"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing." - Philippians 3:10-16 KJV
We press forward because someone divine has known (apprehended) us. We want to know Him also. We do know Him but we want the next adventure with Him so we can know Him more.
At times we get distracted from this perfect grace mindset of hungering to be with Him by faith as an individual in a group of those who know Him.
This 'pressing forward' is in response to a subjective 'calling over.' A 'come follow me' into situations and endeavours. We aren't attaining anything by effort. We are taking possession by faith of what Christ has won for us. It was His effort. He finished the work of reconnection. Our bodies don't look or feel resurrected but we function as if they will be because we have a promise that they will be. Jesus' body was.
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." - Ephesians 2:4-7 ESV
Press forward by faith.
It pleases God when we do that. It requires faith to do that. It is a faith that can only be accessed by looking to the one who knows everything about us and loves us. That love rises above the muck. It puts us above the details and seeming contradictions. We see Him in glimpses and believe moment to moment and that blesses Him.
One day it will be different but now it is this. Press forward today. Go Heavenward.
"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God." - Colossians 3:1 ESV
This is our calling.
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