Not that I have attained this ideal or have already been made perfect, but I press on to lay hold of, grasp and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus, the Messiah, has laid hold of me and made me his own. Philippians 3:12

To press on is to make a determined decision to keep moving forward (because of the word of God in you) no matter what you think or feel. It is having a relentless and determined attitude that pursues and earnestly goes after the things that Christ Jesus has promised you, knowing that He is the one that brings it to pass in your life. For me, it resonates with the word to ‘hold fast’ to what I know is true and to not let it go, and the bible says in Revelation 2:25 that, “But that which you have already, hold fast till I come”

Press on is a continuous doing word that is so important to our walk as Christians if we are truly going to take full ownership of all that Christ has already provided for us when He made us His own. The marvellous exchange that took place when Christ died for us means that we are as much His own as He is our own, in other words we are as complete in Him and He is in us.

This explains why when you read the word of God and you start to discover who you really are in Christ Jesus, this creates a desire in you to be and to experience everything that He says you are. Paul had such a desire and aspiration in him to know Christ so much that he could walk where He walked and experience all that He experienced. It was his ultimate goal, one for which he had willingly and joyfully sacrificed everything he had for.

He was on this journey of knowing Christ and he acknowledges that whilst he had not yet arrived there or come to it, he was pressing on. There is so much to lay hold of in Christ. Is it peace? The bible says, “For he is our peace (Ephesians 2:14)”; Is it provision? The bible says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19)”; Is it healing? The bible says, “By His wounds you have been healed (1 Peter 2:24).” You see we already have so much in Him. Actually, everything we will ever need is in Him. 2 Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue.”

So, I want to encourage you to keep pressing on and take full ownership of everything that Christ Jesus already laid hold of for you. The more you know Him, the more you discover yourself and all that He has already laid hold of for you. So, press on into Him and His word, and let Him show you all the things He has stored up for you to richly enjoy. Once you see it, believe it, take it and hold fast to it in Jesus Name.

 

The message version of the verse above says, “But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. So, let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us.”