Howard Hendricks has quoted his father, a veteran of World War II, explaining that you can tell where a soldier is by what he complains about: far from the front lines he complains about cold food, warm beer, and old movies.  Near the front lines his complaint changes drastically; if you ask the soldier what he needs, he will say, “Give me more men, give me more ammunition, give me more air support.”

These observations underscore the radical difference in the preoccupations of one who is ready for battle and one who is not.  The soldier who is far from combat has his mind on civilian affairs.  His concerns are for his comfort, not his safety.  Yet when he is confronted with the immediacy of danger, he becomes single-minded; his sole purpose is to win the battle.  His mind and even his body become vigilant, taking on a readiness that belongs to the front lines.

Reaching The Next Spiritual Level Requires Holy Amnesia

in 1949 a college student penned these words,,  He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose’. seven years late on the Curaray Rifer deep in Ecuadors  rain forest, the awaited the arrival of a group of men know as the Aucas whome they were trying to witness to, Jim Elliot and four other young men with him were killed by those they went to witness to. God has to narrow ones vision until it is clearly focused..

 Are we committed to becoming what God has called us to be, regardless of the time and effort it will take,

or are we content with our spiritual place?

 Philippians 3:12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I pursue, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended by Christ Jesus.

 The causes of retarded spiritual progress are many. It would be wrong to ascribe the trouble to one single fault.

However, there is one that is so universal that it may easily be the main cause:

It is, the failure to give time to the cultivation of the knowledge of God!

The temptation to make our relation to God judicial instead of personal is very strong. Believing for salvation has these days been reduced to a once-done act that requires no further attention. The young believer becomes aware of an act performed rather than of a living Saviour to be followed and adored.

 The Apostle Paul was anything but an advocate of the once-done, automatic school of Christianity. He devoted his whole life to the art of knowing Christ!

We may as well accept it: there is no shortcut to sanctity.

Growing Christians Are Discontent With Their Progress

Philippians 3:12a  Not that I have already obtained it, the prize, or am already perfected.

Paul states that he is not satisfied or content with his spiritual position. From his point of view, he is not complete, not finished, he is not yet where Jesus wants him to be in this life, and must stay engaged with God and keep striving.

John Newton saved eventually and became pastor in Olney in England. He was a friend of William Cooper and wrote the great hymn, “Amazing Grace.” He said, “I am not what I want to be. I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I one day will be, but I am not what I was, and by the grace of God I am what I am.”

We’re all debtors to grace.

He is not referring here to living without joy, or failing to be thankful or to have a good attitude. His focus here is on not settling in our spiritual walk and relationship with God. 

In Christ, there’s always MORE with Him, if we’ll pursue it. There were some then and remain today, that believe you could attain perfection or self-sufficiency in this life and no longer need to keep growing or make any more progress.

He’s not talking now about practical perfection, he’s doing a little play on words and he’s saying, “As many of us as are positionally perfect, that is we have been made perfect in Christ positionally, not practically yet.” Some day our position will match our practice when we’re glorified. But as many of us as are perfect in the positional sense should have this attitude. What attitude? The attitude of pursuing the prize.

The buzz word in too many congregations is unconditional, not accountable.

Unconditional is a comforting word since it erects no standards, imposes no expectations, and makes no demands, and leaves us each to determine when and how much to change.

Accountability rouses us from our spiritual sleep, raises expectations for us, and holds us to the high calling of God.

We are Discontent But Working On It

True believers will not pursue the prize of spiritual perfection until they recognize the need to improve their condition.

There must also be a diligent pursuit. I press on speaks of an aggressive, energetic endeavor. It is very much like the focus of an Olympic athlete.

He says I’m running after this thing with all my might. There’s no crucify yourself, then ‘let go and let God’ kind of theology here. This is the straining of every spiritual muscle; this is running to win.

We Make Progress in our Christian Walk By Having A Single Focus

There must be a one thing focus: a focus on what Jesus wants me to be TODAY.

The Bible teaches that there is a vast difference between what is number one, HIM, and everything, everyone else.

The paradox is when we get that relationship right, every other relationship and priority in our life benefits.

The reason Christ redeemed me has become the goal of my life. I want for me what He saved me to accomplish. A one thing focus, means an unbelievable level of concentration. Purity of Heart is to will one thing.

There should be as much difference between what is no 1 in our life and  what is 1000, for when you loose no 1 you loose the uniqueness, the singleness, the priority

I MUST PURSUE, GO AFTER,

“What do you mean by that, Paul?” I mean that I’m pursuing the very thing that was the reason Christ pursued me. My goal in life is consistent with Christ’s goal for my salvation. He saved me for a purpose that purpose of His in saving me has become my purpose in my spiritual progress.

The church can have so many activities, programs, projects, committee meetings, and forget the main thing.

They’re t focused. That’s why the psalmist prayed, “Lord, unite my heart, give me one thing.”

Soren Kierkegaard, the great Danish philosopher, wrote a book with   an interesting title, the title of it Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing. Purity of heart, he said, is to will one thing.

It is hard, amidst the din of business, and while yielding to other lower, legitimate impulses and motives, to set this supreme one high above them all.

This is possible if only we will do two things:

Keep ourselves close to God, and Be prepared to surrender much: laying our own wills, our own purposes, eager hopes and plans in His hands, and asking Him to help us, that we may never lose sight of the goal.  His goal.

The difference between the amateur and the artist is that the amateur pursues art in intervals of other occupations, and the artist makes it his life’s business.

A weakness of all human beings, ” Henry Ford said, “is trying to do too many things at once. That scatters effort and destroys direction. It makes for haste, and haste makes waste.