Thursday 4 June 2009

A Holy Ambition

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Justin Taylor recently pointed out John Piper's call for Holy Ambition which got me thinking like crazy.


One Holy Ambition
There's a Holy Ambition that i think we could all take; grasp; strive nail & tooth after; give everything we have for; sacrifice our time, money & energy to achieve; suffer whatever it takes to get closer to and violently attack anything that would seek to prevent us from achieving.

It is summed up in eleven words that, if they were to become our holy ambition in life, would radically change every single thing about us. Eleven words that i pray God, by His grace & mercy will write upon our hearts as the all consuming desire of our lives.

It was Paul's Holy Ambition & one in which we would all do well to join with him in crying out as our own:

"That I may know Him (Christ) and the power of His resurrection." (Philippians 3:10)


Prayer
Father, would you write this upon our hearts, consume our minds with it & make it the all consuming ambition of our lives. Above our strivings toward education, employment, spouses, riches, fame and much more beside, place knowing Christ & the power of His resurrection highest in our affections, desires & passionate goals of life. May it be granted to us to set ourselves like flint toward this as the all encompassing target of our life.

By grace & mercy send Your Spirit to work this ambition within us, lead us toward this ambition and grant us further knowledge & delight in Your Son. Jesus is most clearly on display, at this time, in your Word, would you grant us grace to see Him everywhere as we turn its sacred pages. His death is pointed to every time we take of the bread & wine, would you grant that as we partake of this sacrament that our minds be opened to His great work on the cross.

Baptism reveals His burial & resurrection, as we reflect upon our own baptism & rejoice with others who're being baptised may we Jesus more clearly. And as we fellowship with others in the body of His bride; the Church may we see His active works of grace that drive home to us that He is still alive, working & all sovereign Lord.

Work in us both to will and to do of your great pleasure, that is work in us to want to know Christ and cause us to strive hard after this ambition.

Amen
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About Boaly
Gary has been involved in printing the Scriptures for 20 years, enjoys photography and rambling online

2 comments:

heartafire said...

This is one of my favorites---
In a different version: "to know nothing but Christ, and Him crucified."
Love it.

Boaly said...

It really is an amzing text that could take us a lifetime to explore & we'd still never fully grasp it