January 1: Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
With the new year in front of us and the past year over what shall be our first thought for this new year? Let me suggest one from Scripture from our text this morning. We have not yet arrived for there is much still to do so we press on to take hold of Christ. Though we have walked with Christ for years we have not yet reached our full maturity so we press on. We may have faltered many a time in the past but we will not give up we will press on. We may not have all that others have but still we press on not for ourselves as much as for those who have yet to hear the gospel of our Lord.
We come to this new year with thousands of people groups still untouched by the gospel of Christ so we press on for their sakes. There are those in our families and friendships that are still without his knowledge so we press on for them. There are places where our Lord is not glorified so we press on, not considering that we have attained anything for there are still millions who have not heard so we press on.
Let this new year be the year that you press on toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters that high calling is to be found in him declaring his glory when he comes for you. Let us labor so to speak and live that the last words that form the breath of our mouths be words of praise and adoration so the nations can see that he is faithful to the end just as he promised.
Still Pressing one the Upward Way,
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