Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected, but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.
There are many pursuits in life. Some pursue fame. Others chase after sex. Yet others strive for money and success. Paul’s personal pursuit was clear. He wanted to represent his Lord in time.
But I press on
The words “press on” means pursue. What is Paul pursuing? He is after the “prize” of verse fourteen. Some of us do not seem to realize that there is a prize at the end of the day. Heaven is not that prize. We do not earn or deserve heaven. Heaven was given to us by what Christ earned and deserved. Paul is after the smile of Christ on his life at the end of his days.
Paul has not completed his stint in time. God still has a purpose for him. Nothing can remove him, hurt him, or kill him until his purpose on earth is complete. He has confidence that God has a plan for him as long as he is alive.
That I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me
Paul wanted to grasp hold of his life’s pursuit. He wanted to latch on to it. He wanted to get such a good grip on it that he would not let go. He did not want to disappoint Jesus. If you marry a husband he may turn out to be a disappointment. “Well, I dated him for four weeks!” We cannot even tell if he brushes his teeth after dating him for a month! If we lay hold of pleasing Jesus with our lives, we will not receive his frown but his smile when we meet him.
Not only does Paul take hold of something but Jesus does as well. Paul says, “In my flight toward hell, Jesus took out after me and held me in his grip.” Christ laid hold of Paul for a purpose. Jesus wanted Paul to represent him in time on earth. He represents us in heaven and we represent him on earth. Paul wanted to accomplish all for which Christ had saved him. He did not want to disappoint the Lord.
The first “laying hold” was done by Paul. He needed to lay hold of the purpose for his life on earth. The second “laying hold” is done by Christ Jesus. At the point of salvation Christ laid hold of Paul for a purpose. That purpose was to represent Jesus Christ in time. Our purpose here is to represent the Lord Jesus. He represents us in heaven; we represent him in time. Since we are here for the purpose of glorifying him, we need to lay hold or latch onto that purpose.
PRINCIPLE: God has a purpose for our lives. He wants us to represent him on earth in time.
APPLICATION: God has a track for the locomotive of your life to run upon. Has your locomotive jumped the track? Has your life come crashing down in one great accident? You are no longer in the will of God. You are not in regular fellowship with God. As long as you are alive God has a plan for you. No matter whether you have had a major accident, a massive crash, as long as you are alive, God has a purpose for you. No matter what you sin, if you are alive, God has a purpose for you. If your finger is out of joint, put it back in place. If you are out of fellowship, confess your sin. Get back on track.
The only place where we can become free from the slavery of malice, hatred and grudges is in fellowship with our Lord. By being in the center of God’s will we can have a life of freedom. If we allow sin to control us we are in slavery. Sin eats the soul. Someone has said, “It is not what you eat that kills you, it is what eats you.” Are you eaten up by malice? What is eating you? Life is too short. We cannot afford to bear grudges. Time is too short. The stake is too high. If we hold ill will long enough it might secure such a hold upon us that we will take it right into the casket with us. Are we ready to get squared away?
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