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From: 	 heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Sent: 	 Thursday, June 19, 1997 12:31 AM
To: 	 Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup
Subject: The Inheritance - Part II


From:    drleves@ibm.net
To:      heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: Chapter five

From Eddie:
***************

This is part II of the article from our member. "Running the race" is a BRIDAL concept NOT a SALVATION concept.

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CHAPTER FIVE

Running the Race

Paul likens the life of the believer to an olympic race.  He told the
Church of Corinth "Know ye not that they which run in a race all run,
but one receiveth the prize?  So run, that ye may obtain" (1 Cor 9:24).

The Church at Corinth was well acquainted with Paul's discourse.  They
knew the trials and sacrifice that the olympian candidate had to make in
order to qualify in this great event.  First he had to agree to leave
his home and go live with his trainer, who would practically be with him
at all times. He would go on a special diet and rise early every morning
to train.  Great weights were tied to his legs and under the hot burning
sun and in all kinds of weather he had to run till he was completely
exhausted.  When he fell he had to pick himself up and continue on his
course.  His trainer did not pacify his flesh but he kept after him day
and night.  Finally on the day of the great olympic race, he was ready.
One thing was different now, however, the weights were removed.  The
awful burden that he had had to run with was removed, and now as he ran
his speed was incredible.  It would take him to the finish line and
there a crown was placed on his head.  He would be the city's hero and
would be exempt from taxation the rest of his life.    The Christian is
also running a race with a crown as the prize. The olympic runner had to
train for this race with a heavy burden. The believer has no need for
the burden because Christ came and took our burdens (sin) and finished
the course.

This is why the Bible tells us "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed
about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT,
and the sin which doth easily beset us, and let us run with patience the
RACE that is set before us" (Heb 12:1).

 As sin is an hinderance to the life of the believer.  It will hold us
down from running the race in Christ.

Remember there is only one winner in the race, and that winner is
Christ. He left that burden (our sins) at the cross and finished the
course for us.  If we run in our own capacity (religious works, own
efforts) we will lose. These are only works of the flesh.  We might even
get discouraged and quit the race like some do (backsliding).

Paul further said concerning of the race for worldly things (the olympic
race in this case), "And every man that striveth for the mastery is
temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown;
but we an incorruptible crown.  I therefore so run, not as uncertainly;
so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:  But I keep under my body,
and bring it unto subjection:  lest that by any means, when I preached
to others, I myself should be a castaway" (1 Cor 9;24-27).

The word castaway in this text is rendered to mean that he would be
disqualified from the race.  There are rules in the race, and no one
runs without obeying them.

Everyone has a course to run in this life. John the Baptist had a
course, for the Word tells us  "And as John fulfilled his course, he
said,"  whom think ye that I am? I am not He.  But, behold, there cometh
one after me, whose shoes of his feet, I am not worthy to loose" (Acts
13:25).

Paul, coming to the end of his life, cried out  "I have fought a good
fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth
there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto
all them that love his appearing" (2 Tim 4:7-8).

Paul gave the ground rules for this race. First he stated that he had
fought a good fight. He also instructed us and said that battle was with
not only principalities and dominions, but against our own flesh, for he
said, "the flesh lusted against the Spirit and the Spirit against the
flesh" (Gal 5:17).   Notice he also knew that he had finished the
course, because he was about to lose his life for the sake of the
Kingdom.  Finally he said, "I have kept the faith," which means that his
entire Christian life was not based on what he did, but on his faith on
what Christ did.

He was able to run the race without the burdens of guilt and religious
legalism that sound good to the flesh but holds people down.  No one can
run this race in the flesh.  It is a spiritual race that is not run by
might or by power, but only by the Spirit of the Living God.   Paul also
says, "Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness,
which the Lord, the righteous Judge shall give me at that day." (2 Tim
4:8).

In the book of Romans St. Paul writes "But why dost thou judge thy
brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all
stand before the judgment seat of Christ" (Rom 14;10). The word "seat"
in the Greek is the "BEMA," the place were the Olympian winner stood
before the judge who would render the prize (the crown).

In the book of Revelation we are warned by the Lord, "Behold, I come
quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown"
(Rev 3:11).  Satan can't destroy or kill the incorruptible seed which
through the Word of God lives and abides forever (See 1 Peter 1:23-24).
He certainly can discourage you from running this race by lying to you
and by making you believe you are not good enough.  Once you have
fallen, it is all over.  He wants to steal your crown, and he will do
just that if you don't understand Grace and the works of God.

  Those who are pridefully striving in their flesh he will make them
judge other weak brothers, so that in turn their own race is fruitless.

   What a scam!  Beware of any religious pride, whether it be in self or
your denomination or in anything.  Love the brethren and not the
denomination, nor the affiliation.  Jesus said, "Beware of the leaven of
the Pharisees."  We read in James that "Blessed is the man that endureth
temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life,
which the Lord hath promised to them that love him" (James 1:12).
Temptations give us the opportunity to excel against our opponent in
this race Adam (the flesh), and help us win with Christ.  We are told
that if we intend to run this race we must be ready to count the cost.
And the cost is not cheap, it's your life!  Jesus said "And he that
taketh not his cross, and followeth after me is not worthy of me: He
that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my
sake shall find it" (Matt 10:38-39).  In John 3:16 the Lord laid down
His life for us.  He finished the course.  In 1 John 3:16 we are told to
follow in his footsteps to the cross, lay down our lives and finish the
course.  The main obstacles are the flesh, the world, and the devil.
Only through the cross can we ever hope to get through the course.  Only
by following the course of Jesus who is the truth, the way, and the
life, can we finish the course set before us and win the crown.

So let us run this race that we may receive that crown of glory that the
Lord has called us to obtain.  It is worth the while to set every sin
that so easily beset us, and run with patience the race which the Lord
has set before us.  For the scriptures instruct us, "Wherefore seeing we
also are compassed about with so a great cloud of witnesses, let us lay
aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us
run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1)

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