52.
The purpose of the Lord in calling humanity unto Himself, is seen in the words of the Apostle Paul. He was well aware that it was a high calling in Christ Jesus. Phil. 3:14 The Lord had captured, apprehended him to fulfill the divine desires of the Lord. We also have been brought to Christ with a divine goal in mind. That is, to bring the Christian life to it’s highest standard in each and every one who serves Christ. He had not yet achieved that glorious and wonderful aim of the Lord, nor have we, but as followers of Christ we must understand His complete and majestic desire for our full mature spiritual being. Phil. 3:12
Why should the word perfect or maturity be a word of which many are afraid and constantly make excuses as to why we are not living the full life of Christ. True, none have yet reached that high goal, but does that keep us from having a similar vision as Paul? He had been most unceremoniously halted on a dusty road and for all practical purposes had been taken captive of the Lord. He acknowledged to all that he had not yet come into the completeness of Christ unto which he and all Christians have been called, but he was pressing on. He was reaching out to those Spiritual elements unto which he had been called. He had a goal and was striving with all his might to attain it and to win the fullness of Christ. He was on a stretch for the Lord, striving to gain all that the Lord had for him. Phil. 3:13
We know Paul to have been one of those characters with an unusual strong will. Whatever he set out to accomplish he pursued with all of his strength and determination. In persecuting Christians and upholding the Law, he was a fanatic. He was out to eliminate Christianity, but found an opponent who was of greater strength. As a Christian he plunged head long into serving Christ. If anything, he became more zealous for Christ than he had been for the Law. The Greek word, press, bears a meaning of not only pursuing, but persecuting. It makes us understand how determined he was to fully follow the Lord Jesus and to reach the highest heights in Christ. His goal was always before him and was the driving force of his Spiritual life. The prize, for all, is a complete, through and intimate knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no greater prize offered to mankind by anyone, anywhere, than to attain the very close and personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. Phil. 3:14.