From: "Gospel Messenger Service" Subject: Running The Race Properly Date: Sat, 17 Dec 2005 09:50:04 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0008_01C602EF.485ECED0" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Unsent: 1 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2180 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0008_01C602EF.485ECED0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable RUNNING THE RACE PROPERLY=20 By Pastor Dick Living the Christian life here on earth is referred to in the Bible as = running in a race (Heb.12:1). A dead man cannot enter this race. He must = first qualify by coming to life; that is, by being born again by the = power of God, which comes by true repentance and believing in Christ who = purchased eternal life for us on the cross of Calvary. What is so = astonishing is that after we have entered this glorious race, how little = effort we put forth to learn to run the right way. Paul the apostle went into Galatia preaching the gospel. Many received = Christ and were joyfully running the right way. But it was not long = before they were knocked way off course. They stopped listening to the = voice of the Lord for themselves and depended on someone else for their = directions, which soon detoured them onto a road of death. Not into damnation; they did not lose the salvation Christ promised = them. They were eternally alive but walking in an area of death. They = were like someone who had chosen to leave a beautiful habitation to live = in a graveyard. Paul said to them, "Ye did run well; who did hinder you = that ye should not obey the truth?" (Gal.5:7). In another chapter he = used a stronger word; he said, "Who hath bewitched you?" (Gal.3:1). Someone told these new believers they must keep the law to run the race = properly. Paul tried to warn them about the dangerous place they were in = as he cried out to them, "Christ is become of no effect unto you, = whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace" = (Gal.5:4). The Bible says, "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth = came by Jesus Christ" (Jn.1:17). Are you going to travel with Moses in = the desert or with Jesus in the grace of God?! Law and grace do not mix; = you cannot live in both at the same time. You must choose one or the = other. Are you going to strive to keep the law to be right with God, or = are you going to rest in the finished work of Christ? The Scriptures tell us, "For to be carnally minded is death" (Rom.8:6). = A child of God who is eternally alive can still choose to walk on a = pathway of death, and nothing is more "carnally minded" than for a = Christian to frustrate the grace of God by thinking that he or she can = obtain righteousness by keeping the law, ". . . for if righteousness = come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain" (Gal.2:21). It is impossible to run this race properly while shouldering a = self-improvement weight. Even though it looks like a valuable thing to = carry through life, it is nothing more than one of those "logical = vision" stumbling blocks. When a Christian runs on a self- improvement = course, it is like saying Jesus did not do His job well enough. Are you = going to try to correct His work? Are you going to try to improve that = which Christ has made perfect by what He did on the cross? Do you dare = to think the sacrifice of the Son of God was not enough, that you must = do something else to make you complete? The Bible says, "For by one offering he (Jesus) hath perfected FOR EVER = them that are sanctified" (Heb.10:14); and, ". . . but ye are washed, = but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord = Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Cor.6:11). Do you dare to think = you can add improvement to that?! Of course, we can become better at the things we do. The process of = trial and error teaches us that. If you are a born again Christian, you = may become better at your occupation, but you will never become a better = person. That new creation Christ purchased on the cross is as good as it = is going to get. The new you is perfect in the sight of God. If this new = creation is not good enough for others, they have a problem; if it is = not good enough for you, then you have a problem! So, as far as trying to improve your flesh-that old man who has been = crucified with Christ on the cross-forget it! That is like going to a = graveyard, digging up a corpse, and trying to beautify it. It is best to = leave it buried. If you keep speaking to others about the things you = have done in the past in the flesh, it is like reading from a page = Christ has ripped out of your life and nailed to the cross. There is no = improving the old adamic nature; it is rotten to the core. It is the = part of us that is despicable; let us not try to coat it over. Paul = said, "For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth NO good = thing" (Rom.7:18). When we come to the place where we are willing to stop the performance = in our lives, we are then ready to let Christ do His great work through = us, for He is the only One who can perform what is good. When we try, it = is nothing more than acting. People love to be entertained by a good = performance, but God is only pleased when He sees the life of His Son = being lived through us: " . . . he which hath begun a good work in you = will PERFORM it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil.1:6). Notice. He = will perform it! Running the race in the grace of God frees us from having to perform to = please others, and we cannot put on an act to please God, for He knows = our intentions-He is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of our = heart (Heb.4:12). Therefore, we are free to stop acting and start living = in reality; in other words, we can stop trying to perform and simply = enjoy life by being who we really are in Christ. We can learn from the = lily. It toils not, neither does it spin (Matt.6:28); it just lives in = the life God gave to it. Let's give up struggling and simply run the = race properly in the grace of God. ------=_NextPart_000_0008_01C602EF.485ECED0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

RUNNING THE RACE PROPERLY

By Pastor = Dick

Living the Christian life = here on earth=20 is referred to in the Bible as running in a race (Heb.12:1). A dead man = cannot=20 enter this race. He must first qualify by coming to life; that is, by = being born=20 again by the power of God, which comes by true repentance and believing = in=20 Christ who purchased eternal life for us on the cross of Calvary. What = is so=20 astonishing is that after we have entered this glorious race, how little = effort=20 we put forth to learn to run the right way.

