Run with Endurance the Race set Before Us until we Finish the Course, as Paul Did

As believers in Christ, we need to run with endurance the race which is set before us, seeking out the journey that the Lord has ordained for us and faithfully walk on it and run with endurance the course until we receive the prize! Amen!

This week in our morning revival we come to the topic of, Finishing the Course; in 2 Tim. 4:7 Paul said that he finished the course.

On one hand, we are fighting the good fight, and on the other hand, we are finishing the course, that is, running the race with endurance until we finish the course and receive the prize.

We are those fighting the good fight, finishing the course, and loving the Lord’s appearing in order to receive the reward of Christ as the crown of righteousness.

We need to make ourselves ready for the Lord’s coming; as we look forward to His coming, we need to have a sensation that the Lord’s imminent return is related to our living today.

The Lord’s coming should not just be a doctrine in our Christian faith; it should cause us to have a great change in our daily life.

Last week we saw that, in order for us to prepare ourselves for the Lord’s coming, we need to fight the good fight of the faith, especially as we live in the last days and the church has become degraded.

This week we are enjoying and diving deeper into the matter of finishing the course, which involves running the race with endurance.

In the light of the Lord’s coming, we need to realize that each one of us has a race to run, a particular course set up by the Lord, which we need to complete.

Our running, however, is not to be number one at the end and be the best runner; it is not a spring but a marathon taking place our whole Christian life.

We cannot be presumptuous to say that we have finished our course; Paul could say this only in the last epistle he ever wrote, when he sensed that the time of his departure was at hand.

In Acts 20:24 he mentions that he wants to finish his course; this course is a race. We are all in a race today.

In the world there’s a race to the top, a rat race to be the best and to gain more money, fame, and possessions; in the end, those who run this race are the most miserable persons on the earth.

If you have insider knowledge of the inward turmoil of the ones who gain such fame in either entertainment, music, or business, you will be shocked to find out how tormented they are and how miserable they are inside.

But we as believers in Christ look away unto Jesus and are infused with faith, and we run the race with endurance to obtain the prize! Amen!

Paul Ran the Heavenly Race and Proclaimed Triumphantly, I have finished the Course

The apostle Paul is our pattern; he was a persecutor of the church, but the Lord met him personally, and he was converted to Christ.

After the Lord took possession of him, Paul started running the heavenly race, and he continually ran (1 Cor. 9:24-26; Phil. 3:12-14) that he might finish it (Acts 20:24).

He was running in 1 Cor. 9, and he was running in Phil. 3; he kept running with endurance the race set before him.

His word to Timothy in 2 Tim. 4:7 indicates that he triumphantly finished the race, for he declared, I have finished my course!

Like Paul, we have been gained by the Lord and He took possession of us; now we run the heavenly race, and we continually run the race in order to finish it.

The Christian life is a race, and we all are runners in the race.

In Gal. 2 Paul had been following the Lord for many years, but he said he had a fear that he would have run in vain, so he kept pursuing.

He always took heed to whether he was running properly on the Christian race.

We do not want to run in vain and not be rewarded by the Lord; we want to run the Christian race with endurance and receive the prize.

In 1 Cor. 9 Paul exhorted the Corinthian believers to run the race.

In Phil. 3 he said he pursued and ran the race toward the goal.

And in Acts 20:24 he said that he wanted to finish his course, and he was not afraid for his life.

Finally, in 2 Tim. 4:7 Paul declared triumphantly, I have finished the course.

He did not only begin to run but he continually ran, and he ran the heavenly race with endurance until he was assured that he would receive the crown of righteousness.

It was at the end of his life that he triumphantly could proclaim that he had finished the course, and that he would receive from the Lord a reward – the crown of righteousness (v. 8).

Many Christians think that running the Christian race is for salvation.

Actually, it is only the saved ones who can run on this race.

Those who have not been saved are not qualified to run the race.

Brothers and sisters, we believers in Christ are qualified to run the heavenly race until we, like Paul, can declare that we have finished the course.

