The Greek word for “press” in Philippians 3:14 also means persecute. It has the idea of a deep conviction or obsession that a person has which causes him to act with all fervency and diligence. The word is in the present tense implying it is an ongoing process and nothing will stop him. As Christians, we must have the desire, and thus press on, to live a holy life that is according to God’s Word. We must not let the things of this world distract or hinder us from pressing on for Christ. There are three things to note when we press on for Christ.

1.  We must press on to the end (Phil 3:11-12)

We must have the determination and conviction to keep pressing on for Jesus, and not let the cares of this world prevent us from obeying God and from doing His will and work. We must never stop pressing on. We must constantly be a witness for Christ by living a holy life through studying and obeying God’s Word. We must make sure that our thoughts, motives and actions will always point others to Christ.

2.  We must press on by looking forward (Phil 3:13)

We must not let our past sins, failures, etc weigh us down so much so that we are kept from doing God’s work. We all make mistakes, but instead of holding on to our past mistakes, we are to acknowledge our sins, repent and seek God’s forgiveness. We must know that our sins will be forgiven by God’s grace and mercy, through the blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, when we confess and truly repent. We must then look forward and do that which is right according to God’s Word. We must not indulge in self-pity because of our sins and past mistakes. We must not waste any more time. We are to move on by confessing and repenting of our sins, and living a fruitful life for Christ.

3.  We must press on with the correct aim (Phil 3:14)

Paul had a “mark” (Phil 3:14), i.e. a scope, a goal; and he pressed on to that mark/goal. For Christians, one “mark” is our heavenly birth, through which we have already obtained salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. We must then press toward the “mark” of the “high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” It is a high calling of God that is rooted in Christ Jesus. It is a calling to service. We are to serve Him in the area that He has called us into. At the same time, God gives us the talents and spiritual gifts that we need to serve Him. In this way, God uses us to be a blessing to others, when we draw others closer to Christ and helping them to grow in Christlikeness.