Paul the apostle went into = Galatia=20 preaching the gospel. Many received Christ and were joyfully running the = right=20 way. But it was not long before they were knocked way off course. They = stopped=20 listening to the voice of the Lord for themselves and depended on = someone else=20 for their directions, which soon detoured them onto a road of = death.

Not into damnation; they did = not lose the=20 salvation Christ promised them. They were eternally alive but walking in = an area=20 of death. They were like someone who had chosen to leave a beautiful = habitation=20 to live in a graveyard. Paul said to them, "Ye did run well; who did = hinder=20 you that ye should not obey the truth?" (Gal.5:7). In another = chapter he=20 used a stronger word; he said, "Who hath bewitched you?"=20 (Gal.3:1).

Someone told these new = believers they=20 must keep the law to run the race properly. Paul tried to warn them = about the=20 dangerous place they were in as he cried out to them, "Christ is = become of no=20 effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are = fallen from=20 grace" (Gal.5:4).

The Bible says, "For the = law was given=20 by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (Jn.1:17). Are = you going=20 to travel with Moses in the desert or with Jesus in the grace of God?! = Law and=20 grace do not mix; you cannot live in both at the same time. You must = choose one=20 or the other. Are you going to strive to keep the law to be right with = God, or=20 are you going to rest in the finished work of Christ?

The Scriptures tell us, = "For to be=20 carnally minded is death" (Rom.8:6). A child of God who is eternally = alive=20 can still choose to walk on a pathway of death, and nothing is more = "carnally=20 minded" than for a Christian to frustrate the grace of God by = thinking that=20 he or she can obtain righteousness by keeping the law, ". . . for if=20 righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain"=20 (Gal.2:21).

It is impossible to run this = race=20 properly while shouldering a self-improvement weight. Even though it = looks like=20 a valuable thing to carry through life, it is nothing more than one of = those=20 "logical vision" stumbling blocks. When a Christian runs on a self- = improvement=20 course, it is like saying Jesus did not do His job well enough. Are you = going to=20 try to correct His work? Are you going to try to improve that which = Christ has=20 made perfect by what He did on the cross? Do you dare to think the = sacrifice of=20 the Son of God was not enough, that you must do something else to make = you=20 complete?

The Bible says, "For by = one offering=20 he (Jesus) hath perfected FOR EVER them that are sanctified"=20 (Heb.10:14); and, ". . . but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, = but ye are=20 justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our = God" (1=20 Cor.6:11). Do you dare to think you can add improvement to = that?!

Of course, we can become = better at the=20 things we do. The process of trial and error teaches us that. If you are = a born=20 again Christian, you may become better at your occupation, but you will = never=20 become a better person. That new creation Christ purchased on the cross = is as=20 good as it is going to get. The new you is perfect in the sight of God. = If this=20 new creation is not good enough for others, they have a problem; if it = is not=20 good enough for you, then you have a problem!

So, as far as trying to = improve your=20 flesh=97that old man who has been crucified with Christ on the = cross=97forget it!=20 That is like going to a graveyard, digging up a corpse, and trying to = beautify=20 it. It is best to leave it buried. If you keep speaking to others about = the=20 things you have done in the past in the flesh, it is like reading from a = page=20 Christ has ripped out of your life and nailed to the cross. There is no=20 improving the old adamic nature; it is rotten to the core. It is the = part of us=20 that is despicable; let us not try to coat it over. Paul said, "For I = know=20 that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth NO good thing"=20 (Rom.7:18).

When we come to the place = where we are=20 willing to stop the performance in our lives, we are then ready to let = Christ do=20 His great work through us, for He is the only One who can perform what = is good.=20 When we try, it is nothing more than acting. People love to be = entertained by a=20 good performance, but God is only pleased when He sees the life of His = Son being=20 lived through us: " . . . he which hath begun a good work in you will = PERFORM=20 it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil.1:6). Notice. He will = perform=20 it!

Running the race in the grace = of God=20 frees us from having to perform to please others, and we cannot put on = an act to=20 please God, for He knows our intentions=97He is a discerner of the = thoughts and=20 intents of our heart (Heb.4:12). Therefore, we are free to stop acting = and start=20 living in reality; in other words, we can stop trying to perform and = simply=20 enjoy life by being who we really are in Christ. We can learn from the = lily. It=20 toils not, neither does it spin (Matt.6:28); it just lives in the life = God gave=20 to it. Let=92s give up struggling and simply run the race properly in = the grace of=20 God.

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