Eye on the Prize
August 4, 2024
Philippians 3:4b-14
I press on toward the goal,
toward the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
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Some choices in life are better than others. Some have lasting value, and others are downright deadly.
Surrounded by voices and impulses, how do we invest ourselves in lasting value rather than junk?
Parents holding a newborn child find their hearts turned to a new set of values and a different future. Cancer diagnoses often reveal life in a whole new light. Falling in love transforms our hearts.
Saul the Pharisee experienced a profound awakening when Jesus appeared to him. His passionate persecution of Christians was revealed as wrong, and he became one himself.
Paul wanted to know Christ and the power of his resurrection. He now saw Jesus’ resurrection as the most powerful force in all of creation. If Jesus is risen from the dead, then many of the world’s assumptions of value will fail. If Jesus is risen from the dead, then wealth, power, and prestige are far from the most important things in life. Instead, it is knowing the risen Christ, experiencing the power of his resurrection in our lives, and revealing it to others.
Living as a Christian is not just living like everyone else, but better. It is a completely different path in life. As our hearts and eyes are opened, we find ourselves following in Jesus' footsteps, seeking the lost, forgiving the guilty, and offering our lives for the sake of others.
