Press On!

 

 

Philippians 3:12-14

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 what lies ahead. I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

 

The phrase “press on” is the same word translated “pursue” in 1 Timothy 6:11 where we are told to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness.

 

And it is the same word in 2 Timothy 2:22 where we are told to pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace.

 

And it is the same word in 1 Peter 3:11 where we are told to seek peace and pursue it.

 

It literally means to focus our minds on a goal and put all our effort to obtaining that goal.

 

In this passage Paul shares two motivating factors that are to be part of a follower of Jesus’ life.

 

The first speaks of God’s objective for each of us.

The second speaks of God’s reward for each of us.

 

God’s objective for us is found in Titus 2:14, “Who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession who are zealous for good works”

 

God’s objective in dying for us was to redeem us from sin, and not just the penalty of sin, but also the power and dominion of sin.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being freed from the penalty and power and dominion of sin.

 

The word purify speaks of an inward cleansing from the pollution and defilement of sin.

 

Jesus did not die to make us happy but to make us holy.

 

Another objective of God for us is that we become a people for His own possession.

 

We are not our own; we are bought with a price. We belong to Jesus. This speaks of His Lordship over our lives. Jesus has the right to interrupt our lives any time He wants because we belong to Him. Jesus has a right to direct our lives in the direction He wants us to go because we belong to Him.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is to live knowing we belong to Jesus.

 

A third objective God has for us through Jesus’ death is to be a people eager to do good works.

 

Rise the Roof and Remove the Walls is doing good works in the name of Jesus.

 

He intends to make us holy, to purify us from the pollution of sin in our lives, and for Jesus to be Lord of our lives so we can exhibit the traits of holy character. This is all to honor God and show the world who God really is.

 

Second, Paul pressed on to receive the prize God had for him.

 

The prize of this calling toward which Paul presses forward with all his might, is the everlasting heavenly glory. Paul knew his citizenship was in heaven, and he pressed on to obtain that heavenly prize.

 

The Bible is very clear that the glory of eternity is given to us solely through the redeeming work of Jesus on the cross. It is the gift of God and is by grace through faith, not works.

 

Yet it is also true that this gift cannot be taken for granted. True grace always produces vigilance rather than complacency; it always produces perseverance rather than indolence. Saving faith always manifests itself by the pursual of the heavenly goal.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living life in the here and now but keeping the focus on eternal life with Jesus.

 

Paul saw life as living in this world, but not being of the world. We live in world sharing the gospel of grace of Jesus, but not loving the things of the world or buying into the principles of the world.

 

So, press on to fulfill God’s objective for us and press on to obtain the heavenly prize of Jesus.

 

Pressing on to Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls,

Joe