Related Resource - Athletic Metaphor

Press (1377) (dioko) means to follow or press hard after, to pursue with earnestness and diligence in order to obtain, to go after with the desire of obtaining. It gives us the picture of going on the track of something like the hounds pursuing after the fox and implying a continuing effort to overtake, reach, or attain the goal. Note here the verb dioko is in the present tense, emphasizing the lifelong commitment that gripped and guided Paul.

J.C. Ryle the devout 19th century theologian said that...

Zeal in religion is a burning desire to please God, to do His will & to advance His glory in the world in every possible way. It is a desire which no man feels by nature... (A zealous man) will always find a sphere for his zeal. If he cannot preach, or work, or give money, he will cry, and sigh, and pray. Yes; if he is a pauper, on a perpetual bed of sickness, he will make the wheels of sin around him drive heavily, by continually interceding against it... If he is cut off from working himself, he will give the Lord no rest till help is raised up from somewhere else, and the work is done. This is what we mean when we speak of zeal in religion...

See him (Paul) from the day of his conversion, giving up his brilliant prospects-forsaking all for Christ's sake-and going forth to preach that very Jesus whom he had once despised. See him going back and forth throughout the world from that time-through persecution-through oppression-through opposition-through prisons-through chains-through afflictions-through things next to death itself, up to the very day when he sealed his faith with his blood and died at Rome, a martyr for that Gospel which he had so long proclaimed. This was true Christian zeal. (Practical Religion)

C H Spurgeon described the zeal that presses onward and upward writing that...

If you never have sleepless hours, if you never have weeping eyes, if your hearts never swell as if they would burst, you need not anticipate that you will be called zealous. You do not know the beginning of true zeal, for the foundation of Christian zeal lies in the heart. The heart must be heavy with grief and yet must beat high with holy ardor. The heart must be vehement in de-sire, panting continually for God's glory, or else we shall never attain to anything like the zeal which God would have us know...As well a chariot without its steeds, a sun without its beams, a heaven without its joy, as a man of God without zeal.

David Livingstone, pioneer medical missionary to Africa upon returning to Great Britain was asked,

“Where do you want to go now?”

Without hesitation, like the good Christian racer he was, Livingstone replied...

“I am ready to go anywhere provided it be forward.” (Amen!)

Stephen Charnock a respected Puritan theologian (The Attributes of God) wrote...

‘As there is not a moment but we are under His mercy, so there is not a moment that we are out of His presence (Pr15:3). Let us therefore look upon nothing, without thinking who stands by, without reflecting upon Him in whom it lives, and moves and hath its being... Let us not bound our thoughts to the creatures we see, but pierce through the creature to the boundless God we do not see: we have continual remembrances of His presence; the light whereby we see, and the air whereby we live, (all things) give us perpetual notices of (God)... Yea, what a shame is our unmindfulness of (God), when every cast of our eye, every motion of our lungs, jogs (our memory of God)... How shall we do to be (more) serious? Mind God’s presence. How shall we avoid distractions in service? Think of God’s presence. How shall we resist temptation? Oppose to them the presence of God.’

C H Spurgeon explains that the metaphor of a Christian race implies progress onward writing that...

So far as acceptance with God is concerned a Christian is complete in Christ as soon as he believes. But while the work of Christ for us is complete, that of the Holy Spirit in us is not complete, but is continually carried on from day to day. The condition in which every believer should be found is that of progress. Nearly every figure by which Christians are described implies this. We are plants in the Lord’s field, but we are sown that we may grow. “First the blade,” etc. We are born into the family of God; but there are babes, little children, etc. Is the Christian a pilgrim? Then he must not sit down as if rooted to a place. Is he a warrior, wrestler, etc.? These figures are the very opposite of idleness.

J C Philpot wrote has the following devotional thoughts on Phil 3:13-14 ...

