“Let Go, And Press On!”

 “Let Go, And Press On!”

No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing:  Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the Heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.                   Philippians 3:13-14

The Apostle Paul looked at the Christian Life as a RACE, to be run with a STRONG ABIDING FAITH, a STEADFAST HOPE, and a DETERMINED PERSEVERANCE in reaching the GOAL that God has set before us.  That GOAL is having FULL ETERNAL CHRISTLIKENESS, which is through our spiritual GROWTH and our PROGRESSION in CHRIST JESUS, and this GOAL is ONLY POSSIBLE in its FULLNESS when we REACH our ETERNAL HEAVENLY DESTINATION.  

Paul tells us that we NEED to stay FOCUSED on ONE THING:  FORGETTING the PAST, what he means is to FORGET our PAST SINS and FAILURES, even our PAST MINDSET on worldly accomplishments.  We NEED to LET GO of the PAST and PRESS ON towards the GOAL that is before us.  We MUST be HONEST with ourselves and THINK about where we are in this RACE.  The Apostle Paul tells us that he has NOT achieved the GOAL, but he is FOCUSING on what lies ahead of him, and KEEPING HIS eyes on the GOAL, he PRESSES ON until the END of the RACE, and the time he will RECEIVE this HEAVENLY PRIZE for which God, through CHRIST JESUS has called him and is STILL CALLING ALL of HIS Children.  

For the UNBELIEVER, there is NO RACE, but their DESTINY is AN ETERNAL LIFE in HELL, with ALL its HORRORS, and NO WAY to ESCAPE once they are there.   It’s NOT too LATE for them to ENTER the RACE and for them to LET GO and PRESS ON towards the GOAL and RECEIVE their HEAVENLY PRIZE.  In order to get in the RACE, they MUST ADMIT that they are a SINNER in NEED of the SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST, who SUFFERED, BLED, and DIED, then RESURRECTED by God, in order to SAVE a LOST and DYING world.  They MUST BELIEVE that JESUS died for THEM, personally, and that He is ALIVE in Heaven, making intercession for them before God.  They MUST CONFESS their sins to Him and ask Him for His FORGIVENESS.  They MUST BE WILLING to TURN AWAY FROM their sinful life-style, and TURN TO GOD with a TRUE REPENTANT HEART.  They MUST ACCEPT God’s Gift of SALVATION, and LET GO of the PAST, and PRESS ON toward that HEAVENLY GOAL. If you have NOT given your HEART and LIFE to God you MUST DO the above, in order to RECEIVE that HEAVENLY PRIZE.  So, do this NOW, while you STILL can.  He’s WAITING and COMING SOON!!!