Crossing the Finish Line

Crossing the Finish Line

The guys in the picture below are related to me.  The one with the gray T-shirt is my oldest son, Adam.  The one in the blue is my first cousin, Nate.  He is only about a year and a half older than my son and they have been great friends just about all their lives.  

They ran a race together – and as you can see, they crossed the finish line.  When he posted the picture on Facebook, Adam said “Not the fastest, but the toughest.”  They were celebrating – not because they won – but because they finished. 

The Christian life is compared to a race four different times in the New Testament.  In none of these instances is speed mentioned - but endurance and joy are.  In Acts 20:17-24 Paul addresses the Ephesian elders.  He tells them he is on his way to Jerusalem.  The Holy Spirit told Paul “chains and tribulation” await him. 

Paul is still determined to make the journey.  He tells the elders – “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”  This was the race Paul was given to run and he was prepared to finish regardless of the cost. 

Notice how Paul described the gospel.  It is “the gospel of the grace of God.”  Through God’s love for us – He gives us the marvelous grace of the gift of His Son.  Through our love for Him, we willingly, gladly keep the commandments of Jesus. 

God’s grace and our obedience.  What a wonderful combination!

The second time a race is mentioned is in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.  Paul tells the Christians in Corinth to run in such a way as to receive a prize because we are competing for an imperishable crown.  He goes on to mention that he keeps himself in subjection so that he does not become “disqualified” even while he is preaching the gospel to others.  It takes endurance and discipline to live a Christ like life. 

Near the end of Paul’s life, he wrote a beautiful declaration of faith.  “I have fought the good fight, I have finished race, I have kept the faith.  Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all how have loved His appearing.”  2 Timothy 4:7-8

This is why we do what we do.  It is why we run the Christian race – why we stay the course.  Why we can have joy about our ministry, like Paul did.  We will gain an imperishable crown, the crown of righteousness.   Because we, like Paul, “have loved his appearing.” 

So we “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us,” (Hebrews 12:1) and we run.  We stick with it.  We look to Christ and know that He will help us because He wants us to be in heaven with Him.  We run our own race.  Each race is a little different.  No one can run my race for me.  We run with endurance.  We run and God rewards. 

Christ above all things – Robin Whitley