Pressing Toward the Goal

Dr. Brent Aucoin April 3, 2022 Philippians 3:12-16
Outline

4 vital reminders for believers regarding the “one thing” of the Christian life

“One thing” paraphrased and defined from verses 8-11: I might know intimately and thoroughly my God and Savior Jesus Christ (v. 8, 10) in such a way that I choose by faith the beauty of Christ and His ways of righteousness (v. 9) - allowing me to experience true life amidst the sufferings of this world (v. 10) - which then makes my previous ways horrid to me (v. 10) - to arrive safely home (v. 11)

I. Humbling Process - I Will Not Reach Fully the “One Thing” in My Lifetime

Philippians 3:12,13 - Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect (mature)… Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet…

  • Humbling - the removal of my self-focus
  • Process - a life-long journey after my conversion to Christ

“I have arrived” attitude - “The spiritually proud man is full of light already, he does not need instruction, and is ready to despise the offer of it.” (Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume One, chapter X, Part IV, Section 1)

“I have not arrived” attitude – “In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself. Unless you know God as that - and, therefore, know yourself as nothing in comparison - you do not know God at all. As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you. That raises a terrible question. How is it that people who are quite obviously eaten up with Pride can say they believe in God and appear to themselves very religious? I am afraid it means they are worshiping an imaginary God… Whenever we find that our religious life is making us feel that we are good - above all, that we are better than someone else - I think we may be sure that we are being acted on, not by God, but by the devil. The real test of being in the presence of God is, that you either forget about yourself altogether...” (C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)

Growth in knowing Christ means a deepening awareness of how much I needed Him in the first place. Thus, I will have a continuing mindset of “I have not arrived.”

II. Reorienting Perspective - God’s “One Thing” Comes Before My “One Thing”

Philippians 3:12 - …so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

John 17:3 - This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

My reorienting perspective starts with the vital reminder that my relationship with God never started with me, never came through me, never was a result of my initiative, but started with a gracious God taking hold of me so that I might know divine life and not eternal death.

John 15:16 - You did not choose Me but I chose you…

III. Focused Effort - My Achievement of this “One Thing” Requires Decisive, Aimed, Urgent Energy

Philippians 3:12,14 - …I press on… I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

“Press” - "to move rapidly and decisively toward an objective, hasten, run, press on.” (William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature)

A. Disregarding my previous ways of life, pursuits, and identities

B. Reaching ever toward my new life in the Gospel

“It could be said that ‘sanctification’ is merely the lifelong process wherein I joyfully surrender myself to God’s imputed righteousness and then do whatever this righteousness directs me to do. Indeed, God has clothed me with His righteousness. Now He wants this righteousness to master me.” (Vincent, Milton, A Gospel Primer for Christians)

“Crucifixion hurts… it is not merely death, but excruciating death. Nevertheless, I must set my face like a flint toward the cross and embrace this crucifixion in everything I do. I should expect every day to encounter circumstantial evidence of God’s commitment to my dying; and I must seize upon every God - given opportunity to be conformed more fully to Christ’s death, no matter the pain involved. When my flesh yearns for some prohibited thing, I must die. When called to do something I don’t want to do, I must die. When I wish to be selfish and serve no one, I must die. When shattered by hardships that I despise, I must die. When wanting to cling to wrongs done against me, I must die. When enticed by allurements of the world, I must die. When wishing to keep besetting sins secret, I must die. When wants that are borderline needs are left unmet, I must die. When dreams that are good seem shoved aside, I must die.” (Vincent, Milton, A Gospel Primer for Christians)

IV. Maturing Mark - A Characteristic of My Christian Maturation is Having This “One-Thing” in Ever-Sharpening Focus

Philippians 3:15 - Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you…

2 Peter 1:8-9 - For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.

How is it possible that we can begin to have a different and transforming focus in life from knowing and pursing me, to knowing and pursuing God through Christ? Because God had a laser-like loving focus on us! Paul would say to Timothy:

1 Timothy 1:15-16 - It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life.

Just over 2 days into the Apollo 13 flight to reach the moon in April of 1970, astronaut Jim Lovel uttered the famous words, “Houston we have a problem here”

After a routine procedure of stirring up the oxygen tanks, a malfunction occurred due to faulty wiring, that subsequently led to an explosion in the side of the command service module.

When the time came to ultimately jettison the command service module the crew was able to snap this picture of the severely damaged space craft.

Soon after the famous words were uttered, NASA began to realize that the extent of the damage to the spacecraft.

Apollo 13 was meant to be the third mission to land on the moon with various other objectives.

