RUN, THAT YE MAY OBTAIN

The apostle Paul had been willing to restrict his liberty, verses 19-23, that by all means some might be saved. His whole life was consumed with service for ‘the gospel’s sake’, v. 23. Now, in verse 24, he likens the Christian life to a race. His readers would have known well the word used here for race - Greek, ‘stadion’ - for most Greek cities would have had a race course like that of Olympia with a fixed distance of just over 200 metres.

The believer’s life is like a race, for there is the beginning. It is vital to make a good start - even a split second delay could cost the contestant the race. We may well remember the time of our conversion and the early days in our Christian life when our love for the Lord was fervent and there was a burning desire to tell others of Christ. Did we start well?

Then, there is the middle of the race - the Christian life is really a marathon. It is interesting that the Greek word used for race in Hebrews chapter 12 verse 1 is ‘agon’ from which is derived the English word agony, indicating that there will be conflict to the point of pain. The pain threshold must be endured if the runner is to win through. So it is with the believer. However, instead of mere earthly laurels, the Christian can look by faith into heaven itself, to the Lord Jesus who has run before, who won His race and was able to take His place at the right hand of the Father. How important it is to keep advancing through the middle stages of the race.

Finally, there is the end of the race. We observe the supreme effort made by athletes towards the end of a race. They exert every fibre of their being as they stretch for the finishing line; nothing is allowed to distract them as they focus on the objective. How much more this should apply to Christians involved in the spiritual race. Shortly before he was martyred, Paul penned the words: ‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith’, 2 Tim. 4. 7.

May we, as Paul, be able to say, ‘Reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus’, Phil. 3. 13,14.