"I press toward the mark"

 AATHAVAN 🖋️ 641 ⛪ October 30, 2022 Sunday

"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus". ( Philippians 3 : 14 )"

In his epistles, the apostle Paul compared the spiritual life to running race and wrestling competition. Any race has a prize. Getting prize in Olympic contest is considered the highest prize in sports competitions. It is the dream of athletes to win the Olympics. They make many sacrifices for it. By practicing diet restriction, sleep restriction, and other rigorous exercises they are making their body fit for it. 

If they do that to receive a perishable crown, how much more should we strive to receive an imperishable spiritual crown of victory? That is why Paul saying, "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible." ( 1 Corinthians 9 : 25 )

" Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded" ( Philippians 3 : 15 ) That is, if we are to be said to be chosen in the spiritual life, we must be of this mind.

Further, only one gets the prize in the World Race. But God will reward all those who run properly in the spiritual race. "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain." ( 1 Corinthians 9 : 24 ). Yes, we must run the spiritual race in such a way as to win the prize.

Also, in today's verse Paul says a word that means "pressing on toward the goal." That is, when we participate in the competition, we should act with the goal set for us in mind. Our goal is Christ; To please Christ.

When we run a race we should run only towards the final goal of the race. Otherwise, if you run looking at the runners on your right and left, you will not be successful. This is the mistake many Christians make in spiritual life today. Many people make the mistake of looking at other people's activities and criticizing them.

Moreover, every sports competition has rules. Only those who do not violate those rules will get the prize. "And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully." ( 2 Timothy 2 : 5 ) Paul says.

Beloved, let us run our spiritual race toward Christ - the ultimate goal, patiently, according to the laws of Christ, and win. Let us continue our spiritual flow with this thought in mind. Let us pray and surrender ourselves completely to the Holy Spirit to run such a race and win; let's live.

Message :- Bro. M. Geo Prakash Contact- 96889 33712