We do not have to look at our failures and weaknesses: we simply need to look away unto Jesus, the One who has called us and who will take us all the way to the end, and run the heavenly race with endurance.

We have received the life of Christ, and this divine life enables us to run the race.

In Paul’s case, before he started to run the Christian race, he strived to please God, but he actually frustrated God by his efforts and he frustrated those who were in the race.

But the Lord had mercy on him and met him, converted him, and brought him on the Christian race to run with endurance until he would receive the prize.

He was turned from darkness to light, and after being converted to Christ and after starting to run the race, he was preaching the gospel to turn many from darkness to light.

The Lord has gained this person who used to run the wrong course and the incorrect race, and this one, Paul, ran the heavenly race and finished the course.

We can take him as our pattern and run the Christian race with endurance today until we also receive the prize. We can tell the Lord,

Thank You, Lord, for saving us with Your divine life and bringing us on the Christian race. Hallelujah, we believers in Christ are runners in the heavenly race! Amen, Lord, we want to run the race with endurance until we receive the prize. We want to look away from anything that distracts us and just run the heavenly race by looking away unto Jesus! We love You, Lord Jesus! May we run and keep running the race until we reach the destination and receive the prize. Save us from running the wrong race. Keep us on the race of our Christian life toward the prize to which God in Christ has called us upward. Keep us running, Lord, that we might finish the course and receive the prize: the crown of righteousness! Hallelujah, the apostle Paul ran the race and finished the course, and he was assured that God would give him the crown of righteousness. Lord, keep us running the Christian race with endurance until we receive the prize!

Seek the Journey the Lord Ordained for us and Run with Endurance the Race Set Before Us

As believers in Christ, we need to realize that a proper Christian life involves running the course, running the race of the Christian life, for the carrying out of God’s economy according to His purpose.

This race is not our invention; rather, from eternity to eternity, God has only one way.

God doesn’t have different purposes and economies; he has only one eternal purpose and one economy.

For Him to accomplish His purpose, all those whom He has chosen and gained should run with endurance the race set before us.

We don’t need to invent our own cause or set our own race; we only need to seek out the journey that God has ordained for us and faithfully walk on it.

We need to see that our Christian life is a race and seek out the journey that the Lord has ordained for us and faithfully walk on it.

We need to pay any price to wholeheartedly continue on our journey until we reach the end.

We are not in a hurry, trying to be the first or second in the race set before us; rather, we pay the price to run with endurance the race set before us.

Paul didn’t say that he received the first prize; rather, he said that he finished his course; he finished his race.

The journey that the Lord has ordained for us is the race that we all run (Heb. 12:1).

We have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us; therefore, we should put away every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and run with endurance the race which is set before us.

This race is nothing else but Christ Himself, for He said, I am the way and the reality and the life (John 14:6).

Christ is the way, and we walk on the way and run the race.

Though Christ is our race, we shouldn’t take this way simply as a way but rather, take it as a race to run!

We shouldn’t take the time to consider, look around, stand still, or walk slowly, but run the race until we finish the course! Amen!

We are running the race for winning an incorruptible crown (1 Cor. 9:25), which is a reward as an incentive.

This reward will be given to us according to our works at the Lord’s coming back (Matt. 16:27; Rev. 22:12; 1 Cor. 4:5).

It will be decided at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10) and enjoyed by us in the coming kingdom (Matt. 25:21, 23).

This prize is not salvation in a common sense (Eph. 2:8; 1 Cor. 3:15) but a reward in a special sense (Heb. 10:35; 1 Cor. 3:14).

We have received eternal salvation by faith, not by our works, for we are saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9).

However, we will receive a reward for our work after we are saved (1 Cor. 3:8, 14).

All the believers in Christ have received the salvation of God by faith; however, whether every believer receives the reward depends on how he runs the race.

Running is different from walking; we don’t just walk slowly or jog, looking around at the scenery around us.

Rather, running a race involves putting aside anything that hinders us and simply running.

For us to run with endurance the race set before us, we need to put off every unnecessary weight, every encumbering burden.

We need to also put off the sin which so easily entangles us.

