PRESS TOWARD THE MARK

 

Pressing forward is what I learnt from Paul.

In his valiant efforts to convince the Gentile converts that salvation does not come by conforming to the law of Moses, Paul used himself as an example of someone who by all means should believe in the law above all else being an educated man, ‘circumcised the eight day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of all Hebrews, a Pharisee’….(Philippians 3:5). Imagine the prestige, the respect, the grounding he had in the Jewish way of life. But then something marvelous happened to Paul. He met the true source of salvation and abandoned his faith in ‘the law’ (Acts 9:1-5). And not just his faith but ‘the loss of ALL things’ for ‘the excellency of the knowledge of Christ’ [(don’t you love how he put that?] (Philippians 3:8). No doubt the ‘the loss of all things’ included his wealth, respect,  family, friends, associates, fellow Jews…..in summation, his entire way of life.

What is the ‘excellency of the knowledge of Christ’? To Paul it meant two things: 1. salvation comes through Christ only and not through any law. If through the law, we would be capable of perfect obedience, but we are not hence the need for a Saviour (Philippians 3:9); and 2. because of Christ, we have hope of a glorious resurrection (vs 10,20,21). Paul gave up his everything that he ‘might know Him’ considering this knowledge to be of greatest worth of all (v10).

I was 17 years old when I was faced with an agonizing decision of leaving my family for the privilege of being baptized into the Church. It was an event in my life that created a tear in my family that has haunted me for more years than I care to admit. My close friend calls this ‘looking in the rearview mirror’…..but no rearview mirror for Paul, who joined in the fellowship of His sufferings, ‘forgetting those things which were behind’ reached forth for those things’ which were before him and ‘pressed toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus’  (vs 13,14).

Is not pressing toward the mark for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ the greatest worth??? He who gives life, illuminates us with light, offers salvation, freely gives resurrection, carries us in the palm of His hand….is He not worth the sacrifice of all????

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art by Midjourney and Greg Rutkowski)