Hebrews 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about
with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and
the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and
finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right
hand of the throne of God.
1Cor 9:24-25 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all,
but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every
man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now
they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
THE RACE
Have you ever run in a long distance race? Toward the end, you start
getting weary and your body starts aching. You get a sharp pain in your
side and you are out of breath. I remember running in high school. Each
year, the students were required to run a mile and a half in under 25
minutes. Some students jogged around the track, and some ran very fast.
Others, who ran out of steam, simply walked very fast. The key was to
keep on moving and eventually, each of us would finish the race. Our
teacher did not really care who came in first or who came in last, as long
as each of us finished the race.
We, as believers in Jesus, are running the Christian Race and pressing
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
We are moving forward and not looking back. Acts 17:28a says, "For in
him we live, and move, and have our being..." The Lord enables us
to run victoriously. As believers in Christ Jesus, we are all in this race
together. There are no losers in Christ-- only winners. Each one of us is
running for the incorruptible crown.
Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we
shall reap, if we faint not.
2Thess 2:16-17 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even
our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting
consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts,
and stablish you in every good word and work.
Let us hold fast to our doctrine and be careful to examine all things
according to the Scriptures.
2John 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine
of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ,
he hath both the Father and the Son.
THE RUNNER MUST HAVE SPEED
"...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily
beset us..."
In order to win a race, a runner must have speed and pace themselves.
A runner in a race would look rather silly trying to win a race with two
hundred pounds of stuff on his back. The weight would slow him down.
We, as followers of Jesus, must also be without burdens upon our backs
in order to run the Christian race. Many times, we tend to carry the
weight of the world upon our shoulders. We have much "baggage" at
times. All of us have troubles and sometimes, instead of giving them
over to the Lord and trusting Him, we carry our burdens around with
us. The Bible tells us in 1Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon him;
for he careth for you." (See our article: GIVE YOUR BURDENS TO
THE LORD)
Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of
Christ.
As Christians, we are commanded to bear one another's burdens. This
means as each of us runs the Christian race, we are to help one another--
whether it be a material need or a spiritual need. We are to pray for one
another and encourage one another. We are to give to our brethren that
do not have. We are to lend a helping hand to one who needs our help.
1John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one
another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
1John 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on
the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave
us commandment.
THE RUNNER MUST STAY FOCUSED
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that
cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him.
In a race, the runner has a goal-- an aim to which he is striving for-- and
he must stay focused on reaching that goal. If he were to start looking all
around in every direction as he was running, he would lose pace and
might even lose his balance and stumble. We, as Christians, should not
be looking all around us but rather should focus our attention upon the
Lord Jesus Christ. When we give the Lord our burdens, trusting Him to
handle our burdens and troubles, we will find Him to be EVERYTHING
that we need. When we cast off the sin of unbelief and trust in the Lord,
we find that He is able to answer our prayers. God is the able one above
all able ones. In fact, the word, "king" originates from a word which
means "the able one". And God is the Able One above all Able Ones.
Speaking of Jesus, the Bible records that He has a name written:
Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name
written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
We must stay focused and keep our eyes upon Jesus. He is our reward.
The Lord said to Abraham in Genesis 15:1:
After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a
vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding
great reward.
Col 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the
inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
1John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal
life, and this life is in his Son.
Dr. H. A. Ironside said, "We do not become holy by looking into our
own hearts. There we find only corruption. But as we look away from
self altogether, "Looking unto Jesus," as He is the object in which we
delight, as we contemplate His holiness, purity, love, and compassion,
His devotion to the Father's will, we shall be transformed, imperceptibly
to ourselves, perhaps, but none the less surely, into His blessed image. "
THE PRIZE
Phi 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of
God in Christ Jesus.
2John 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which
we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
The world races for the corruptible crown but we, as christians, run for
the incorruptible crown. We know whom we serve. We each have a
purpose in Christ Jesus. We know our Savior and He is our Guide along
life's way. We must keep our eyes upon Jesus, knowing that soon and
very soon we are going to see Him face to face.
