PRESS ON

“I press on toward the goal unto the prize

of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 3:14

The American Standard Version

The Apostle Paul was a high class, zealous Jew who had abandoned and counted worthless all his legal righteousness to accept Christ as the Messiah simply by faith. He outlines his rich heritage and genealogy in the previous verses. Paul had quite impressive credentials; he was a man of pedigree. Paul states clearly that if heritage alone was able to save then he could boast more than most. Yet, he counts all this as dung, or rubbish. Paul also understood that Christ has ‘laid hold’ of him (v. 12). However, he also realized that he had not attained and that he had to ‘lay hold’ of Christ. He realized he had to press to lay hold on the high calling God had purposed for him To press means to "to seek after eagerly, earnestly; to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing, to run after." The apostle who heard the voice of God call out to him on the road to Damascus and who wrote most of the new testament did not become complacent or passive about his relationship with God. He was in hot pursuit or in the press to reach the prize of the upward call. Paul did not rest or rely on his heritage or the initial encounter with God, but continued to pursue, run after and press on to receive the prize of intimacy with Christ.
In Colossians 1:29 Paul says, "I work very hard at this, as I depend on Christ's mighty power that works within me." His goal was to press on to perfection, or maturity, to the point where he was wanting. This maturity meant that nothing else was necessary to completeness or wholeness. Paul understood this pressing on was first for him, but also so that by his preaching and teaching he could present every man mature in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:28). Are you pressing on to know Christ or resting on your laurels? To rest on your laurels is an idiom that means to ‘rely on one's past achievements instead of working to maintain or advance one's status or reputation’. We should not settle for yesteryear’s experiences or revelations. We should be like the Psalmist who said, "My whole being follows hard after You and clings closely to You" (Psalm 63:8). You must press into God and the things of God to press on to maturity. Develop and maintain your prayer life, a fasted lifestyle, and study of the Word of God. Desire God. Let this be your confession, ‘with my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early’ (Isaiah 26:9).