MY FRIEND, NEVER STOP PRESSING TOWARDS THE MARK FOR THE PRIZE.

Oct. 19, 2015

MY FRIEND, NEVER STOP PRESSING TOWARDS THE MARK FOR THE PRIZE.

My friends, I can truly say Paul is the ultimate example of someone who Satan had somehow placed him on the path of destruction without his knowledge. But by God’s grace, love and mercy through the power of His Spirit Paul was transformed from Saul a worker of iniquity to Paul.

A man “who never stop pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:14 (KJV) In other words, some days he did not take time off from focusing on his salvation, to saying, you know, I think I will gossip or tell a few lies today.

Or maybe I will covet my neighbor’s house or maybe I will serve another god by using all of God’s precious time by sitting in front of the TV instead of studying God’s word and serving Him, or maybe I will curse and take the Lords name in vain if I get mad at someone or something.

My friends, Satan never takes a day off from tempting us into losing our soul salvation, and neither should we in putting on the whole armor of God, that we may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities.

And against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Eph. 6:11-13 (NKJV)

My friends, we must never stop pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God. And if we do happen to fall we must pick ourselves up and continue “pressing toward the mark for the prize,” our salvation and God’s kingdom and life eternal.

Remember, once Paul allowed his life to be completely saturated with Jesus Christ and Him Crucified, he never looked back on the life he lived before Christ came into his life and that must be how we live our lives as we follow the example of Paul which keeps our focus on Christ.

Consistent with this, once his life was transformed, from that point on he had only one passion and that was to serve God, carry his cross, and take the good news to a world that was sinking deep in sin far from the saving power of their Savior.

To serve as Paul served and suffer for Christ sake, every fiber of our being has to be completely saturated with the power, love, grace and mercy that could only come from Christ. Oh the passion of Paul to serve a risen Savior, what we all as Children of God should strive for as the passion of Christ becomes our passion.

The Damascus road experience, the experience of transformation through Christ, and his word and Spirit was the mission statement that Paul exemplified to the world “follow my example as I follow the example of Christ.”

But his overall message “was to never take your eyes off of the prize” which was Jesus Christ and life eternal. In addition, “we are therefore Christ’s ambassadors” in this world and we represent the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, and as ambassadors, we must “never stop pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Because, “He who began a good work in [us] will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil. 1:6 (NIV)

My Friends, where there is no vision, the people perish…..Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)