Not only are we to walk a certain way, but at times we are commanded to run. How ought we to run? Well, when we look throughout Scripture, we find that we are to run with confidence, run differently, run with endurance, and run to win. Let's take a closer look at each of these.
We are to run with confidence: "Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain" (Philippians 2:16). That word of life is Jesus Christ. We can be assured and trust in the fact that if we hold to Him and "walk in Him" (Colossians 2:6), that we "shall not be ashamed" (Romans 10:11) and will not have "run... neither laboured in vain." In His letters to the seven churches, Jesus promises certain rewards to the over-comers. Enoch stood out like a sore thumb in his generation. He "walked with God" while it is said of his contemporaries that "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). What other rewards may he have received from God apart from not seeing death? Is Jesus worthy of your confidence?
"I will run the way of Thy commandments" (Psalm 119:32). We are to run differently. The word here for "run" is the Hebrew rus, which means "to hasten, to run, to hurry, to chase." Scripture tells us of men that "their feet run to evil" (Proverbs 1:16; Isaiah 59:7) and that "they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot" (1 Peter 4:4). There's something to be said of a man who hastens to do evil. As children of God, we are to run differently than they do. The way we run is to be notably different from the way they run. In 1 Peter 4:4, the Greek for "riot" is asotia (ασωτια), which means "unsavedness." This brings us to what John has written in 1 John 3:4-10. If you claim to be a Christian and are living in habitual sin, you are a liar and are not a Christian. A true, biblical, born-again Christian lives in a manner that demonstrates that they have been saved and that they are grateful for what Christ has done for them, wanting to please Him with their life: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).
In that great chapter of holy Scripture dealing with faith, we are told, "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" (Hebrews 12:1). The word here for "patience" is the Greek hupomone (υπομονη), which means "cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy." So here we are told to run with cheerful persevering endurance the race that has been set before us; the race of the Christian life, which is "a race of service and a race of sufferings" (Matthew Henry's Commentary, Vol. 6, p. 768). Paul says, "I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). Elsewhere he says, "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (1 Corinthians 9:27).
I have run in many races before when I was in school. When you are in a race, your mind is set upon the goal to be attained. What would it profit a runner to stop and sign autographs while he had been running only to lose the race? Jesus put it forth more profoundly: "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36). We are in a race to obtain holiness, to obtain Christ-likeness, to obtain perfection. Granted, we will not see it in this life, but that does not mean we can sit on the sidelines. A runner will never reach the finish line if he dawdles at the starting line or meanders off course in the middle of the race. Where are our eyes to be focused in this race? "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). We're even given an example in Christ to follow in the remainder of that verse.
A runner who is running a race draws closer and closer toward the finish line. Likewise, a true, biblical, born-again Christian grows more and more in holiness as they run the race of faith. If there is no growth, then you need to examine yourself to see if you're in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5), because more than likely you are a false convert—part of the 75% bad soil that Christ spoke about (Matthew 13:1-23).
We are to run to win: "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain" (1 Corinthians 9:24). If you're going to win, you need to discipline your body: "I keep under my body and bring it into subjection" (2 Corinthians 9:26). The Galatians began well, but then started waning, to which Paul confronted them, "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" (Galatians 5:7). We must not wane if we are to reach the finish line. It does a runner no good to start the race with two steps and then sit down on the ground cross-legged and do nothing. You're either in the race to win or you're not in the race at all. There are only two options. Which do you belong to? and does it show in your life?
We are to run with confidence: "Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain" (Philippians 2:16). That word of life is Jesus Christ. We can be assured and trust in the fact that if we hold to Him and "walk in Him" (Colossians 2:6), that we "shall not be ashamed" (Romans 10:11) and will not have "run... neither laboured in vain." In His letters to the seven churches, Jesus promises certain rewards to the over-comers. Enoch stood out like a sore thumb in his generation. He "walked with God" while it is said of his contemporaries that "every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Genesis 6:5). What other rewards may he have received from God apart from not seeing death? Is Jesus worthy of your confidence?
"I will run the way of Thy commandments" (Psalm 119:32). We are to run differently. The word here for "run" is the Hebrew rus, which means "to hasten, to run, to hurry, to chase." Scripture tells us of men that "their feet run to evil" (Proverbs 1:16; Isaiah 59:7) and that "they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot" (1 Peter 4:4). There's something to be said of a man who hastens to do evil. As children of God, we are to run differently than they do. The way we run is to be notably different from the way they run. In 1 Peter 4:4, the Greek for "riot" is asotia (ασωτια), which means "unsavedness." This brings us to what John has written in 1 John 3:4-10. If you claim to be a Christian and are living in habitual sin, you are a liar and are not a Christian. A true, biblical, born-again Christian lives in a manner that demonstrates that they have been saved and that they are grateful for what Christ has done for them, wanting to please Him with their life: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service" (Romans 12:1).
In that great chapter of holy Scripture dealing with faith, we are told, "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" (Hebrews 12:1). The word here for "patience" is the Greek hupomone (υπομονη), which means "cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy." So here we are told to run with cheerful persevering endurance the race that has been set before us; the race of the Christian life, which is "a race of service and a race of sufferings" (Matthew Henry's Commentary, Vol. 6, p. 768). Paul says, "I press toward the mark (goal) for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14). Elsewhere he says, "I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (1 Corinthians 9:27).
I have run in many races before when I was in school. When you are in a race, your mind is set upon the goal to be attained. What would it profit a runner to stop and sign autographs while he had been running only to lose the race? Jesus put it forth more profoundly: "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36). We are in a race to obtain holiness, to obtain Christ-likeness, to obtain perfection. Granted, we will not see it in this life, but that does not mean we can sit on the sidelines. A runner will never reach the finish line if he dawdles at the starting line or meanders off course in the middle of the race. Where are our eyes to be focused in this race? "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). We're even given an example in Christ to follow in the remainder of that verse.
A runner who is running a race draws closer and closer toward the finish line. Likewise, a true, biblical, born-again Christian grows more and more in holiness as they run the race of faith. If there is no growth, then you need to examine yourself to see if you're in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5), because more than likely you are a false convert—part of the 75% bad soil that Christ spoke about (Matthew 13:1-23).
We are to run to win: "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain" (1 Corinthians 9:24). If you're going to win, you need to discipline your body: "I keep under my body and bring it into subjection" (2 Corinthians 9:26). The Galatians began well, but then started waning, to which Paul confronted them, "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" (Galatians 5:7). We must not wane if we are to reach the finish line. It does a runner no good to start the race with two steps and then sit down on the ground cross-legged and do nothing. You're either in the race to win or you're not in the race at all. There are only two options. Which do you belong to? and does it show in your life?