Our Godly Calling

Meditations on

Staying In the Grace for Today 

May 12, 2025

Our Godly Calling

I press on to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of me.

Philippians 3:12b (NRSV) 

In a preceding verse, Paul wrote, “I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead.” (Philippians 3:10a) Then Paul adds to his goal in verse 12 above, and then summarizes his quest by stating, “Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” (Philippians 3:13b-14)

First, by writing, “Christ Jesus, is calling us,” Paul reveals that this isn’t just his goal, his quest; rather he sees this as the goal, the quest of all Christinas, including you and me. In verse 12, Paul reveals that this isn’t really his goal; Christ Jesus has laid hold of him, and you and me. Paul is discussing Jesus’ goal for you and me. To put that goal simply, it is for us to seek the life in Christ as our way of life. This Christ life is living continually with an awareness that our life belongs to God; by creation and redemption, we belong to God. A line in my Daily Office bedtime prayer captures this thought:

“Guide us waking, O Lord,

and guard us sleeping;

that awake we may watch with Christ,

and asleep we may rest in peace.”

My Takeaway: “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.” (Romans 8:11a) God has empowered us to stay in the grace for today by placing His Holy Spirit within us. Hallelujah!

Sē’lah

My book on prayer,

First Think, Then Pray

is now available on Amazon Kindle.

 

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2025 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.