RUN Christ
Why would Christ run? Who would he run from? What would he run towards?
Christ didn’t run. Everything he did was deliberate and well thought out, but there was running. In Matthew 28:8 the two Mary’s ran to tell the disciples about the risen savior and ever since then disciples of Christ have been running for one reason or another!
The Jews heavily persecuted and and chased Christians all over the known world after the death of Christ. Saul of Tarsus made havoc of the church, claimed to be a Christian and imprisoned those that answered his hale. (Acts 8:3). The Romans threw their hat in and persecuted Christians; burning them at the stake, beheading them and throwing them to the lions. Even after Jerusalem was destroyed, Christians were running for their lives. The one good thing about all of this; was while they were running, they took The Gospel with them! Ever since then The Word of God has persevered and continues until this day.
The Apostle Paul speaks of running. But it is a spiritual RUN. 1 Corinthians 9:24 basically tells us that we stand or fall by our own efforts in our spiritual RUN and verse 26 is very explicit. It tells us that we should be deliberate in our RUN. To be deliberate means that we should have a plan. We should know what we are running for. The only way we can know these things, is if we know the rules of the RUN.
What is the RUN? Well, it is not what you might think for these thoughts. It is not a race, it is a question….
R U N Christ?
Hebrews 12:1 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 so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. When I was a teenager I was a runner. One of the ways that I trained for a race, was by running in practice with ankle weights. I would even go as far as wearing them right before a race. Once those weights came off, I would feel light as air and ran like greased lightning (well not really that fast…). Our spiritual race is the same. Once we obey The Gospel we should be putting aside that extra weight, and every day of our lives should be one of releasing the sin that is holding us down.
Have you been washed by the blood of the lamb? Ephesians 2:13 tells us that we have been made nigh by the blood of Christ. At one time we were far off. If we R N Christ we have redemption and are washed as of a lamb without spot and blemish. (1 Peter 1:19).
Just because we have been baptized into Christ, doesn’t mean that we R N Christ. Jesus tells us that many will call him Lord and in that day profess to have cast out devils and prophesied in his name (Matthew 7:21-23). He states emphatically that doing things in his name is not enough. We must do the will of our Father. Without a firm resolve we can be tempted to the point of falling away (Galatians 1:6). We even have an example of a man in Acts the 8th chapter; that was baptized, but his heart was not right. Simon had an ulterior motive and once it was made evident to him, he set that weight aside by asking for prayers and forgiveness.
R U N Christ? We need to daily set the weights aside that beset us. We need to constantly be on guard for what Satan has ready for us and RUN the race as best as we can!
God Bless
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