Digging Deeper 28 Philippians 3:14

Keep going! At least that is what we keep telling ourselves. When is it time to quit, throw in the towel and simply resign ourselves to enough is enough? Well, the answer lies not in what we are doing but the objective that we are working towards. If something is not working it may be time to quit working at it that way but not time to quit trying to reach the objective.

        The objective of the believer is really simple “Live for God” but the path that we take towards that objective may not always be so simple. But Paul, in God’s letter to the Philippians makes it very clear that for the believer there is no place to quit living out our objective to live in the resurrection of Christ.

        I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14 Let me point out three things in particular in this verse:

        First “I press on toward”  there is resistance and there is direction. There is a great deal of difference in moving forward and pressing forward, if you are pressing then you are moving against resistance. This is usually the place where most of us simply quit, but the resistance does not change the direction or the objective. The prize is still the same, live in the glory of God.

        Second “The goal for the prize of the upward call of God” Circumstances change, people change, attitudes change, our geographic location may even change but the goal does not. We have a call of God that calls us to live in the glory of God. It is a goal that we have not fully obtained: Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. The prize of the upward call of God is to live fully in His glory and it is worth pressing towards regardless of the resistance. It is so easy in our culture to get distraction by trends and causes but regardless, our mission does not change we must press towards the objective to live in His glory.

        Thirdly “In Christ Jesus” it is in this little phrase that we find strength to keep going. It is so easy to quit when we see ourselves pressing forward in our own strength the task seems and is impossible. In ourselves we are less than weak but in the power of Christ we can and will overcome. Romans 8:35-39 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written,“ For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. There is no excuse to quit, we are in Christ Jesus!

        Does it seem to you that we live in a time where everything is temporary. If things do not go just right we can always quit. If things get difficult I will just and try something else. Don’t! Press toward the goal meet the resistance head on, greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. There is no place for the believer to quit in the pursuit of experiencing the full glory of God!

What do we believe about God? 

1.   God has called us to His glory.

2.   God is Sovereign!

3.   God is greater than our circumstances.

What do we believe about ourselves? 

1.   God has call us to live in His glory in the power of Christ.

2.   It is impossible to keep going in our own power.

3.   There is no place for the believer to quit in the pursuit of God’s glory.

Covenant Church 210 Station Rd, Wilmington, NC 28405 (910) 395-5800