16 June 2024
PRESSING FORWARD IN CHRIST
(Going Forward in Christ: GFIC 24)
The Apostle Paul had an aspiration – and that was to know Christ and make Him known to all peoples, especially those who have never heard of Him. To preach “the excellency of Christ” and to expound “the mystery of the Gospel” effectively, he needed to know Christ intimately. Hence, he expressed his desire in these words, “That I may know Him and the power of His Resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Phil. 3:10). He humbly confessed that he had not yet attained to the “full knowledge” of Christ, but he was still working on it.
Then he said what he would do to ensure attaining that goal: “But I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil.3:12-14). This aspiration would require discipline and perseverance to achieve his goal. May we have the same desire and follow his example in seeking Christ and taking the necessary steps to achieve it.
The first thing to do is to “forget the things that are behind”. Our past – the failures and regrets are often weights that slow us down. Or they may hinder us by causing us to be sorrowing over them and hating ourselves for the mistakes we made. What we ned to do is to confess and repent so that we are forgiven and start afresh with God’s Help.
The second thing to do is to “reach forward to those things which are ahead”. The devil wants to cripple us by reminding us of “the things behind” so that we are spiritually defeated and unable “to fight the good fight of faith”. Like Paul, we must “reach forward to the things ahead” – those things that God has in store for us and promised us. The future is as bright as the promises of God. Let us take courage and cling on to them because God is Faithful and He will fulfil every promise in His Word. He said, “I know the plans I have - plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer.29:11). Remember that God is also our Heavenly Father and He loves us dearly.
The third thing to do is “press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus”. God’s ultimate goal for all His children is that He will take us to live with Him in Glory forever. That was His divine purpose in sending His Son to be our Saviour by sacrificing Him as “the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Hence this should also be our goal – to look forward to the day when Christ will take us up to be with Him in Heaven. To ensure that then we must seek to live for Christ, love Him and glorify Him in all that we do while on earth. Remember what the Bible says, “Without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb.12:14). Let us “be holy, for He is holy”!
Click HERE to return to Article Listing