However, the crisis clarified what “one thing” was now the mission--the returning of the astronauts safely home.

Failure was not an option.

Play video clip. (2 minutes)

https://vimeo.com/690941663/5ae4d45559

Failure is not an option

In the crises of life, God uses troubled circumstances to clarify what are the most important goals, values in life.

For Apollo 13, the loft goal of going to the moon and sampling rocks, photographic potential future land sites, developing man’s capacity to function on the moon were jettison’s in favor of –One thing—the safe return of the astronauts

If you know the story or have seen the compelling movie Apollo 13, you know that

From

  • the designers of every component and switch on the Apollo 13 space craft
  • to the manufacturers
  • to the builders
  • to the mission controllers
  • to the astronauts

they all were focused like lasers on the one thing getting the astronauts home

On April 17th, 6 days after the launch and 4 days after the explosion, astronauts, Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Hayes made it safely home

Turn in your Bibles to Philippians chapter 3. That is on page 155 (check this) of the back section of the bible in the chair in front of you.

The primary verses of our focus today will be verses 12-16, but we will start reading in chapter 3 verse 1.

Our church’s theme this year is Growing in Gospel Gratitude

As we have already mentioned this book is essentially a thank you letter from the imprisoned apostle Paul… to a dear church that he had founded

When I spoke with you last, I also mentioned that Paul was writing to the church to address three primary concerns.

There were three primarily problems that the Philippian church faced which created ripe circumstances for grumbling and loosing focus.

  • The Philippian congregation was anxious over their beloved missionary pastor, Paul, who was jail again (Phil 1:13)
  • The Philippian church was experiencing external pressure from “opponents” (Phil 1:28; 3:2)
  • The Philippians congregation was facing internal division from at least two members quarrelling (Phil 4:2–3)

Not only were the circumstances ripe for grumbling, but the circumstances were ripe for

Loosing focus on the main goal

To give up

To cut my losses and run

To attempt to exalt myself and appear better than others

To blame others

To condemn others….

To ensure that my opinions are preserved in the church

In the midst of these temptations Paul has been praying, illustrating, exhorting, the Philippians of “One Thing”

Let’s see that one thing…that will ensure that we arrive safely home….

Phil 3:1

1 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.

2 Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the false circumcision;

3 for we are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh,

4 although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more:

5 circumcised the eighth day, of the nation of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the Law, a Pharisee;

6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless.

7 But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;

11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect (mature), but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you;

16 however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained.

Today we are speaking about

Growing in Gospel Gratitude

By Pressing Toward the Goal

The scriptures give four vital reminders for believers regarding the “one thing” of the Christian life.

We should rehearse these reminders over and over each day of our earthly journey

And all of these reminders are of the one thing of the Christian life, but we have to define that.

The “one thing” is not in our verses this week but were in the text that pastor green brought to us last week.

“One thing” paraphrased and defined from verses 8–11: I might know intimately and thoroughly my God and Savior Jesus Christ (v. 8, 10) in such a way that I choose by faith the beauty of Christ and His ways of righteousness (v. 9) (not focused on my own righteousness) allowing me to experience true life amidst the sufferings of this world (v. 10) (power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, v. 10) —which then makes my previous ways horrid to me (v. 10) (being conformed to His death, v. 10) —to arrive safely home (v. 11). (that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead, v.11).

This is the one thing of the Christian to Know Christ

Please notice what the one thing is not…

The one thing of the Christian life is not:

To know myself and what I want, what will make me happy

To be true to myself and my desires….this has all kinds of implications to our western world in its constant pursuit of attempting to know self.

But in the midst of the sinful confused self-identity know Christ which will bring your identity, your purpose into a fulfilling joy and focus

For Christians, the one thing is not, hear me on this…

To have the perfect church community. But in the midst of imperfect churches..to know the life giving beauty of preferring another’s interest ahead of your own

For Christian parents, the one thing is not….

To have the perfect children. But amidst non-self-parenting children, experience the splendor persevering prayer for that prodigal.

For Christian spouses, the one thing is not to change your lesser half…but to know the blessed contentment of knowing Christ’s ways of wooing and drawing through a meek and gentle life lived by faith in front of that wayward spouse.

For Christians in our world today, the one thing is not…

To angrily rebuke non-believers who are messing up our “Christian” theocracy, but to know Christ and His glorious way of returning good for our rebellious evil when humanity has attempt to overthrow His kingdom.

