Not There Yet

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, 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, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." Philippians 12-14 TNIV

All English translations miss "pieces parts" of these verses, but the one above is pretty good. So let's work with it today.

Paul is saying - "I have not yet arrived." The word "obtained" is not there, rather it is the word "received." (Again, it is not a product of his work, but something that is available in Christ Jesus for him). He has not yet come into the full reception of what has been accomplished for him and therefore he is not yet able to live totally in the items we have been considering, i.e..."to know Him, the power of His resurrection, the fellowship of His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death and inheriting the resurrection of the dead." So Paul is letting us all know that he is still in process. He has been taken hold of by Christ Jesus, and now he is in process. One of my friends used to say, "We never, on this plane of life, arrive. We are always arriving." That is what Paul is saying. There is more to receive; there is more to respond in; there is more to become.

He wants to encourage those who read to keep moving forward. The tendency to sit and stay  where we are, satisfied with the status quo in our relationship is something all of us possess. The encouragement here is that there is more to receive and a clear call to interact with Jesus Christ in dimensions of relationship we have not yet discovered. Paul says he presses on, or he pursues to receive or overtake all that Christ has overtaken for him. He wants all he can possible receive.

I realize there is more and that he does not end on this thought. We will work with that tomorrow. For today, let's enter into the realization that there is always a need, no matter what our age, no matter how long we have been in Jesus, to press in further in that relationship for all He has already accomplished for us. Until He comes - either in the clouds for for us personally, let's move forward in our relationship with Him. I wonder what that will look and feel like?