What is God's will for our life here upon this earth? We must be led by
Him and serve Him in whatever task He has called us to do. Matt 12:50
[Jesus said] For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in
heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
2Cor 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the
things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are
temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
So while the world rushes to acquire material things in coveteousness, let
us be as Abraham who looked for a city which hath foundations, whose
builder and maker is God. (see Hebrews 11:10)
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father
is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to
keep himself unspotted from the world.
1John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he
that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
H.A. Ironside wrote: There are five crowns: the incorruptible crown for
faithfully running the course; the crown of rejoicing for winning souls;
the crown of righteousness for those who love His appearing; the crown
of life for those who suffer for Christ; the crown of glory for those who
feed the sheep and lambs of Christ’s flock. I might lose all of those
crowns and yet not lose my salvation. The Word says, “If any man’s
work shall be burned. . . .he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
1 Corinthians 3:15. But I do not want to be saved that way. I want to
win the crown of life. “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give
thee a crown of life...”
Serving the Lord in all we do, running the race to the finish line and at
the end of our earthly life, we will be able to say as did the Apostle Paul:
2Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall
give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that
love his appearing.
Just as a runner must rest after his race, so will the Christian enter into
joy of the Lord when the Christian Race of life is through. May we run
the race diligently until the Lord calls us home-- serving Him in all that
we do that we may hear those beautiful words, "Well done, good and
faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will
make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy
lord." Matthew 25:23
Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly
above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh
in us,
Eph 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus
throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Rev 22:12 [Jesus says] And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward
is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Copyright © 2004 Cobblestone Road Ministries
All Rights Reserved
__________________________________________________________
RELATED ARTICLES:
Are You Troubled? Give Your Burdens To The Lord
TRUST IN GOD, HOPE IN GOD- Bible Answers To Worry
Good Scriptural Medicine- Trust In The Lord
Do You Have Time For The Lord?
JESUS IS...Jesus is the Greatest Treasure!
THE BIBLE CURE FOR DOUBTING CHRISTIANS
The Bible Cure For Bad Attitudes
Learning To Lean On Jesus
with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and
the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and
finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him
endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right
hand of the throne of God.
1Cor 9:24-25 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all,
but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every
man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now
they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
THE RACE
Have you ever run in a long distance race? Toward the end, you start
getting weary and your body starts aching. You get a sharp pain in your
side and you are out of breath. I remember running in high school. Each
year, the students were required to run a mile and a half in under 25
minutes. Some students jogged around the track, and some ran very fast.
Others, who ran out of steam, simply walked very fast. The key was to
keep on moving and eventually, each of us would finish the race. Our
teacher did not really care who came in first or who came in last, as long
as each of us finished the race.
We, as believers in Jesus, are running the Christian Race and pressing
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
We are moving forward and not looking back. Acts 17:28a says, "For in
him we live, and move, and have our being..." The Lord enables us
to run victoriously. As believers in Christ Jesus, we are all in this race
together. There are no losers in Christ-- only winners. Each one of us is
running for the incorruptible crown.
Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we
shall reap, if we faint not.
2Thess 2:16-17 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even
our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting
consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts,
and stablish you in every good word and work.
Let us hold fast to our doctrine and be careful to examine all things
according to the Scriptures.
2John 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine
of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ,
he hath both the Father and the Son.
THE RUNNER MUST HAVE SPEED
"...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily
beset us..."
In order to win a race, a runner must have speed and pace themselves.
A runner in a race would look rather silly trying to win a race with two
hundred pounds of stuff on his back. The weight would slow him down.
We, as followers of Jesus, must also be without burdens upon our backs
in order to run the Christian race. Many times, we tend to carry the
weight of the world upon our shoulders. We have much "baggage" at
times. All of us have troubles and sometimes, instead of giving them
over to the Lord and trusting Him, we carry our burdens around with
us. The Bible tells us in 1Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon him;
for he careth for you." (See our article: GIVE YOUR BURDENS TO
THE LORD)
Gal 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of
Christ.
As Christians, we are commanded to bear one another's burdens. This
means as each of us runs the Christian race, we are to help one another--
whether it be a material need or a spiritual need. We are to pray for one
another and encourage one another. We are to give to our brethren that
do not have. We are to lend a helping hand to one who needs our help.
1John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one
another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
1John 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on
the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave
us commandment.
