“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)
In Hebrews 11, we read of those “of whom the world was not worthy” (Hebrews 11:38). “By faith,” they conquered kingdoms, obtained promises, and put foreign armies to flight, but they also were stoned, sawn in two, and killed with the sword. Destitute, afflicted, and mistreated, these souls are that great cloud of witnesses that have gone before us.
And then I start to look a bit more closely at that list of faithful men and women, and I see Sarah, a woman who laughed with incredulity upon hearing the promise of God and then lied and denied it when the Lord asked why she laughed. And how did Rahab get into the “Hall of Faith?” She was a prostitute. David made the cut to be on the list, and he was both an adulterer and murderer.
I could continue through the list, pointing to the souls listed and pointing out what the Bible says about their flaws and faults, and it would only serve to bring the message home more sweetly: their lives witness to faith in the Promised Messiah, the Savior of needy, sinful men and women.
These weak, stumbling souls are that great cloud of brothers and sisters that surround us, seemingly laying a hand on our shoulder and saying, “Have faith in Jesus! He ran the race and won! Run your race with endurance, because the promised Messiah came, lived perfectly in your stead, bore your shame upon His shoulders, died in your place, and then won for you the victory over death by rising from the dead and crossing the finish line. He is the great Perfecter and Completer of your less-than-mustard-seed-sized faith.”
And so, His grace enables us to put off all encumbrances and sin which weigh down our agility, speed, and power to run the race He has set before us, and His Spirit works mightily in us to find great delight and JOY in running the race that He has won for us.
What does running that race look like? How do we run the race that Christ has completed for us?
Well, let me begin with a little example from my own life.
Did you know that I’m a runner? Or, at least I was last Saturday?
I trust you will be encouraged by how God is convicting me to discipline myself for the purpose of godliness (1 Timothy 4:7), to run the race with endurance. Read the rest here, at the Arabah Joy blog: How to Run the Race that Christ Has Completed for Us
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