Today In The Word-Moody Bible Institute Pressing On Read Philippians 3:10–12 I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Philippians 3:12 The musical group Selah, featuring vocalists Todd Smith, Amy Perry, and Alan Hall, recorded an album and song titled, “Press On”: “When the choices are hard / when we’re battered and scarred / When we’ve given our all / In Jesus’ name, we press on.” The writer wrote the song for a friend wavering in his faith, encouraging him not to give up. In the words of the apostle Paul, we must “press on” in the face of difficulty. In today’s passage, Paul explained why he counted his personal achievements as loss. He considered all of his attributes, no matter how prestigious, as worthless distractions compared to the pursuit of knowing God (v. 10). This reason, “to know God” seems too simple of an explanation, but it has wide-reaching implications. When we resist the temptation to think highly of ourselves, we are able to know Jesus more fully. The opposite must also be true. When we count our pedigree or achievements to our credit, we are prevented from fully knowing Christ. Paul said our knowledge of Christ will focus on His resurrection, His suffering, and His death (v. 10). We will be aware of both His great sacrifice and His incredible triumph. Paul used the word participation to describe our relationship with Christ’s sufferings and death. Participation in suffering was certainly present on Paul’s mind as he sat in prison. Paul realized the sufferings of His Savior more fully as he found himself the object of intense persecution. But he also realized the “power of his resurrection” (v. 10). Knowing Jesus is not limited to knowing how to suffer. It also means having access to God’s power. Paul was able to “press on” not because of his own fortitude but because in Christ, he was strong. Press on. When life becomes more than we think we are able to bear, Paul urges us to remember that we serve a Savior who identifies with suffering. We are reminded to be comforted by the suffering of Jesus, and also to be bolstered by the power of the resurrection. This power allows us to press on when life is difficult.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 01:45:08 +0000
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