Press on to know the blessed mysteries of the gospel as the food of your soul; press on to know the Son of God, not only as a crucified man, not only as sweating blood in Gethsemane's garden, and agonizing on Calvary's tree; but press on to know him as the exalted God-man Mediator at the right hand of the Father, ever living to make intercession, able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him; and press on to enjoy him as your living Head, distilling into you as a living member of his mystical body, what the Psalmist calls, "the dew of his youth;" that is, the fruits of his resurrection, ascension and glorification, as manifested by the gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit. Press onward to know the power of the precious gospel you profess, to enjoy it more in your soul, and to manifest its reality more in your conduct, your conversation, and your life. (J. C. Philpot. Daily Words for Zion's Wayfarers)

Wiersbe notes that...

Each believer is on the track; each has a special lane in which to run; and each has a goal to achieve. If we reach the goal the way God has planned, then we receive a reward. If we fail, we lose the reward, but we do not lose our citizenship. (Wiersbe, Be Joyful)

Bruce Demarest writes that...

God has called us to gain the heavenly prize. Our divine vocation is not a life of ease and pleasure, but one of self-denial as we strive for the heavenly goal. The great apostle Paul expressed his life’s goal in these words: “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Phil 3:13–14). (Demarest, B. A. The Cross and Salvation : The Doctrine of Salvation. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books)

Here are a few quotes on zeal that might stimulate us to ponder what it means in our personal life to truly press on toward the goal...

It's easier to cool down a fanatic than warm up a corpse. - Brother Andrew

Attempt great things for God; expect great things from God. - William Carey

As well a chariot without its steeds, a sun without its beams, a heaven without its joy, as a man of God without zeal. - C. H. Spurgeon

I cared not when or how I lived, or what hardships I went through, so that I could gain souls for Christ. - David Brainerd

It is better to wear out than to rust out. - Richard Cumberland

A zealous man in religion is a man of one thing. He only sees one thing, he cares for one thing, he is swallowed up in one thing; and that one thing is to please God. - J. C. Ryle

We need an outbreak of holy heartburn, when hearers shall be doers, when congregations shall go out from meetings to do things for God. - Vance Havner

One live coal may set a whole stack on fire. - John Trapp

Get on fire for God and men will come and see you burn. - John Wesley

I have one passion only: It is he! It is he! - Nicolas von Zinzendorf

If by excessive zeal we die before reaching the average age of man, worn out in the Master's service, then glory to God, we shall have so much less of earth and so much more of heaven. - C. H. Spurgeon

I am never better than when I am on the full stretch for God. - George Whitefield

O Lord, make me an extraordinary Christian. - George Whitefield

Zeal is like fire; in the chimney it is one of the best servants, but out of the chimney it is one of the worst masters. - Thomas Brooks

Give me the love that leads the way,
The faith that nothing can dismay,
The hope no disappointments tire,
The passion that will burn like fire.
Let me not sink to be a clod;
Make me thy fuel, Flame of God.
Amy Carmichael

Tozer in The Root of the Righteous says...

Progress in the Christian life is exactly equal to the growing knowledge we gain of the Triune God in personal experience. And such experience requires a whole life devoted to it and plenty of time spent at the holy task of cultivating God. God can be known satisfactorily only as we devote time to Him. Without meaning to do it we have written our serious fault into our book titles and gospel songs. "A little talk with Jesus," we sing, and call our books God's Minute, or something else as revealing. The Christian who is satisfied to give God His "minute" and to "have a little talk with Jesus" is the same one who shows up at the evangelistic service weeping over his retarded spiritual growth and begging the evangelist to show him the way out of his difficulty.

A thousand distractions would woo us away from thoughts of God, but if we are wise we will sternly put them from us and make room for the King and take time to entertain Him. Some things may be neglected with but little loss to the spiritual life, but to neglect communion with God is to hurt ourselves where we cannot afford it. God will respond to our efforts to know Him. The Bible tells us how; it is altogether a matter of how much determination we bring to the holy task.

