Living Stream Ministry

RUN THE RACE

Chapter twelve shows us that we should lay aside every weight and run the race. If you fall while running the race, you should simply rise to your feet and continue running the race. There is no need to go back to the beginning, but just to begin where you fell. No runner who falls down while in a race would be so stupid as to go back to the beginning and start over. Rather, he would get up from the point where he falls and continue to run the race.

Many Christians, though, do this very thing. Every year at the time of revival, they go back to the beginning and repent once more. There is no need for them to do this. They just need to rise up from where they have fallen and run the race for the kingdom.

If we will not be obedient to the Lord and go on, we have to realize that our God is a consuming fire (12:29). If we refuse to take grace and go on, surely God will one day exercise some judgment upon us. This does not mean we will be lost, but it does mean we will suffer something.

We need to see that we have such a wonderful Christ who is superior to everything. He is superior to the angels, to Moses and Joshua, to Aaron and the priests, and to the Old Covenant. Furthermore, we have such a prevailing way to go on—the way of faith. We need to go on to enjoy Christ and to take the overcoming way. Eventually, we will have the full enjoyment of Christ which will consummate in the kingdom. However, if we do not go on to enjoy Christ in such a wonderful way, we will miss something, and we will suffer something. All these points in Hebrews are the development of the seeds sown in the book of Matthew concerning the kingdom.

(The Kingdom, Chapter 45, by Witness Lee)