRISTLIKE.

 

The Apostle told them that he did NOT consider himself to have obtained this goal.  But there was one thing he did:  FORGETTING what was BEHIND and STRAINING toward what lies AHEAD.  In other words, Paul was saying; don’t dwell on the PAST, but PRESS ON to the FUTURE, to the goal, and DON’T let the PAST become the NORM for your FUTURE in becoming CHRISTLIKE, instead PURSUE the GOAL of CHRISTLIKENESS, and DON’T GIVE UP, but PRESS ON.

 

We are facing a New Year, one that is FULL of UNCERTAINTIES, but ONE THING, we can be CERTAIN of, is that GOD IS IN CONTROL!  And He does NOT want His Children to cling to the PAST and its PERILS, but He wants His Children to PRESS ON towards the GOAL that is before them, which is to GROW in the KNOWLEDGE of JESUS CHRIST, to become MORE AND MORE LIKE Him, with each day.  We can accomplish this through PRAYER, and STUDYING God’s Holy Word, and STRAINING towards what is ahead, and PRESSING ON towards the GOAL and WINNING the PRIZE of ETERNAL LIFE with Jesus Christ in Heaven.  Is it your GOAL to be CHRISTLIKE, and to WIN the PRIZE of an ETERNITY in HEAVEN? 

 

If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to GOD, then you cannot be CHRISTLIKE, nor can you obtain an ETERNITY in HEAVEN.  You will, however, be spending an ETERNITY in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY OF ESCAPE.   In order to ESCAPE HELL, you must TURN AWAY FROM your PAST and the sinful lifestyle you are living, and TURN TO God, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  Then you MUST CONFESS your sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  You MUST BELIEVE with ALL your HEART, that Jesus died for YOU and is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  You MUST ACCEPT His gift of SALVATION and FORGET the PAST and PRESS ON towards the GOAL to win the PRIZE of an ETERNITY in HEAVEN with Jesus Christ.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s waiting and coming SOON!!!