Philippians 3:12-16

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.  Only let us hold true to what we have attained.

 

As we grow in Christ, there are a couple of attitudes that we need promote in our own lives.  Both humility and persistence are called for in our walk with the Lord.  We must never be deluded into thinking that we have “arrived.”  All of us have work to do and progress to make.  At the same time, we cannot allow discouragement over our weaknesses derail our progress.  

 

RECOGNIZE THE NEED FOR GROWTH: There are no perfect believers on this side of heaven.  All of us are in the process of growing and becoming more like Jesus.  The call of Christ in our lives is for us to press forward to continue that process on a day by day or moment by moment basis.  It is a dangerous thing when we begin to think that we have already “arrived” or even when we become satisfied or stagnated in our spiritual growth.  Our call is to live in accordance with He who “owns” us because He purchased us with His own blood.

 

REMEMBER THD FINAL GOAL: The final goal for which we are to “press on” is to become like Christ.  He is both the standard for which we strive and the means by which we have hope to achieve that goal.  Becoming like Christ is the promise of the Gospel to us.  When God chose us as members of His family, He determined that we would experience the joy of being like Jesus for eternity.  However, this is more than a promise in the sky in the sweet by and by; it is the work of God’s Spirit in us from the moment we come to Christ.  It is the goal for which we strive and the natural result of the work of the Spirit in us.

 

APPLICATION: Don’t allow spiritual pride or laziness to keep us from the goal of becoming like Jesus.  Humbly recognize our failures and commit to keep of working towards spiritual maturity.  Don’t give up or become discouraged in the process.  Continue to press on with hope and assurance of God’s promise. 

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