Tozer in the Size of the Soul has an interesting discussion on how to have a personal revival...

I have previously shown that any Christian who desires to may at any time experience a radical spiritual renaissance, and this altogether independent of the attitude of his fellow Christians.

The important question now is, How? Well, here are some suggestions which anyone can follow and which, I am convinced, will result in a wonderfully improved Christian life.

1. Get thoroughly dissatisfied with yourself. Complacency is the deadly enemy of spiritual progress. The contented soul is the stagnant soul. When speaking of earthly goods Paul could say, "for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content" (Philippians 4:11); but when referring to his spiritual life he testified, "I press toward the mark" (3:14). "Thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee" (2 Timothy 1:6).17

2. Set your face like a flint toward a sweeping transformation of your life. Timid experimenters are tagged for failure before they start. We must throw our whole soul into our desire for God. "The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force" (Matthew 11:12).

3. Put yourself in the way of the blessing. It is a mistake to look for grace to visit us as a kind of benign magic, or to expect God's help to come as a windfall apart from conditions known and met. There are plainly marked paths which lead straight to the green pastures; let us walk in them. To desire revival, for instance, and at the same time to neglect prayer and devotion is to wish one way and walk another.

4. Do a thorough job of repenting. Do not hurry to get it over with. Hasty repentance means shallow spiritual experience and lack of certainty in the whole life. Let godly sorrow do her healing work. Until we allow the consciousness of sin to wound us, we will never develop a fear of evil. It is our wretched habit of tolerating sin that keeps us in our half-dead condition.

5. Make restitution whenever possible. If you owe a debt, pay it, or at least have a frank understanding with your creditor about your intention to pay, so your honesty will be above question. If you have quarreled with anyone, go as far as you can in an effort to achieve reconciliation. As fully as possible make the crooked things straight.18

6. Bring your life into accord with the Sermon on the Mount and such other New Testament Scriptures as are designed to instruct us in the way of righteousness. An honest man with an open Bible and a pad and pencil is sure to find out what is wrong with him very quickly. I recommend that the self-examination be made on our knees, rising to obey God's commandments as they are revealed to us from the Word. There is nothing romantic or colorful about this plain, downright way of dealing with ourselves, but it gets the work done. Isaac's workmen did not look like heroic figures as they digged in the valley, but they got the wells open, and that was what they had set out to do.

7. Be serious-minded. You can well afford to see fewer comedy shows on TV. Unless you break away from the funny boys, every spiritual impression will continue to be lost to your heart, and that right in your own living room. The people of the world used to go to the movies to escape serious thinking about God and religion. You would not join them there, but you now enjoy spiritual communion with them in your own home. The devil's ideals, moral standards and mental attitudes are being accepted by you without your knowing it. And you wonder why you can make no progress in your Christian life. Your interior climate is not favorable to the growth of spiritual graces. There must be a radical change in your habits or there will not be any permanent improvement in your interior life.19

8. Deliberately narrow your interests. The jack-of-all-trades is the master of none. The Christian life requires that we be specialists. Too many projects use up time and energy without bringing us nearer to God.

If you will narrow your interests, God will enlarge your heart. "Jesus only" seems to the unconverted man to be the motto of death, but a great company of happy men and women can testify that it became to them a way into a world infinitely wider and richer than anything they had ever known before. Christ is the essence of all wisdom, beauty and virtue. To know Him in growing intimacy is to increase in appreciation of all things good and beautiful. The mansions of the heart will become larger when their doors are thrown open to Christ and closed against the world and sin. Try it.

9. Begin to witness. Find something to do for God and your fellow men. Refuse to rust out. Make yourself available to your pastor and do anything you are asked to do. Do not insist upon a place of leadership. Learn to obey. Take the low place until such time as God sees fit to set you in a higher one. Back your new intentions with your money and your gifts, such as they are.

10. Have faith in God. Begin to expect. Look up toward the throne where your Advocate sits at the right hand of God. All heaven is on your side. God will not disappoint you.

