“I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air.” 1 Corinthians 9:26
Dear Ones:
What is the great race of which Paul speaks? It is that certain, and entire, engagement of the whole being, committed to devoting every resource, gift, and capacity, to first of all, KNOW Christ. Paul makes this very clear when he writes the Philippians: “…I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.” (3:8) Paul, like the apostle John, came to understand the words of the Lord Jesus: “This is eternal life, that they might KNOW Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent.” (Jn. 17:3) What is the meaning, the true and everlasting meaning of life? It is to know God, and to love God. It is out of this walk and communion with God, Christ by the Spirit, that He is known. Paul again affirms this by writing: “…that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection.” (3:10) He writes of an experiential knowledge of Christ and His power, and this in the face of difficulty and suffering. He is undaunted because of the purpose of the race before him, knowing that the One who has called him to be a soldier, and a runner, will supply every need, according to His riches in glory. For every believer, the meaning of the race is the same. It is primarily spiritual in nature, encompassing the entirety of one’s life on this earth. The question then becomes, “How does one run this race, and how is one to finish well?”
The story of John the Baptist is a wonderful account of the life of a runner. How did it begin? It began with a promise, one that was born in antiquity, and mentioned in the writings of Isaiah: “The voice of one that crieth in the wilderness, ‘Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.'” (Is.40:3) The voice of this herald of great news, good news, was none other than John the Baptist. So, the runner had his beginning in the heart and mind of God. Secondly, we find that when John was born, he was “…filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Luke 1:15) The key to the heart of this “runner” was the Spirit of God, who had the perfect liberty to lead and guide, empower and inspire, this servant of God. For him, the race began at his birth, and continued through childhood and into manhood, until that very specific day when the “…word of God came unto John, the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.” (Luke 3:2) That day John came with a message from God that pertained to mankind knowing God. “He came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission (forgiveness) of sins.” The runner had entered the race, owning practically nothing, indebted to no man, but to God. He came to prepare hearts to receive the truth and Life of the Messiah, that one, singular means, by which men could live eternally.
When the Lord Jesus came as a young man, about thirty years of age, he specifically took up the mantle of his race on the day of His baptism. Though filled with the Spirit from his birth, His anointing that day provided every resource and capacity for Him to BE the Savior of mankind, the Lamb of God, taking away the sin of the world. He too, like John, and even more so, was free to run, for He was detached from all, to live wholly for His Father. His goal was clear, and the means of the Spirit fully supplied to Him. He would run to win, and that would require a discipline, strength, and singleness of purpose that was from heaven. He would finish well His course by declaring, “Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit.” (Luke 23:46) Here is the Son of God, the greatest runner of all, who ran a perfect race, finishing well.
Dear Father, Thou hast called us to run a race looking unto Jesus. Grant us grace to finish it well. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Love, Dad