Pressing On

When Jonathan Edwards was 18 years old, and a young pastor, he made some startling resolutions about living his life for the glory of God -- resolutions that still startle people today. He was no hearer of the Word only. He was interested in being a doer of the Word.

Paul, likewise, in this text, shows that he is a man serious about sanctification. Paul says he is "pressing on" toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. The word for "pressing on" is a word that means to eagerly seek and to chase so as to catch. It presents a view of sanctification that is much more than the lackadaisical, ho-hum approach to sanctification that is so common in our day. We are running a race and reaching out toward the prize of eternal life. That is a very different picture than a man who has merely punched his ticket to a big party in the sky some day.