Earnest Pursuit VS. Pressing Forward

 

Earnest Pursuit VS. Pressing Forward

Philippians 3:12-15 "Not that I have already obtained it, or have already been perfected; but I press on to take hold of that which was taken hold of me by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it yet. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize to which God has called me upward in Christ Jesus. So all of us who are mature should set our minds on this."

Hebrews 6:1 "Therefore, having left the beginnings concerning Christ, let us press on to perfection and maturity, not laying down the foundation of repentance from dead works and faith toward God."

 

Analysis Item	Earnest Pursuit (Phil 3:12)	Pressing Forward (Heb 6:1)
Original Greek	διώκω (dioko) - Same word as "persecute"; means to chase, pursue earnestly, apprehend	φέρω (phero) - Means "to be carried," "to advance," "to reach"
Core Meaning	Active, aggressive pursuit and capture, like a hunter tracking prey with focused urgency	Continuous forward advancement toward maturity, like a student progressing from elementary to advanced courses
Spiritual Focus	Pursuing to apprehend Christ as Christ has apprehended us; responding to Christ's love	Leaving elementary principles of Christ to reach full spiritual maturity
Source of Motivation	Motivated by Christ's love, actively responding to His apprehension; driven by inner longing	Willing cooperation with God's gracious work; guidance of the Holy Spirit
Life Stage	Applicable to believers at all spiritual stages, from new converts to mature saints	Specifically for believers transitioning from elementary to mature stages
Pursuit Attitude	Fervent, urgent, never-give-up attitude until the goal is reached	Steady, continuous attitude cooperating with God's work
Illustrations	• Athletes sprinting with full effort to catch the target in a race • Hunter focused on tracking prey • Paul turning from persecuting Christ to "positively persecuting" Christ	• Student advancing from elementary to advanced courses • Plant growing from seedling to maturity • Believer growing from spiritual infant to spiritual adult
Key Scripture	Phil 3:12-15 "Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus."	Heb 6:1 "Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation."
Ultimate Goal	To apprehend Christ as Christ has apprehended us; to obtain the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus	To reach full maturity, to grow up in spiritual life, to accomplish God's will

  

This comparative analysis explores the difference between "pursuing" and "pressing forward" from a biblical perspective. The main differences are:

  Pursuing (Phil. 3:12) is more like an eager "chasing" action. Paul uses the same Greek word as "persecution" to express an urgency to never give up until the goal is reached. This is a proactive response to Christ. Just as Christ first gained us, we must also strive to gain Him.

 Pressing forward (Heb. 6:1) emphasizes the improvement of the life stage, from spiritual immaturity to maturity. This requires us to cooperate with God's grace work, leaving the beginning of the doctrine of Christ and reaching full maturity.

 

Summary:

Pursuing and pressing forward are two important aspects of Christian spiritual growth:

• Pursuing is like an engine, providing the power and enthusiasm for progress

• Pressing forward is like navigation, guiding the direction and stage of growth

 The two complement each other and are indispensable, and together they constitute a complete picture of Christians pursuing spiritual maturity.

 

 *Please refer to the 2025 Memorial Day Blending Conference. General Topic: Preparation of the Bride. Chapter 3: Maturity of the Bride.