During the winter Olympics we watch the best of the best compete for the glory of the gold medal and the few moments on the stand listening to their national anthem. Most of us are drawn to excellence and will at least once, if only momentarily, wonder what it would feel like to have the joy and satisfaction of being the winner after a lifetime of dedicated training. Paul thought about it and makes reference to the Olympics in Philippians 3. While Paul was sure of his salvation there was yet another goal that he pressed forward to attain. He wanted to know Jesus and be as much like Jesus as possible. He wrote, “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
His calling, his goal, was to be like Jesus. This is what Christianity is all about. Salvation is step one and is then followed by challenges to character growth. Salvation is a gift. Character growth is work. We will always be saved by the righteousness of Jesus. Then with the Holy Spirit abiding in us, we are called to grow and then grow some more and then grow yet ever more. Like Olympians it is a life of dedicated purpose. It is the goal of an eternal life.
Written by Roger Bothwell on January 14, 2014
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