Press On and Take Hold
I’m so glad that Jesus didn’t come to make us religious but rather to bring us into a relationship with Himself and give us an abundant life (John 10:10). That almost doesn’t make sense because most of us have the mentality that we have to win God’s favor. We feel that we have to do good works so God will approve us. So how do we live this abundant life? We have to take hold of everything Jesus has given us through His death and resurrection. He took your sin and shame, and He paid your debt in full. “He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12). We don’t have to walk in guilt and condemnation. We are free to go and live the resurrection life.
The apostle Paul says, “I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Philippians 3:12). Paul had a resurrection mentality that brought him into abundance. He wanted to not just know about what Jesus had done, but he wanted to experience all of it. Paul knew that he had battles to fight and that he had the power to win. Keep in mind that before he came to know the Lord, Paul persecuted the church severely, sending believers to prison and contributing to their deaths. Can you imagine the guilt and the shame that would try to come on him as he was preaching this good news? Have you ever thought, “I can’t tell the good news because of what I’ve done in the past. I’m not good enough”? That’s what Paul was talking about. He was saying, “You have to press on and take hold of what Jesus Christ has done for you.” Press into that grace and mercy. God had an assignment for Paul, and he was going to keep pressing on through the shipwrecks and the prisons.
Press on and take hold. Jesus never said the abundant life was going to be easy. It wasn’t easy for Him. It cost Him His life on the cross. But on the third day when He came out of that grave alive again, He turned that bad situation around and brought it out for our good. He wants to take the situations in your life and turn them around for your good. His plan is still working. It worked the day He was raised from the grave, and it is still working for us today. But we have to take hold of all the good things that Christ has done for us.
The apostle Paul says, “I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me” (Philippians 3:12). Paul had a resurrection mentality that brought him into abundance. He wanted to not just know about what Jesus had done, but he wanted to experience all of it. Paul knew that he had battles to fight and that he had the power to win. Keep in mind that before he came to know the Lord, Paul persecuted the church severely, sending believers to prison and contributing to their deaths. Can you imagine the guilt and the shame that would try to come on him as he was preaching this good news? Have you ever thought, “I can’t tell the good news because of what I’ve done in the past. I’m not good enough”? That’s what Paul was talking about. He was saying, “You have to press on and take hold of what Jesus Christ has done for you.” Press into that grace and mercy. God had an assignment for Paul, and he was going to keep pressing on through the shipwrecks and the prisons.
Press on and take hold. Jesus never said the abundant life was going to be easy. It wasn’t easy for Him. It cost Him His life on the cross. But on the third day when He came out of that grave alive again, He turned that bad situation around and brought it out for our good. He wants to take the situations in your life and turn them around for your good. His plan is still working. It worked the day He was raised from the grave, and it is still working for us today. But we have to take hold of all the good things that Christ has done for us.