Run Well, Finish Well
"Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" Gal. 5:7
Emphasis on did. Remember the days when you first came to know Jesus? How your heart was stirred with an unspeakable joy, and every word of Scripture was like a fresh glass of water to your thirsty soul. You ran well, not because the path was easy, but because your eyes were fixed on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith.
It is said, “Where Christ sets up His Church, the devil sets up his chapel.” Indeed. In every congregation, among the preaching of the Truth, voices creep in unawares, whispering, "Christ alone is not enough." Like the Judaizers of the New Testament Church, who troubled the Galatians, there are voices today that subtly bind heavy burdens upon the soul, insisting on rules and experiences well beyond the Word of God. They insist that to truly follow Jesus, you must adhere to certain practices and teachings and attain a level of personal spiritual experience that goes beyond what Scripture prescribes.
Dear one, let us not be swayed from the grace that is in Christ Jesus. Our salvation, our standing before God, is not based on our adherence to man-made rules or the depth of our spiritual experiences, but solely on the work of Christ on the cross. We are called to a life of faith, expressed in love and obedience, not to earn God's favor, but as a joyful response to the grace we have freely received.
Therefore, let us return to the pure milk of the Word, to the simple yet deep truth of the Law and Gospel. Let our obedience flow from a heart of gratitude, not from a place of fear or obligation. Let us run our race with endurance, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, for in Him alone is our hope, our righteousness, and our salvation.
And let us run with patience, casting aside every weight and sin that clings so easily to our flesh. Let us run with perseverance the race set before us, looking unto Jesus. For in Him, we will find the strength to run well, the grace to overcome well, and the assurance of finishing well on that last day.
I enjoyed your post which was a pleasure to read. It reminded me of a hymn we sing, which says,
There’s a race for us to run, Hallelujah!
And a way for us the race to win.
To all those who have begun, Hallelujah!
God has spoken, Look away to Him!
Look away! Oh, Look away!
Look to Jesus, now today!
Look away from everything into Jesus!
Look away from everything to Him!
You can find the tune and the rest of the words on hymnal.net
Meanwhile, I would like to make a comment on your post regarding Paul’s last words before his martyrdom in which he writes to his young coworker, Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:7-10 saying,
“I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge will recompense me in that day, and not only me, but also all those who have loved His appearing.
Be diligent to come to me quickly, for Demas has abandoned me, having loved the present age…”
I would like to point out two things from this passage. One is that there is a course ordained by God for each of us to run and the finish. May we all run and finish the course that God has ordained for us. That might imply that some do not run on the course that God has ordained for them and that some may not finish the course or finish well.
But for those who do finish the course there is a prize, a crown of righteousness for all the New Testament runners who run the race that the Lord Jesus has set before us, looking away unto Jesus.
The other point I would like to raise is that there seems to be a contrast between all those who have loved His appearing like Paul and those who love the present age like Demas who abandoned Paul. Let us be among those who love His appearing not only in living a life with His second coming in view but also by loving His appearing to us in our morning times, our daily reading and in the every day circumstances in our life so that we when He is manifested we will be like Him for we will see Him even as He is. Blessings.