For Christians in our world today, the one thing is not…

To lay up for oneself a secure nest egg to live a comfortable and easy life, but to know Christ’s eternal security in laying up for ourselves treasures in heaven.

This is the one thing again…read it with me…

Everything and all of God’s people are to laser focused right here…

(on PPT again on one slide without verse reference but not in the handout again)

I might know intimately and thoroughly my God and Savior Jesus Christ in such a way that I choose by faith the beauty of Christ and His ways of righteousness allowing me to experience true life amidst the sufferings of this world—which then makes my previous ways horrid to me—to arrive safely home

!!!This one thing is to be the entirety of the Christian life!!!!

For the Christian the first vital reminder regarding this one thing is that it is a …

I. Humbling Process—I Will Not Reach Fully the “One Thing” in My Lifetime.

v. 12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect (mature), …13Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet

I have captured this reminder in 2 words—a humbling process.

Both must be kept in the forefront of our minds as reminders.

  • Humbling—the removal of my self-focus
  • Process—a life-long journey after my conversion to Christ

Last week when Pastor Green spoke to us on Phil 3:1-11, Paul was speaking about is list of credentials which pastor Green explained so well.

Paul

Enjoyed a privileged background

  • Of the nation of Israel
  • Of the tribe of Benjamin
  • A Hebrew of Hebrews

Paul

was sincere in his belief system

  • As to the Law, a Pharisee
  • As to Zeal, a persecutor of the church
  • As to righteousness in the Law, blameless

Paul

  • bore the name of Jew, boasted in his own morality based upon the Law
  • was confident that He was a guide to the blind
  • thought He was a light to those who were in darkness
  • was the wise corrector of the foolish
  • was the teacher of the immature

He said in v. 4 “although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. If anyone else has a mind to put confidence in the flesh, I far more.

What is this attitude except that, “I have arrived at where God wants me to be?!!!

That was before Christ……BC. “I have arrived.”

Why is that our state before our conversion to Christ?

“I have arrived” attitude—“The spiritually proud man is full of light already, he does not need instruction, and is ready to despise the offer of it.” – Jonathan Edwards The Works of Jonathan Edwards, Volume One, chapter X, Part IV, Section 1.

What is it that changed Paul and us from “I have arrived” to “I have not arrived?”

If “I have arrived” is BC…then what was AD “in the year of His Lord,” or “after Christ”…. –“I have not arrived.”

“I have not arrived” attitude—In God you come up against something which is in every respect immeasurably superior to yourself. Unless you know God as that—and, therefore, know yourself as nothing in comparison—you do not know God at all. As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you. That raises a terrible question. How is it that people who are quite obviously eaten up with Pride can say they believe in God and appear to themselves very religious? I am afraid it means they are worshiping an imaginary God …Whenever we find that our religious life is making us feel that we are good—above all, that we are better than someone else—I think we may be sure that we are being acted on, not by God, but by the devil. The real test of being in the presence of God is, that you either forget about yourself altogether …. -C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

And that is why Paul said…I count all those things that comprised my righteousness…my identity,.. as lost…in comparison to Him knowing Christ…..

Friends, where are you right now…

Are you in an “I have arrived” attitude?

  • I know better how to live life
  • I know better how to lead a church
  • I know better how to run a business
  • I know better how to be a spouse
  • Youth, I know better than my parents.
  • If you are in “I have arrived,” you do not know God

Encountering Christ truly, daily, in his glory results in you seeing the exalted splendor of God’s righteousness and you are forced to say…. “I have not arrived there.”

For me, I have been a Christian since I was seven years old when I made my first profession of faith.

There was lengthy time when I thought Christianity meant conforming to outward behaviors.

And I could do that pretty well for a time…until pressures or trials came.

I was constantly the teacher’s pet in the class room

I never committed the outwardly big sins…smoking, drinking, drugs, immorality, and I did not run with the crowds who did.

It wasn’t until I began to understand that while my outward behavior could somewhat conform to a perception of righteousness… that righteousness allowed me to look down upon others and exalt myself…not knowing Christ..

Right there…you have it… the focus on me….

Then God began revealing to me that my heart was 24-7 focused on me

Now, I am learning that growth means the following…

Growth in knowing Christ means a deepening awareness of how much I needed Him in the first place. Thus, I will have a continuing mindset of “I have not arrived.”

“I have not arrived”

For the Christian the first vital reminder regarding this one thing is that it is Humbling Process a I Will Not Reach Fully the “One Thing” in My Lifetime.

the second vital reminder regarding this one thing is a …

II. Reorienting Perspective—God’s “One Thing” Comes Before My “One Thing.”

v. 12… so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

There are two “laying holds” here …

Did you catch it?

