“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 for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you. ¹⁶ Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.” Philippians 3:13-16.

Upon understanding our glorious Salvation through what Jesus did on Calvary’s Cross, we don’t stop there and look to man’s feeble ways for sanctification.  We keep on the narrow path we started on, we press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.  The Lord has given us His Word and His Holy Spirit to teach us, guide us and lead us into all Truths.  Our victory over our sin nature remains in Jesus and His Sacrifice that paid our sin debt to God.  Jesus came to earth as the Sacrificial Lamb of God, He came to die on Calvary’s Cross, to reconcile us to God the Father and give us dominion over our sin nature.  It is only through our faith in Jesus that the Holy Spirit is commissioned to dethrone and isolate our sin nature (Romans 8:2).  It is only through our faith in Jesus and we have dominion over our sin nature – not psychology, not 12 steps, not 40 days, not 21 days – JESUS CHRIST AND JESUS CHRIST ALONE.

I want you to know there is victory, there is deliverance, there is life and life more abundant…it is all freely given to us by Jesus Christ.  Now if you think I’m preaching a prosperity Gospel, I am – but it is prosperity IN JESUS.  If you are looking for prosperity in this world, well evidently your cares are of this world.  When we begin looking to Jesus, learning about HIM, seeking HIM and relying on HIM, the concerns of this world fall away.  We will still have problems but we know in Whom we believe and we know He will deliver us.  Each and every day we follow the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night…we press toward the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ.

Once we understand this, we still don’t stop – corruption hasn’t put on incorruption this side of Glory.  Every day we seek the Lord for areas in our life we continue to covet, not purposefully but we do.  Things where we continue to lean on our own understanding and not place them into God’s Will.  There is no graduating class.

Many who have been Believer’s there entire life have been deceived by religion and continue to place their faith in their works (self efforts and self will).  They too are not doing this purposefully and love the Lord with all of their heart but they don’t have peace, they don’t have joy…they have religion and the void in their heart remains.  Pray for the Lord to reveal this unto you.  God is calling on His church, He is seeking a holy people to do His work and obey His will.  Look to God, turn back to Him…He will deliver His people.

“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2.

-Donna Clark Warren