I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Devotional Thoughts
By Gary Wilkerson
The New Testament is so exciting — it shows us that Jesus was the exact representation of the Father and when we see Jesus, we see exactly what God is like. So full of love, grace, mercy, power, truth and righteousness! The Word of God tells us that we have taken on his divine nature because of the presence of Jesus in us.
“His divine power has granted us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world” (2 Peter 1:3-4).
Can you imagine living a life without ever experiencing fear or terror at night? Or shame, guilt, condemnation, or a sense of unworthiness? What would your life be like with no stress or anxiety? Just think of it — and then grasp the truth that you are free from the bondage of these things because of who you are in Christ.
We are meant to live like Jesus. When we sin, it grieves the heart of the Father, of course, but the Holy Spirit convicts us and when we repent, Jesus forgives us and breaks every chain! We may not be walking in total victory at all times, but we are “pressing toward the prize” because Jesus dwells in us by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-14).