Paul “lays holds” of the “one thing” which we have already defined…

But something had to come first…God’s “laying hold” of Paul.

This is something astounding. God’s “laid hold” of His children for a specific reason..

what is that reason…the same reason….???

God laid hold of you so that you might know Him intimately and thoroughly through Jesus Christ so that as you behold His beauty and the splendor of His ways of righteousness you might have life and arrive safely home

This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. — John 17:3

Now,…Let’s imagine I said, “Hey church, I’m taking hold of you so that you can know me because I am so great….”

That has the air and aroma of the pride that we were speaking about in point one…

We all recognize that right….?

That is not the kind of knowing that we are speaking about here.

The kind of knowing that we are speaking about here is the kind that the perishing astronauts of Apollo 13 needed to pursue…. getting to know and trust the engineers, the manufacturers, the builders, of the equipment that they were riding in so when they received life-giving instructions…for their survival, they respond and say, “Yes, I trust your heart, your love, and your wisdom for me and thus I will follow what you say.”

God as our creator, our builder—designed us for abundant life!

He knows what is best for us and created us to live in a life sustaining and life-flourish relationship to him….

We are on spaceship earth heading for destruction and God is offering a life-line saying, know me and trust me…

My reorienting perspective starts with the vital reminder that my relationship with God never started with me, never came through me, never was a result of my initiative, but started with a gracious God taking hold of me so that I might know divine life and not eternal death.

You did not choose Me but I chose you— John 15:16

Thus, if you are a Christian you will have a recognition of being grasped from something outside of yourself

Notice Paul did not say, “I grew up this way in a Christian home” and “I was a Christian all of my life.”

Notice Paul did not say, “I kind of stumbled into Christianity.”

Paul did not say, “ I did my research and simply chose it above Judaism.”

He said, “I was taken hold of”—God’s initiative.

This does not mean that you have to have some kind of dramatic conversion experience, but it does mean that you have an awareness that your salvation did not start with you…..

Let me take a moment and appeal to those of you who may not know Christ, but today, you are sensing the conviction of the Holy Spirit

That is God’s urging and pressing, because He loves you and wants you to be in a life-giving relationship with Him.

That sense is the Father’s love, initiative upon your life…the Father’s pressing upon you…before you are doing anything, before you are cleaning up your life, before you are in anyway loving Him, he is loving you!

And in response to the Father’s initiative…your response is simple to say by faith, “Yes God, I fall into your hands taking hold of me. I trust that Jesus Christ came to die for me and wants to take hold of me so that I might know you the one true God.”

If you have questions about that please chat with one of our pastors today.

For the Christian the first vital reminder regarding this one thing is that it is Humbling Process —I Will Not Reach Fully the “One Thing” in My Lifetime.

the second vital reminder regarding this one thing is that the One Thing contains a…Reorienting Perspective—God’s “One Thing” Comes Before My “One Thing.”

The third vital reminder is that this one thing requires…

III. Focused Effort— My Achievement of this “One Thing” Requires Decisive, Aimed, Urgent Energy.

v. 12… I press on …14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul uses a term here “press”

“Press”—"to move rapidly and decisively toward an objective, hasten, run, press on”— William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature

Paul had also just used the same word earlier in a slightly different way.

Just 6 verses prior Paul said,

As to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless. —Phil 3:6

Which word in Phil 3:6 might be the same word translated “press” in Phil 3:12?

That’s right!....The word is “persecute”

What kind of word can have both the meaning of “pressing on” and “persecuting?”

Well, it’s the word that can capture the concept of when we decisively, urgently, use all of our energies toward a particular end….

First, Paul’s used all of his energies in pursuing his own righteousness and pressing the Christians through persecution

Now, he is using all of his energies in pressing toward knowing Christ….

That’s the power of intense focus…..

We saw this in Apollo 13.

When the crisis happened with Apollo 13, the problem highlighted the ultimate goal—save the astronauts—failure is not an option

Everybody at NASA focused with laser like intensity on that goal.

And you know that end result…..

That was an earthly illustration of the power of focus.

Tim Keller in his exposition of this passage and word “press” used the metaphor of laser.

A laser is light all harnessed in the same wavelength, moving in the same direction, focused.

That focus creates a powerful beam of energy that has been harness for various helpful human technologies.

In contrast, sun light spreads out 360 degrees around it blazing sphere…but when focused with a magnifying glass…creates an intense burning beam.

We understand the power of focus to accomplish things.

