The Race in Christ Jesus!

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” – 2 Timothy 4:7-8 NIV

Even though being a follower of Jesus until the end of the age is hard (Matthew 16:24-27; Matthew 7:13-14)—we ought to persevere it until the end of the age, with faith in Christ Jesus. This is because if we hold on faith of Christ Jesus and do the works  of God in Him (Ephesians 2:8-10) until the end of the age (Matthew 7:21), then we can be certain that  we are going to enter glorious eternal kingdom of heaven, where we supposed to belong (Genesis 1-2). Furthermore, when we are in the kingdom of God in spiritual form (2 Corinthians 5:1-5), we are going to have everlasting satisfaction and joy (Isaiah 35:10) with our heavenly Father (Ephesians 4:6). This is because the word of God states, “‘He [God] will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death' or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4)

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Second of all, James 4:4 points out that friendship with the world makes us to be enemies of God. This is because 2 Corinthians 4:4 proclaims, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” To be specific, 1 John 5:19 says that the whole world is in the control the evil one (Revelation 12:7-9), due to the fact that Satan, the evil serpent entered the world from the time of Adam (Romans 5:12-14; Genesis 3), to deceive many that God has created in His image (Genesis 1:27). Thus, for this reason, we have to overcome the world (1 John 5:1-5). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. (1 John 2:15-17, Hebrews 11:6)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Furthermore, God gave us His Spirit (Ezekiel 36:26-27) and the Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17) to follow. This is because He wants to give us a chance to be the righteousness of God, even though we have sinned (Romans 3:23); and this is why Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24). To be more specific, the Holy Spirit has been given to us by our heavenly Father to do His will (John 14:15-27). Because this heart-to-heart transformation with the Spirit of God has been quite hard for us to be followers of Jesus—God has given us His Word as well, to show us how to be the righteousness of God properly (Romans 1:17). “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) Thus, for these reasons, Apostle Paul declares:

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. (Galatians 6:7-10)

Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in the one Spirit, striving together as one for the faith of the gospel without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him. (Philippians 1:27-29)