If you will follow these suggestions you will most surely experience revival in your own heart. And who can tell how far it may spread? God knows how desperately the church needs a spiritual resurrection. And it can only come through the revived individual.

TOWARD THE GOAL: kata skopon dioko (1SPAI): Toward the mark. "In the direction of the mark"

Toward (2596) (kata) literally means "down" so it could be translated "down upon the goal". What a powerful picture Paul paints - it's the idea of a runner straining every fiber “bearing down upon” the goal. Everyone has seen the Olympic sprinters bearing down as they near the tape seeking to edge out the competition. They run for an earthly goal and an earthly glory. Saints bear down on the goal which is Christ Jesus Himself, the One to Whom we must continually look to as we run (cf notes Hebrews 12:1; 12:2). The prize is Christ likeness. What a high calling and worthy goal God has given to His redeemed!

Goal (4649) (skopos) is the first word in the Greek sentence which emphasizes its importance. Skopos refers that on which the eye is fixed, the distant mark looked at, the goal or end that one has in view. Skopos was used to refer to a target for shooting and in the present context refers to a moral and spiritual target.

Skopos is only here in the NT but 21 times in the Septuagint (LXX) where it is often translated as an observer or watchman (Lev. 26:1; 1 Sam. 14:16; 2 Sam. 13:34; 18:24ff; 2 Ki. 9:17f, 20; Job 16:12; Isa. 21:6; Jer. 6:17; Lam. 3:12; Ezek. 3:17; 33:2, 6f; Hos. 9:8, 10; Nah. 3:12).

Job 16:12 I was at ease, but He shattered me, And He has grasped me by the neck and shaken me to pieces; He has also set me up as His target (Lxx = skopos).

Lam 3:12 He bent His bow And set me as a target (Lxx = skopos) for the arrow.

Vincent writes that skopos was...

Used in the classics of a mark for shooting at, or as a moral or intellectual end. A somewhat similar figure occurs 1Ti 1:6; 6:21; 2 Timothy 2:18 (note), in the verb stocheo to miss the aim or the shot. A. V., swerved and erred.

Hughes adds that skopos...

The noun refers to that on which one fixes one's gaze, whether it be a target at which an archer may shoot, metaphorically a goal or marker that controls a person's life, or as here the marker at the conclusion of the race upon which the runner fixes his gaze. (Hughes, R. K: The Fellowship of the Gospel. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books)

Using a similar athletic metaphor in 1 Corinthians 9:26, Paul declares that because of the the glorious truth that Christian racers will receive an imperishable wreath (crown),

I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air (like a serious athlete in training for the Olympic prize, Paul is focused on the goal, single minded, desiring every action to count toward that specific goal). (See discussion of 1 Corinthians 9:26)

Paul is drawing a picture in the reader's mind of the Olympic runners flying toward the finish each one seeking to be the first to break the tape and win the coveted perishable wreath (which was associated with great honor and financial reward in the racer's home city state).

Harry Ironside writes that...

The calling of God on high (Philippians 3:14) is that heavenly calling which is characteristic of the present dispensation of grace. Christ is no longer on earth and His world-kingdom has not yet been set up. But believers are linked with Him as the glorified Man at God's right hand, and they are called to represent Him on earth. The prize is the reward He will confer at the end of the race. Toward that end Paul was pressing on, counting as refuse all that would hinder his progress. (Philippians Commentary)

Dwight Pentecost commenting on the goal notes that...

