Jason Hollis Cicero

Where We Are Going

2010-01-11T08:05:00.002-06:00

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6-7; NKJV)

Receiving Christ Jesus as the Lord of your life is the beginning. It is the beginning of life here. It is the beginning of a journey from here to eternity. It is the beginning of a journey that is made with Him.

We are to walk in Christ the same way we received Christ – by faith. The sense of “the faith” here is objective, referring to the truth revealed by the Holy Spirit. Spiritual maturity develops upward from the foundation of truth as revealed by the Spirit, taught and recorded by the Apostles. This rooting, building, and establishing is in sound doctrine.

The Spirit uses the images of a tree (rooted) and a building (built up) to remind them of their firm foundation in what they have already been taught. Just as trees draw nourishment from the soil through their roots, so we draw our life-giving strength from Christ. “Rooted” is perfect participle, implying an abiding fact. “Built up” is in the present tense of a continued process. Christ is the ground for the roots below, and the foundation for the building above.

Thanksgiving is characteristic of those walking in Him. As we receive Him our hearts fill with gratitude. As we come to know Him more fully our hearts fill with gratitude. As we are built up in Him and established more fully in the faith our hearts fill with gratitude.

To walk in Christ is to live a life patterned after His. It is to think His thoughts. It is to speak His word. It is to model His behavior.

In 2009 we considered our walk in Him. In 2010 we will consider where we are going. We are going to Heaven: “For our citizenship is in Heaven” (Philippians 3:20; NKJV). While we make our journey from Earth to Heaven we “eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:20-21; NKJV). We look “unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2; NKJV). We look for “the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10; NKJV). We long to “see His face” (Revelation 22:4; NKJV).

Walk with Him in 2010. Look for the city of God. Long to see His face.

Onward and Upward

2010-01-04T14:20:00.002-06:00

Dissatisfaction. “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended…” (Philippians 3:12-13; NKJV). Paul had a holy dissatisfaction with his relationship with God. He had not already attained (to take, lay hold of), he had not yet been perfected (to complete, accomplish). Paul was pressing (to pursue, to run swiftly) so he could lay hold (to lay hold of so as to make one’s own) what Christ had laid hold of him. He didn’t count (to take an inventory) himself to have apprehended (to take, lay hold of) of who He wanted to become in Christ. I can err thinking better of myself than I am. I can err thinking worse of myself than I am. I need a holy dissatisfaction with myself.

Devotion. “…but one thing I do…” (Philippians 3:13; NKJV). Paul was absolutely devoted to becoming like Christ. Perhaps I am involved in too many things. Double-minded people are unstable (James 1:8). I need to focus on Him and on Him alone.

Direction. “…forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead…” (Philippians 3:13; NKJV). Paul set his course to forget (to lose out of mind) those things which were behind (back, of time or place) and to be about the business of reaching forward (to stretch oneself) to those things which were ahead (front, of time or place). This is not a command toward the impossible feat of mental and psychological gymnastics by which we try to force ourselves to forget our own past. I break the power of the past by living for the future! I cannot change the past, but I can change my future direction! The matter of forgetting applies to both kinds of past experiences, righteous and wicked. Whatever you have done, forget it, move on, reach forward! You have work to do in the Kingdom!

Determination. “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14; NKJV). To press is to pursue, to run swiftly. The goal is the end one has in view. The prize is the award to the victor. The call or invitation of God is high, or upward or on the top. We press to be like Him. To be where He is!

Press. Press is a verb that means to pursue and is used as a metaphor from the footrace, in Philippians 3:12, 14, of "speeding on earnestly,” (Vine’s). The call is to “press.” Let us go onward and upward in Christ Jesus. Let us press on the upward way and gain new heights every day!