Analogy: Our walk with Christ is like a journey through the woods.
How To Press On Toward The Goal Of The Christian Life:
Questions to ask. . .
1. Do I know what my destination is?
- v. 12 - “press on.”
- v. 13 - “one thing I do.”
- v. 14 - “I press on.”
- v. 21 - The goal: to be like Jesus.
- To reach the goal, you’ve got to start by looking at the map and figuring out where you’re going.
2. How many nights have I spent at this campsite?
- v. 12 - “Not that I have already attained.”
- v. 13 - “I do not count myself to have apprehended.”
- v. 13 - “reaching forward to those things which are ahead.”
- Many Christians stop along the way and end up hanging out in one campsite for years. We’ve got to keep going because we haven’t yet attained what we’re shooting for.
3. How often do I stop to look back?
- v. 13 - “forgetting those things which are behind”
- Many spend too much time reminiscing:
- “Remember how beautiful that hilltop was?”
- “Remember that beautiful grassy meadow?”
- “Remember that refreshing stream?”
- "Remember how great that revival was in ’88?"
- "Remember how close we felt to God when the kids were young?"
- "Remember how wonderful things were right after I got saved?"
4. Am I searching for a secret back route?
- vv. 15-17.
- Many are looking for a shortcut. There are no shortcuts. We must walk the paths that saints before us walked.
5. Have I decided it’s easier to follow the posted signs?
- vv. 18-19.
- "Instead of figuring out this map, I’ll just follow the signposts that the world put up. Lots of people are following them, so they must not be that far off."
6. Do I remember I’m just a traveler passing through?
- v. 20.
- I must always remember that I am pilgrim in a strange land.
