The Finish Line
By Pastor Jeff
2 Timothy 4:7-8, ” I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.” Nobody gets into a race with the thought that they would not finish the race but most of us that are still in the race know someone or have had friends that have dropped out of the race abandoning the finish line. I’m talking about the most important race, the christian race!
Many of us that have gotten in this race never thought that it would turn from what we believed a sprint into a marathon and I personally never thought about the finish line, just that my life was a mess and I needed a Savior to deliver me from that mess. Thank God that Jesus Christ revealed Himself to me some 33 years ago. Those of us that have persevered learned that we had to make some serious adjustments to our lives to be able to continue in this race, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, ” Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.
I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But 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.”
This race is not an easy one, it is filled will trips, falls, discouragements, disappointments, but if you stop looking at the obstacles in front of us and look to the finish line you will continue to fulfill what Christ has for our lives. Most if not all of us have had to stop time to time to catch our breaths and sometimes have stepped out of the race from time to time. But I encourage you to get back up, get back up, catch your second, third, fourth wind and no matter what even if you have to crawl push on to the finish line for eternal life with our Lord Jesus Christ is well worth it. Hebrews 21:1-2, ” 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, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God”
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