Keep your eyes on Jesus and press on

Good morning everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Sanctification”

Our Bible verse for today: “Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every hindrance and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Keep your eyes on Jesus and press on”

In yesterday’s devotional we learned that when we find ourselves faced with temptation, we are to focus on the grace and strength provided to us by God in that moment. Don’t concern yourself with the larger issue of defeating this pattern of sin in your life once and for all and forever. That is the long-term goal but it is also a steep hill to climb, and it can seem insurmountable. Instead, focus fully on having victory over it in this moment. Fix your eyes on Jesus, draw strength from Him, and move on.

Hebrews 12:1-2 expresses that same mindset in a slightly different way. In this case it was the same principle, just applied broadly to all of life. The writer urges us to resolve to fix our eyes on Jesus, lean into whatever the challenge is, and keep moving forward as we live a life that honors the Lord.

That’s a strategy the Apostle Paul employed in his own life. In Philippians 3:12-14 he wrote, “Not that I have already reached the goal or am already perfect, but I make every effort to take hold of it because I also have been taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I pursue as my goal the prize promised by God’s heavenly call in Christ Jesus.”

Paul was not perfect. He still struggled with sin and with all the other challenges of life, as we all do. His strategy for dealing with it was to fix his eyes on Jesus, lean into the situation, push forward, and just keep moving on – always with his eyes focused on the Lord. Author Alan Fadling reminds us, “Legalism looks for sins to overcome (it focuses on the sin); grace-based living looks to Jesus, who has overcome sin.”

Through the process of progressive sanctification, we learn how to live fully in the grace of our Lord, by keeping our eyes firmly fixed on Him.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you’re reading in these daily devotionals, and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00, in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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