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(12) Not that I have already attained, or am
already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ
Jesus has also laid hold of me. (13) Brethren, I do not count myself to have
apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind
and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, (14) I press toward the
goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. New
King James Version Change your email Bible version
Paul illustrates that after having received God's grace,
our responsibility is to return full effort to God
in striving to perfection in moral, ethical, and spiritual areas. He did not see
the struggle against sin,
fear, and doubt as being accomplished by God alone. The apostle is here urging
his erring brothers to follow his example in persistently concentrating on our
common goal.
Life for us now consists of discarding wrong attitudes and habits accumulated
in the past. In modern, psychological terms, we must lose our baggage. For us,
the past is dead, buried in the waters of baptism.
With that behind us, we must diligently make unwavering progress in putting out
the leaven of sin, growing in God's
love, producing the fruit of God's
Spirit, moving toward the Kingdom
of God, and putting on Christ's perfection, His image in us.
— John W. Ritenbaugh
To learn more, see:
Five Teachings of Grace
Related Topics:
Duty
God's Image
Grace
Growth
Human Nature
Israel
Overcoming
Perfection
Race Analogy
Running Analogy
Sanctification
Striving to Perfection
Struggle against Carnal Nature
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