THE RUNNER MUST STAY FOCUSED
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that
cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of
them that diligently seek him.
In a race, the runner has a goal-- an aim to which he is striving for-- and
he must stay focused on reaching that goal. If he were to start looking all
around in every direction as he was running, he would lose pace and
might even lose his balance and stumble. We, as Christians, should not
be looking all around us but rather should focus our attention upon the
Lord Jesus Christ. When we give the Lord our burdens, trusting Him to
handle our burdens and troubles, we will find Him to be EVERYTHING
that we need. When we cast off the sin of unbelief and trust in the Lord,
we find that He is able to answer our prayers. God is the able one above
all able ones. In fact, the word, "king" originates from a word which
means "the able one". And God is the Able One above all Able Ones.
Speaking of Jesus, the Bible records that He has a name written:
Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name
written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.
We must stay focused and keep our eyes upon Jesus. He is our reward.
The Lord said to Abraham in Genesis 15:1:
After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a
vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding
great reward.
Col 3:24 Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the
inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.
1John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal
life, and this life is in his Son.
Dr. H. A. Ironside said, "We do not become holy by looking into our
own hearts. There we find only corruption. But as we look away from
self altogether, "Looking unto Jesus," as He is the object in which we
delight, as we contemplate His holiness, purity, love, and compassion,
His devotion to the Father's will, we shall be transformed, imperceptibly
to ourselves, perhaps, but none the less surely, into His blessed image. "
THE PRIZE
Phi 3:14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of
God in Christ Jesus.
2John 1:8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which
we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.
The world races for the corruptible crown but we, as christians, run for
the incorruptible crown. We know whom we serve. We each have a
purpose in Christ Jesus. We know our Savior and He is our Guide along
life's way. We must keep our eyes upon Jesus, knowing that soon and
very soon we are going to see Him face to face.
What is God's will for our life here upon this earth? We must be led by
Him and serve Him in whatever task He has called us to do. Matt 12:50
[Jesus said] For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in
heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
2Cor 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the
things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are
temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
So while the world rushes to acquire material things in coveteousness, let
us be as Abraham who looked for a city which hath foundations, whose
builder and maker is God. (see Hebrews 11:10)
James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father
is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to
keep himself unspotted from the world.
1John 2:17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he
that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
H.A. Ironside wrote: There are five crowns: the incorruptible crown for
faithfully running the course; the crown of rejoicing for winning souls;
the crown of righteousness for those who love His appearing; the crown
of life for those who suffer for Christ; the crown of glory for those who
feed the sheep and lambs of Christ’s flock. I might lose all of those
crowns and yet not lose my salvation. The Word says, “If any man’s
work shall be burned. . . .he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.”
1 Corinthians 3:15. But I do not want to be saved that way. I want to
win the crown of life. “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give
thee a crown of life...”
Serving the Lord in all we do, running the race to the finish line and at
the end of our earthly life, we will be able to say as did the Apostle Paul:
2Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a
crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall
give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that
love his appearing.
Just as a runner must rest after his race, so will the Christian enter into
joy of the Lord when the Christian Race of life is through. May we run
the race diligently until the Lord calls us home-- serving Him in all that
we do that we may hear those beautiful words, "Well done, good and
faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will
make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy
lord." Matthew 25:23
Eph 3:20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly
above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh
in us,
Eph 3:21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus
throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
Rev 22:12 [Jesus says] And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward
is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Copyright © 2004 Cobblestone Road Ministries
All Rights Reserved
__________________________________________________________
RELATED ARTICLES:
Are You Troubled? Give Your Burdens To The Lord
TRUST IN GOD, HOPE IN GOD- Bible Answers To Worry
Good Scriptural Medicine- Trust In The Lord
Do You Have Time For The Lord?
JESUS IS...Jesus is the Greatest Treasure!
THE BIBLE CURE FOR DOUBTING CHRISTIANS
The Bible Cure For Bad Attitudes
Learning To Lean On Jesus
| RUNNING THE CHRISTIAN RACE |
| We are listed in the following Internet directories. We do not necessarily endorse all the sites listed in the topsites below. Just because one labels a site, "christian" does not make it biblical. So please use discernment when visiting any link: |