That is the concept that Paul has here using the term “Press”—"to move rapidly and decisively toward an objective, hasten, run, press on.”

This is the concept that I brought to you when I preached last time and spoke about Paul saying “Work out the Gospel” for God is working in you the Gospel….

Now, Paul is giving us another lens through which we understand the Christian life of intense laser-like focus….

    1. Disregarding my previous ways of life, pursuits, and identities

but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead,

    1. Reaching ever toward my new life in the Gospel

Milton Vincent captures the Christian’s laser--like focus in his devotional book A Gospel Primer

When I see the beauty of Christ and his ways…

It could be said that ‘sanctification’ is merely the lifelong process wherein I joyfully surrender myself to God’s imputed righteousness and then do whatever this righteousness directs me to do. Indeed, God has clothed me with His righteousness. Now He wants this righteousness to master me. Vincent, Milton. A Gospel Primer for Christians

When Paul has as his laser aim “conformed to his death”

Crucifixion hurts…it is not merely death, but excruciating death. Nevertheless, I must set my face like a flint toward the cross and embrace this crucifixion in everything I do. I should expect every day to encounter circumstantial evidence of God’s commitment to my dying; and I must seize upon every God-given opportunity to be conformed more fully to Christ’s death, no matter the pain involved. When my flesh yearns for some prohibited thing, I must die. When called to do something I don’t want to do, I must die. When I wish to be selfish and serve no one, I must die. When shattered by hardships that I despise, I must die. When wanting to cling to wrongs done against me, I must die. When enticed by allurements of the world, I must die. When wishing to keep besetting sins secret, I must die. When wants that are borderline needs are left unmet, I must die. When dreams that are good seem shoved aside, I must die. Vincent, Milton. A Gospel Primer for Christians

What are you laser focused on Christian?

For the Christian the fourth vital reminder of this one thing is that having this one thing is …

IV. Maturing Mark—A Characteristic of My Christian Maturation is Having this “One-Thing” in Ever-Sharpening Focus.

v. 15 Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude; and if in anything you have a different attitude, God will reveal that also to you

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins— 2 Peter 1:8–9.

Believers….do you sense that you are increasing in having a laser like focus on Knowing Christ, the beauty of his ways, and hating more and more your previous life?

If that is the case, then take heart…you are growing in that for which Christ took hold of you.

From the words of Paul’s peer, and fellow apostle Peter—

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 2 Peter 1:8–9

If you are not, professing believer, then Paul’s companion would challenge you, —For he who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins. 2 Peter 1:8–9

Paul and I would pray, “May God reveal to you a different attitude”

And please expect challenges, problems, discipline, circumstances that help you see the one thing….failure is not an option.

For the Christian the first vital reminder regarding this one thing is that it is Humbling Process —I Will Not Reach Fully the “One Thing” in My Lifetime.

the second vital reminder is the One Thing contains a…Reorienting Perspective—God’s “One Thing” Comes Before My “One Thing.”

The third vital reminder is this one thing requires…Focused Effort— My Achievement of this “One Thing” Requires Decisive, Aimed, Urgent Energy.

Finally, the fourth vital reminder is that this having this one thing is a maturing mark…..

How is it possible that we can begin to have a different and transforming focus in life from knowing and pursing me, to knowing and pursuing God through Christ? Because God had a laser-like loving focus on us! Paul would say to Timothy:

It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.16 Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life—1 Tim 1:15–16.

I John 3: 5You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; …8The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.

  • Christ had a laser focus on you so that you might have a laser focus Him who is your life.
  • God’s intensity about you gives you an intensity about Hm.
  • God’s Pressing you enables you to press toward Him

Authors

Brent Aucoin

Dr. Brent Aucoin

Roles

President, Instructor - Faith Bible Seminary

Pastor of Seminary and Soul Care Ministries - Faith Church

Bio

B.S.: Mechanical Engineering, Oklahoma State University
M.S: Engineering, Purdue University
M.Div.: Central Seminary
Th.M.: Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Ph.D.: Baptist Bible Seminary (Clarks Summit, PA)

Dr. Brent Aucoin joined the staff of Faith Church in Lafayette, IN in July of 1998. Brent is the President of Faith Bible Seminary, Chair of the Seminary’s M.Div. Program, Pastor of Seminary and Soul Care at Faith Church (Lafayette, IN); ACBC certified; instructor and counselor at Faith Biblical Counseling Ministries; and a retreat and conference speaker. He and his wife, Janet, have two adult children.

View Pastor Aucoin's Salvation Testmony Video