THE CHRISTIAN RACE

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith."  (Hebrews 12:1, 2) Let us look at some of the characteristics of our Christian race.

1. It is a race, not a walk or a saunter. It requires the best that is in us and the best that we can do. There is a constant striving against the forces of evil, against temptation, against the feelings of depression that so easily get us down, and against tiredness from constantly running the race. There is no time to stop or give up, but we must be faithful unto death to receive the crown of life. (Revelation 2:10)

2. In order to run this race we must qualify. Any earthly race has its entrance requirements and likewise we must meet the entrance requirements of the Lord to run the Christian race. "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." (Hebrews 10:22) The Lord only accepts sincere people in this race. We must have true hearts to enter it. We must also have a strong faith that assures us that what we believe is right and urges us to do whatever the Lord commands. We must trust in the Lord that when we obey his commandments of repentance, confession, and baptism that He will forgive us and make us pure in the blood of Christ. (Revelation 1:5, 6) It is in doing these things that we enter the Christian race and start toward perfection.

3. In order to run the Christian race we must lay aside every weight that will keep us from being successful. This means laying aside drinking and drunkenness, sinful activities, fighting, wrath, blasphemous expressions, uncontrolled anger, illicit sex, and any other such things that will condemn our souls. (Colossians 3:1-16 and Ephesians 4:17- 32) The weight of lack of total commitment needs to also be laid aside because the Lord says that if we are to come after him we must deny ourselves and take up the cross and follow him. (Matthew 16:24) We are not to be slack in worshiping the Lord, studying his word, and praying without ceasing. Selfish motives must be set aside. We need to live a life by faith of the Lord Jesus Christ.

4. We must also lay aside the sin that doth so easily beset us. That sin is unbelief. "Take heed, brethren , lest there be in any of you, and evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God." (Hebrews 3:12) Satan will discourage us by planting seeds of doubt into our hearts. Be sure not to let those seeds grow because such will lead us away from the Lord. Christians who know the Lord and who know the truth can lose their faith and go back to the sinful things of this world. (II Peter 2:20-22) There are times when people we thought were faithful to the Lord do things very unbecoming of a Christian. When we have faith in men it is easy to just give up and quit the Lord when we see these things. To keep from letting this happen we should always use the Lord as our model to follow and not men. Men have feet of clay and they sometimes stumble and fall. The Lord never fell and never allowed anything to discourage him. He came to do the will of the Father in heaven and he did the will of the Father in heaven! He could say at the end, "Father unto thy hands I commend my spirit." (Luke 23:36) Whatever the sins that so easily beset us are we must lay aside forcefully and permanently in order to win the race.

5. We must run the race with patience. We are not running a fifty yard dash but a life long marathon. We need to keep on running! We have all our future lives before us to live for Christ. To quit anywhere along the way is to lose the race. This requires the steadfastness, perseverance, and ability to wait for the promise that is found in the meaning of patience. It is in our patience that we possess our souls. (Luke 21:19) "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandmen waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain. Be ye also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh." (James 5:7,8)

6. In this race we need to look to Jesus as th author and finisher of our faith. This means he is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Jesus has blazed the trail, suffering in all points like us, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15) It is through him that we can come boldly to the throne of grace, to find mercy and grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16) We need to look at Jesus as our guide, director, and helper in running a successful Christian race.

7. We also have a great cloud of witnesses who are by their faithfulness cheering us on to win the Christian race. There are patriarchs, prophets, faithful kings, apostles, and men and women of faith that have in the past been faithful. People "who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. (Hebrews 11:33, 34) There is nothing we could possibly suffer that others have not already suffered. They were successful and we can be successful. Let us keep our minds on our goal which is the sweet home of the soul and run that Christian race.

8. This is a race in which all who run can win. If we run well the crown awaits. Like Paul, we can fight a good fight, finish the course, and keep the faith. We can know that "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. (II Timothy 4:8)

9. There is a finish line ahead. "And let us not be weary in well doing; for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Galatians 6:9) It sometimes looks like we are accomplishing nothing whatsoever but in reality we are doing more than the eye can see and the mind can comprehend. Keep pressing on the upward way. C.D.

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