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progress. “But I follow after” (v12); he Adam’s dominion is marked by sin, death,
presses on with a healthy spiritual dis- judgment and condemnation (Rom 5).
satisfaction with where he was presently, But being laid hold by Christ has put us
eagerly striving for greater apprehension under Christ’s federal Headship, a blessed
of the things of Christ. We must never stop sphere where grace reigns, and there is life,
being exercised about making progress in justification, righteousness and obedience.
our spiritual condition. We are also no longer under the authority
Paul then makes this most significant of the evil one; the Father “hath delivered
statement: “if that I may apprehend [lay us from the power of darkness, and hath
hold of] that for which also I am appre- translated us into the kingdom of his dear
hended [was laid hold] of [by] Christ Son” (Col 1:13), to belong to Christ as
Jesus” (v12 Newberry). The day of his con- citizens of His kingdom and move in the
version on the Damascus road, there was a enjoyment of His love for us.
mighty divine intervention in his life. The Further, being “apprehended of Christ
reality was that Paul was not seeking after Jesus” (Php 3:12) and made His possession
Christ; he had no intention whatsoever of means that we no longer belong to self. The
becoming a believer in the Lord Jesus that world makes much of self-adulation, self-
day and owning Christ as his Lord. But in worth and self-esteem; but the Scriptures
accordance with divine sovereign grace, teach us that everything of self needed to
Christ was seeking him and apprehended
Saul of Tarsus for Himself, making him be judged by God at the cross. Paul writes,
“Ye are not your own. For ye are bought
one of His own. From our perspective, we
came to Christ for salvation; but we know with a price: therefore glorify God in your
that the greater reality is that Christ laid body” (1Co 6:19-20). Through salvation we
hold upon us, that we might be His own belong to the One who purchased us with
exclusive possession. the great price of His own blood.
This truth of being “apprehended of Paul is particularly occupied with the
Christ Jesus” (v12) has many significant reason why Christ had apprehended
implications. First, we are no longer the him: “if that I may apprehend ...” (Php
world’s possession, having been given 3:12). All believers should have that same
by the Father to the Son from “out of the motivation, to lay hold of the purpose for
world; thine they were, and thou gavest which Christ laid hold of us. The apostle
them me” (Joh 17:6). Our Saviour “gave expresses something of that purpose in
himself for our sins, that he might deliver Galatians 1:15-16: “But when it pleased
us from this present evil world” (Gal 1:4), God, who separated me from my mother's
so that we no longer walk “according to womb, and called me by his grace, to
the course of this world” (Eph 2:2). We reveal his Son in me, that I might preach
seek now to walk in a way that will bring him among the heathen.” He speaks first
pleasure to our blessed Master who has of displaying the character of Christ before
laid hold upon us and made us His own his commission to apostolic service. We
possession. should all be motivated by the thought that
The moment Christ apprehended us, Christ laid hold of us, to reveal His char-
positionally we no longer belonged to acter in us and make us more conformed
Adam, under Adam’s federal headship. to His blessed Person.

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