PRESS For The High Calling of God!

Recently, I read the obituary of a person I once fellowshipped with in God’s Church. The name sounded familiar, so I began to check the information more carefully; sure enough, I recalled that he was called into the Truth not too long after I was. I was about twelve years older than he was, but we had a friendly relationship.

BUT! As it turned out, his father and I worked for the same company and we did not have the same religious convictions at all. He had heard some of the “things” I believed (including the true 7th day Sabbath) and he openly tried to criticize me for my beliefs. He was a staunch member of one of the larger Protestant churches and when he heard that his son had become involved in “that old Armstrong religion”, he was very upset! He made it his goal to dissuade his son from becoming a part of what he believed to be rank heresy! His father, finally, through constant badgering and arguing, wore the son down to where he eventually QUIT! I have always been greatly saddened by my young Christian friend giving up on the awesome calling that’s involved in our becoming a true Christian. It seems that he had been very successful in his life: “mechanical engineer and worked for the Department of the Navy at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., NASA at the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville,AL., the Oak Ridge National Laboratories and most recent TVA”.

How would the Apostle Paul compare this to attaining the Kingdom of God?

At this time of the year, we are observing the “Days of Unleavened Bread”, where we are to be learning to rid ourselves of the sin in our lives. I hope we are taking these instructions seriously. And I hope all of us are aware of other admonitions that God gives us regarding our calling and spiritual responsibilities.

WE MUST NOT BECOME LACKADAISICAL OR COMPLACENT!

Galatians 4:7 “Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. 8 Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which are no gods. 9 But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereby ye desire again to be in bondage? 10 Ye observe days, and months, and times and years,” Yes, many who leave God’s Church, for whatever reason, drift back into their former false beliefs: Easter, Xmas, Halloween, New years, etc. We must always be alert to follow this warning:

Philippians 3:8 “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I might win Christ. 10That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I PRESS toward the MARK (the finish line) for the prize of the HIGH CALLING OF GOD IN JESUS CHRIST.”

“PRESS” means, “to bear down heavily; to push forward; to urge---.” (In racing jargon: “Put the pedal to the metal!”)

We need to have this same urgency that Paul had in his desire for the Kingdom of God!

 
The Church of God, New World Ministries P.O. Box 5536 Sevierville, TN 37864