Each one of us has a sin or thing that entangles us and holds us back from running the race.

We need to put aside anything that encumbers us and simply run with endurance the race set before us.

There are outward encumbrances and inward sins that frustrate us from running the race.

We are running toward the goal, and we want to run with endurance the race set before us to receive the prize.

We need to consider before the Lord what are the things in us or around us that encumber us and frustrate us from running the race, and put them off.

The enemy has blinded us and so many Christians to think that, now that we are saved, we will all be rewarded by God with everything we need, so we don’t need to do much.

The Bible repeatedly tells us about the matter of reward.

But who pays attention to the Lord’s calling to gain this prize?

We need to come to the Lord in His word, be purified in our thinking and speaking, and run the race with endurance, even suffer the opposition with endurance (Heb. 12:2-3).

The wind is contrary to us. There is a current in the world today and there’s the degradation in Christianity that is contrary to us.

We need to run with endurance the race set before us, suffering the opposition.

We shouldn’t think it is strange that there is opposition and there are things that rise up against us to frustrate our running.

Rather, we should look away unto Jesus and run with endurance the race set before us.

Lord Jesus, we want to run with endurance the race set before us until we finish the course and receive the reward. We want to put off anything that encumbers us. Show us, Lord, what frustrates us in our running the Christian race. We want to put off the sin which so easily entangles us and run with endurance the race set before us! Amen, Lord, we want to win the race and receive an incorruptible crown at Your coming! We are not satisfied with only being saved through grace by faith; we want to gain the reward at Your return! Amen, Lord, we put off every unnecessary weight and every encumbering burden. We are willing to suffer the opposition with endurance so that we may run the race with endurance until we receive the reward! Oh Lord Jesus, we do not look at ourselves nor do we trust in our strength and endurance to run; we look away unto Jesus to be freshly and continually infused with Him as our faith as we run with endurance the Christian race!

References and Hymns on this Topic

• Inspiration for this article/sharing comes from the Word of God, the enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by the brothers in the message for this week, and portions from, Truth Lessons—Level Four, vol. 3, ls. 44, by Witness Lee, as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Fighting the Good Fight, Finishing the Course, Keeping the Faith, and Loving the Lord’s Appearing in Order to Receive the Reward of Christ as the Crown of Righteousness (2023 ICSC), week 2, Finishing the Course.
• Similar articles on this topic:
  – 2 Timothy 2:22: Flee Lusts and Pursue Christ, via, Bibles for America blog.
  – Paul, the pattern, a portion from, Life-Study of 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon, Chapter 19, by Witness Lee.
  – My Sweet Experience of Growing up in the Church Life, via, Living to Him.
  – The example of the apostle Paul, a portion from, The Kingdom, Chapter 49, by Witness Lee.
  – Run with Endurance towards New Jerusalem, via, New Jerusalem blog.
  – The Christian life being a race, a portion from, Life-Study of Hebrews, Chapter 50.
  – Does Your Christian Journey Need Road Signs? More via, Holding to Truth in Love.
  – John 11, 12, and Hebrews 12, a portion from, Collected Works of Watchman Nee, The (Set 1) Vol. 07: The Christian (5), Chapter 30, by Watchman Nee.
  – When I’ve run the race before me, a new song via, Hymnal.net.
• Hymns on this topic:
  – There’s a way before us and a race to run— / Christ our way, Christ our way! / Turn away from everything distracting us— / Run the race, run the race! / From the altar through the Holy Place, / Through the veil into our God, / To the law of life within the ark; / ’Tis the goal, our great reward. (Hymns #1207 stanza 1)
  – Long as my life shall last, / Teach me Thy way; / Where’er my lot be cast, / Teach me Thy way. / Until the race is run, / Until the journey’s done, / Until the crown is won, / Teach me Thy way. (Hymns #406 stanza 3)
  – O hope of glory, our Christ will return! / Waiting and watching, we faithfully serve, / Running the race, pressing on toward the goal / That we the Kingdom’s reward might deserve. (Hymns #966 stanza 4)