Pressing On Toward the Goal

"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." — Philippians 3:12-14 (ESV)

Honest About the Journey

Paul — the apostle, the church planter, the writer of much of the New Testament — openly admits that he has not yet arrived. He is not perfect. He has not fully grasped the fullness of life in Christ. If Paul could say this, how much more should we hold our own spiritual progress with humility?

There is freedom in this honesty. We do not need to pretend we have it all together. The Christian life is not about projecting perfection — it is about pursuing the One who is perfect.

Taken Hold Of

Before Paul speaks of his own pressing on, he anchors everything in a prior reality: "Christ Jesus has made me his own." This is the foundation. We do not press on in order to earn God's favor. We press on because we have already been grasped by grace.

Christ took hold of Paul on the road to Damascus, and He has taken hold of every believer through the gospel. Our pursuit of Christ is always a response to His prior pursuit of us.

Forgetting What Lies Behind

Paul refuses to be defined by his past — whether his failures or his achievements. The sins he committed, the persecution he carried out, the accolades he earned — none of these determine his direction. He lets go of both guilt and pride so that he can run freely toward what lies ahead.

For many of us, the past is a heavy weight. Past failures whisper that we are disqualified. Past successes whisper that we have already arrived. Both are lies. The call is forward, always forward, toward Christ.

The Prize Ahead

What is the prize? It is not a trophy or a reward in the earthly sense. It is "the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" — the full and final experience of being with Christ, transformed into His likeness, dwelling in His presence forever. Every day of faithfulness is a step closer to that glorious destination.

This prize is not uncertain. It is secured by the One who called us. And because He is faithful, we can press on with confidence.

Reflect

What from your past — whether failure or success — are you tempted to let define your present? How does knowing that Christ has already taken hold of you change the way you press forward today?