Often failure in the Christian race comes because we forget what the goal is. That is the danger the Philippians face. They have as the goal of their lives the approval of the company of saints with whom they live. That goal is difficult to attain but not impossible. They have forgotten that the goal of the believer’s life is not to please men. The goal of the believer’s life is to please the Lord Jesus Christ....We know from Scripture that perfect conformity to Jesus Christ awaits our translation into His glorious presence. Until that moment there is a race to be run. There is no room for laxity, carelessness, indifference, or laziness...so that I might attain the prize that there is in the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. The high calling of God is to be like His Son. In verse 14 the apostle is not speaking of the prize that God gives the believer as the victor and overcomer in the race. Other passages of Scripture teach that. Paul says, “For me there is a prize in the high calling that God gave us in Christ. It is to be like Him.” And as the charioteer drives his horses to overextend themselves to reach the goal, Paul drives himself because he wants to accomplish that purpose Christ had for him when He saved him, and separated him to Himself." (Pentecost, J. D. The joy of living : A Study of Philippians. Page 150. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications) (Bolding added)

Contemplate for a moment the vanity of your past achievements as compared to the weight of future glory. There is simply no comparison beloved! And remember Jesus' words that assure "maximum productivity" in Christ...

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. (John 15:8)

In his excellent series, Preaching the Word,  R Kent Hughes has is a wonderful illustration of forgetting what lies behind and pressing on toward the goal...

The year was 1923, and the competing track teams of Scotland and France were neck and neck. But among the events remaining was the 440. As the runners, clad in traditional 1920s white, came to the first turn, they were bunched tight, shoulder to shoulder, when one of them was pushed to the ground and off the track. For a second he was down—and then up again, running (though twenty meters behind), his knees high, his head back—flying. And as the leaders sprinted to the finish line, he emerged ahead to win! It was a famous win, immortalized in the movie Chariots of Fire.

What would most runners have done? Most would have waved a fist, dusted themselves off, and watched the outcome. Perhaps there would have been a few words exchanged after the race. But the athlete in question was beyond the ordinary. It was as if he had been reading this passage—forgetting what is behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I focus all my energy on the race; and seeing the goal, I fly to the finish. (Hughes, R. K: The Fellowship of the Gospel. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books)

Matthew Henry comments that Paul...

pressed towards the mark. As he who runs a race never takes up short of the end, but is still making forwards as fast as he can, so those who have heaven in their eye must still be pressing forward to it in holy desires and hopes, and constant endeavours and preparations. The fitter we grow for heaven the faster we must press towards it. Heaven is called here the mark, because it is that which every good Christian has in his eye; as the archer has his eye fixed upon the mark he designs to hit. For the prize of the high calling. Observe, A Christian's calling is a high calling: it is from heaven, as its original; and it is to heaven in its tendency. Heaven is the prize of the high calling; to brabeion-the prize we fight for, and run for, and wrestle for, what we aim at in all we do, and what will reward all our pains. It is of great use in the Christian course to keep our eye upon heaven. This is proper to give us measures in all our service, and to quicken us every step we take; and it is of God, from whom we are to expect it. Eternal life is the gift of God (see note Romans 6:23), but it is in Christ Jesus; through his hand it must come to us, as it is procured for us by him. There is no getting to heaven as our home but by Christ as our way.

In his last recorded message to Timothy, Paul used this same athletic metaphor describing the fact that he had crossed the finish line and was awaiting his prize, declaring...

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course (race), I have kept the faith in the future there is laid up for me the crown (stephanos) of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing." (see notes 2Timothy 4:7 4:8)

"Years ago, a group of Englishmen tried to conquer Mt. Everest. They pressed on against cold, wind, blizzards, and avalanches. When they came within 2,000 feet of the peak, they set up camp. Two men, Mallory and Irvine, eagerly pressed on, expecting to return in about 16 hours. They never came back. The official record said simply:

"When last seen, they were heading toward the summit."

Whatever the obstacles, let's keep pressing on in the upward call of God, trusting in Him and not ourselves. At life's end, may it be said of us, "When last seen, they were heading toward the summit!" (Our Daily Bread)

When the pathway seems long,
When temptation is strong,
When your strength's almost gone—
That's the time to press on. —Hess

When the pressure is on, press on!
(Keep heading to the "Summit")

Jonathan Edwards writes...

we should make the perfection of heaven our mark. We should rest in nothing short of this, but be pressing towards this mark, and laboring continually to be coming nearer and nearer to it.

