“The Goal”

 “The Goal”

 

My goal is to know Him and the power of His Resurrection and the fellowship of His Sufferings being conformed to His Death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead.    Philippians 3:10-11

 

Many of us set GOALS in our daily lives, in which we WORK diligently to REACH.  We sometimes have to make SACRIFICES in order to REACH those GOALS.  As a TRUE BELIEVER, we, like the Apostle Paul, NEED to have the SAME GOAL that Paul WORKED DILIGENTLY to REACH.  That GOAL is to KNOW the LORD JESUS CHRIST MORE and to KNOW the POWER of His RESURRECTION and the FELLOWSHIP of His SUFFERINGS.  

 

This KNOWLEDGE is to “KNOW by EXPERIENCE.”  Another GOAL that Paul wanted to REACH was to KNOW or EXPERIENCE the POWER of the RESURRECTION of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  The POWER of His Resurrection was what brought JESUS from DEATH and the GRAVE.  And this word POWER means; to have the ABILITY to OVERCOME resistance.  This POWER now operates in the lives of the TRUE BELIEVER, because they have been RAISED from a SPIRITUAL DEATH to the NEWNESS of an ETERNAL LIFE in HEAVEN, with GOD and JESUS CHRIST.  And Paul wanted to SHARE in the FELLOWSHIP of the SUFFERINGS of Christ.  These SUFFERINGS were NOT the SUBSTITUTIONARY SUFFERINGS that Christ experienced on the Cross, they could NOT be shared.  But Paul’s GOAL was to EXPERIENCE SUFFERING like Christ for the sake of RIGHTEOUSNESS. Paul did SUFFER for the SAKE of RIGHTEOUSNESS because of his OPENNESS and PERSEVERANCE in SHARING the GOOD NEWS of JESUS CHRIST.  

 

Because Jesus Christ died FOR sins,TRUE BELIEVERS, SHOULD die TO sin, and to LIVE a NEW LIFE by the POWER of the RESURRECTION of the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  And for some, they WILL experience that RESURRECTION POWER, and others WILL be RAPTURED, SNATCHED AWAY, in the TWINKLING of an EYE.  Either way, the DESTINATION will be the SAME.  They will be ESCORTED into an ETERNITY in HEAVEN, with ALL its BLESSINGS.  However, for those who have NOT GIVEN their HEART and LIFE to GOD, through the REDEMPTIVE ACT of JESUS CHRIST, they will face JUDGMENT and the CONDEMNATION of an ETERNITY in HELL with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE, once they are there.  

 

But God is giving YOU another OPPORTUNITY to ADMIT that YOU are a SINNER, in NEED of the SAVIOR, the LORD JESUS CHRIST.  And to BELIEVE, with ALL your HEART that JESUS DIED for YOU and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for you, before God.  Then CONFESS your SINS to Him, and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  And be WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM your SINFUL LIFE-STYLE and TURN TO GOD, with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  ACCEPT His Gift of SALVATION, and like the Apostle Paul, let YOUR GOAL be; REALLY KNOWING the LORD JESUS CHRIST, and having a CLOSER RELATIONSHIP with Him, and have HEAVEN as your ETERNAL HOME.  Do this NOW, while you still can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!