The life a Christian is asked to live is likened to many things: like a journey which one takes; a servant serving his master; a warfare one is engaged in; a marriage, and to servants trading and dealing with their masters’ monies. Perhaps one of the most familiar is that in which a race is run.
Of this latter Paul wrote: “Know ye not that they that run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? Even so run that ye may attain. And every man that striveth in the games exerciseth self-control in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, as not uncertainly, so fight I, as not beating the air, but I buffet my body and bring it under bondage lest by any means after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected”. 1 Cor. 9:24-27.
In a race if one would win a prize, he must enter the race, he must be enrolled in the game. If one desires the crown of eternal life, he must also enroll in the “game”. Christ Jesus gave the conditions to enter the race. Some who heard Peter’s Pentecost sermon were smitten in their hearts when they realized that they had killed their Messiah. They asked Peter and the other apostles what they must do to be saved. Peter responded “Repent ye and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins…” (Acts 2:38). These people were not told to believe to be saved (although one must believe), because their question showed obviously they already did. But, although they were troubled in their conscience because of their sins, they needed to resolve to cease living ungodly lives and bring forth fruit worthy of repentance. What they needed to do (aside from repenting) was to be baptized for the remission of their sins for that is what the Captain of their salvation has commanded, Mark 16:15f. About 3,000 souls responded to Peter’s instructions and were added to the church (Acts 2:41).
Once one obeys Jesus’ commandments, he is enrolled in the race; but he has the race to run and he must run that race to receive the prize and what prize awaits him: remission of sins; a future resurrection from the dead, eternal life, and an eternal home with God. The runner in this race does not have the uncertainly that runners have in a physical race: many run, but only one receives the prize. But whoever runs in the race for eternal life can win the crown for all are promised that reward if they run as Christ directs them to.
Running in this race, as in a literal race, demands preparation and bodily exercise: the runner in this race must exercise; he must buffet his body just as Paul said he did to his body. He did so because while he knew he could gain the crown, he also knew that to gain that crown, he must exercise control of his body which demands constant effort.
Running this race does not end before one’s earthly life ends. The church at Smyrna was urged “Be thou faithful unto death and I will give thee the crown of life” (Rm. 2:10). The immediate meaning of the phrase “Be thou faithful unto death” means that their commitment to Christ meant even to die for their faith if that was what it took to be faithful to Him. Still, it goes without argument, that commitment to Christ means as long as one lives for certainly that meaning in inherent in the phrase as well.
No winner in any earthly race ever won a crown comparable to the prize the Christian receives at the end of his successful race: eternal life and a glorious home with God. It is worth our efforts and no one who wins this crown who will ever regret whatever sacrifice he made or what pain he suffered to remain faithful to Christ. No one who gains heaven will ever deny that “Heaven is surely worth it all!”
Jim McDonald