All other concerns of life ought to be entirely subordinate to this. As when a man is on a journey, all the steps that he takes are in order to further him on his journey; and subordinate to that aim of getting to his journey's end. And if he carries money or provision with him, it is to supply him in his journey. So we ought wholly to subordinate all our other business, and all our temporal enjoyments to this affair of travelling to heaven. Journeying towards heaven, ought to be our only work and business, so that all we have and do, should be in order to that. When we have worldly enjoyments we should be ready to part with them, whenever they are in the way of our going toward heaven. We should sell all this world for heaven. When once any thing we have becomes a clog and hinderance [sic] to us, in the way heavenward, we should quit it immediately. When we use our worldly enjoyments and possessions, it should be with such a view and in such a manner as to further us in our way heavenward. Thus we should eat, and drink, and clothe ourselves. And this should we improve the conversation and enjoyment of friends.

And whatever business we are setting about; whatever design we are engaged in, we should inquire with ourselves, whether this business or undertaking will forward us in our way to heaven? And if not, we should quit our design.

We ought to make use of worldly enjoyments, and pursue worldly business in such a degree and manner as shall have the best tendency to forward our journey heavenward, and no otherwise...

 Let Christians help one another in going this journey.

There are many ways that Christians might greatly help and forward one another in their way to heaven, by religious conference, and otherwise. And persons greatly need help in this way, which is, as I have observed, a difficult way.

Let Christians be exhorted to go this journey, as it were in company, conversing together while their journey shall end, and assisting one another. Company is very desirable in a journey, but in none so much as in this.

Let Christians go united, and not fall out by the way, which would be the way to hinder one another; but use all means they can to help one another up the hill.

This is the way to be more successful in travelling, and to have the more joyful meeting at their Father's house in glory. (Jonathan Edward's Notes on Scriptures)

Joel Gregory gives the following illustration of pressing on toward the goal...

Great herds of caribou, 400,000 strong, leave one part of northeastern Canada every year and by instinct make their way across barren land and rushing rivers all the way from Labrador to Hudson Bay to reach their winter grazing grounds. Those people who have seen it say it is one of the awesome spectacles in the natural world. [One] year, though, an unusual thing happened. The huge herd of caribou came to one of the great rivers of Canada and found it swollen over its banks. To swim it was to court almost certain death. Instead of turning back or trying a more indirect route, the whole herd plunged straight ahead toward their goal. Over 9,000 didn’t make it across. Their bodies were a mute testimony to the inner drive moving the 400,000 toward their goal. They would allow nothing to keep them from reaching the mark. (Joel Gregory, Growing Pains of the Soul. Dallas: Word, Incorporated, 1987, p. 98)

Our Daily Bread gives us the following illustrations regarding what it means to press on toward one's goal...

Determination and tenacity are requirements for success in almost any worthwhile endeavor. Note how a hungry cheetah displays such single-mindedness when he chooses one specific animal in a herd of deer or antelope and goes after it. Ignoring others less desirable, which might easily be caught, the swift predator has been clocked at nearly seventy miles per hour in his hot and unrelenting pursuit of his intended prey.

Think of the many scientists who, in spite of discouraging setbacks and negative attitudes on the part of their fellow workers, have persisted year after year in carrying on research in order to find a vaccine for some specific disease. Such tenacity of purpose is highly commendable. What boy has not thrilled to the popular tale of the western rancher who, having set his mind upon cap­turing a certain wild stallion, did not give up until he had cor­ralled and trained the creature? To attain success, both determination and perseverance are necessary!

