Taking Hold

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

To be a disciple of Christ Jesus is nothing other than His work in you, having baptized you into Himself. It is because of this that He is at work in you, just as He was at work in the Apostle Paul during his earthly pilgrimage.

It was readily apparent to Paul that he had not yet obtained the goal; that he was not yet perfect. There were plenty of reminders. His flesh wrestled deeply against his sanctified spirit. It is no different for you.

There is a fairly common saying: “Christians are not perfect, just forgiven.” This is a fine starting point for self-understanding as a Christian, except that you may taken even greater comfort in knowing that you *are* perfect in the sight of God as His own dear child, for He sees Jesus in you, who is your perfect High Priest, continually bringing you into a greater realization of His perfection.

The Apostle Paul says right up front, that the goal toward which he is headed is one for which Christ Jesus took hold of him. “I was laid hold of by Christ.” You see here how it is that God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ saves you. You were laid hold of by Christ, too. You struggle against the flesh, too.

So you are enduring a trek; a race; a process; a series of points in time when your body and spirit are partaking of eternal things. For that reason you know full well you are not perfect, yet you know in spirit what perfection is. It is because perfection seems so afar off that you are inclined to become worried and disappointed both in yourself and in others around you, even those with whom you share the Faith.

To this “pressing on” belongs those flashes of regret you experience from day to day, even hour to hour, because your dear LORD Jesus has laid upon you so completely, faithfully, and lovingly His own righteousness, which runs to the core against all your flesh would do to the contrary. To this “pressing on” belongs your ongoing confession of sin, and Holy Absolution forgiving you that sin, because this is the work of Christ Jesus for you, and in you.

Take heart and take courage, for your dear Lord Jesus is at work in you to will and to do what is good. You press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus, which is to say your body, soul, and spirit are found to be undergoing transition as the old man is crucified and a new man arises. The goal is not some pie in the sky gleaming trophy, but your resurrected body which will be incorruptible in the presence of all the saints in glory with Christ Jesus.

Your dear LORD Jesus Christ is patient. He is abundant in mercy. He knows your weaknesses and bears them up. In fact, He knows these things so well that He took the form of a Servant to be crucified on your behalf, in order that you might be drawn upward and away from all the sin and sorrow you experience in this life. It is His blessed goal, privilege, and delight to have you joined to His Body on this path of righteousness, in which He leads you as your Good Shepherd.