Narrow Road Christian Fellowship

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:1-3

These verses from the book of Hebrews are three of my favorite verses in all of the Bible. It begins by Speaking of a cloud of witnesses that surrounds us, a quick look at Chapter 11 will tell us exactly who the author of Hebrews is talking about. They are talking about all the men and women that came before us, those believers in God, and more specifically believers in Christ, that even though they lived before Jesus, they worshipped Him as the eternal God, looking forward to Him as thier savior. Because of the lives that they lived, and the examples that they set, the author of Hebrews encourages us to move forward, to move towards maturity.

         But the author of Hebrews doesn’t stop with the men and women of the past, they turn us to the greatest example that we could have when it comes to faith, and that is Jesus Christ Himself. They tell us to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and run that race with perseverance. You need to run that race as if we want to win.

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

1 Corinthians 9:24-25

         Here Paul the apostle is giving us that example to run using the ancient Olympic Games as an example. In those games people would run but only one person would win the race, but in spite of that, everybody would train wanting to be that one person that wins. The men and women of those Olympic Games would compete ferociously in order to win a wreath of leaves, something that would shortly wither away and die. But our race is more important than that, not only is there more than one winner, the rewards that we receive at the end of our life are everlasting. Anyone who receives salvation through Jesus Christ is the winner, and the imperishable body, and eternal rewards are waiting for us at the end of the race.

Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

1 Corinthians 9:25-26

         Overall what Paul was telling us is that when we push forward in our maturity with Jesus Christ, move forward in an understanding of what real faith is, then we need to pursue that with the same ferocity as those ancient Olympic Games competitors. To discipline our spiritual lives the same way that we discipline our physical bodies, when we discipline our spiritual body, our spiritual life with the Lord becomes deeper and deeper. When he speaks of being disqualified, he’s not Speaking of losing salvation, or being disqualified from going to heaven. He’s using the same Olympic metaphor that he already spoke of, that if you didn’t meet certain requirements you would be disqualified from the Olympic Games. We don’t want to be those people that live our lives as if we could be disqualified, we need to turn to the Lord and allow his righteousness to change our lives.

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,

Philippians 3:7-9

         Therefore we turn to the Lord, and by faith, pursue the righteousness that does not come from within ourselves, but comes from the Lord Jesus. The surpassing value of knowing Jesus Christ my Lord, Paul says he suffered the loss of all things, but did he really lose all things? He gained A righteousness not of his own, a righteousness that came from Jesus Christ, and that’s the only righteousness that can stand before a holy God. We may lose the things that we have here in this world, but the rewards that we gain by seeking maturity of our faith will last forever.

that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:10-14

         These verses are ones that I’ve grown to enjoy over the past few years as I seek those same things that Paul sought after. To know God, to know the power of his resurrection, to know the sufferings of Christ and share in them, to be conformed unto his death and ultimately receive the resurrection. Mine courage went to you is that you allow these words to resonate within your heart, to resonate within your soul. To allow the transforming power of Jesus Christ to move you on to maturity. To do as Paul says, press on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. He’s received the greatest prize there is and we should all live our lives as if we have.