In like manner, to live a victorious spiritual life, a steadfast resolve and a constancy of purpose are needed. The apostle Paul declared that a desire to experience the fullness of Christ's resur­rection power so gripped him that it became the controlling factor in his life. His words "I press toward the mark" describe a run­ner racing hard with his head forward, body bent and angled, and eyes on nothing but the final tape. Such was Paul's zealous attitude in reaching out toward the spiritual goals of service and blessing. If we would show the same oneness of purpose, we would likewise be filled with joy, experience victory over sin, and possess a deeper sense of God's constant presence. Let us press toward "the prize of the high calling of God"!

I'm pressing on the upward way,
New heights I'm gaining ev'ry day;
Still praying as I onward bound,
"Lord, plant my feet on higher ground." —J. Oatman, Jr.

Sanctification is much like riding a bicycle —
either you keep moving forward, or you fall down.

Stephen Olford writes that this verse teaches...

that the responsibilities of every Christian involve righteous living in the present day. This is “the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (3:14). This “high calling” is also termed “a holy calling” (see note 2 Timothy 1:9). Such a quality of life demands separation and consecration worked out in everyday experience. This means following the Lord Jesus, whatever the cost. This righteous living is crowned with rewarded living in the future day. There is a “prize” to win in that future day. How we live here on earth will determine our status and authority in a coming day, when Jesus shall reign undisputed over the universe. The Bible tells us that “if we suffer we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us” (see note 2 Timothy 2:12). It is a solemn fact to contemplate that throughout eternity we will carry with us the evidences of having been faithful or unfaithful here upon earth. It is important to foresee what is before us, if we would live righteously and rewardingly. (Olford, S. F.  Vol. 2: Institutes of Biblical preaching)

A W Tozer writes...

I want deliberately to encourage this mighty longing after God. The lack of it has brought us to our present low estate. The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain.

Every age has its own characteristics. Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we, in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all.

If we would find God amid all the religious externals, we must first determine to find Him, and then proceed in the way of simplicity. Now, as always, God discovers Himself to "babes" and hides Himself in thick darkness from the wise and the prudent. We must simplify our approach to Him. We must strip down to essentials (and they will be found to be blessedly few). We must put away all effort to impress, and come with the guileless candor of childhood. If we do this, without doubt God will quickly respond. (The Pursuit of God)

God puts within us the impulse to pursue Him. It is our job to do the pursuing.

You cannot know someone personally and intimately through one visit. Too many Christians stop at their initial finding and have no knowledge of intimacy.  (Pursuit of God Study Guide)

FOR THE PRIZE: eis to brabeion tes ano kleseos tou theou en Christo Iesou:

Related Resource - Athlete - Metaphor

Prize (1017) (brabeion from brabeus = assign the prize in a public game) refers to a gift received as a prize or reward as result of having won in competition. It is a prize such as a wreath or garland bestowed on victors in the contests of the Greeks.

The kindred verb brabeuo which means to be umpire (as one would when deciding an athletic contest), occurs once, in Colossians 3:15 (note).

The only other use of brabeion in Scripture is

1Cor 9:24 (note) Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.

Do you want to win the race and set before you?

Then check your direction and make sure you are moving in God’s direction. Everyone goes somewhere in life.

Where will you be when you get where you are going?

Barnes writes that...

The prize of the racer was a crown or garland of olive, laurel, pine, or apple. The prize of the Christian is the crown that is incorruptible in heaven. (Albert Barnes. Barnes NT Commentary).

Vine feels that...

The “prize” is a metaphor for the reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ. (2 Ti 4:7, 8; Rev 2:10) (see notes Judgment Seat = Bema )

On the other hand John Macarthur interprets the prize as

To be made like Christ...What's going to happen when that upward call comes? You're going to be like...Christ. The goal is the prize, the prize is the goal. So Paul says, "Look, the goal of my life is to be like Christ and that's also the reward of my race"...some day I will be like Christ, that's the prize that God gives to the one who runs the race. The goal is to be like Christ, perfection in Christ. The prize is to be like Christ, perfection in Christ. Some day we'll be like Him for we shall see Him as He is" (