OUR SPIRITUAL RACE "Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside ever 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." Hebrews 12:1-2
In being a new creature in Christ, we are running a Spiritual Race of life so that we can inherit the Spiritual Blessings of eternal life. Therefore, we should run the Spiritual Race of life so that we can inherit the Divine Blessings of eternal life.
Learn the following truth because your life is valuable.
THE EXHORTATIONS FOR OUR SPIRITUAL RACE I. In being an alien sinner, we are admonished to save ourselves from this evil generation. "Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and "Christ. Now when they heard this, they were picked in their hearts, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continue steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." Acts 2:36-42
II. In being a son of God by regeneration, we are exhorted to pray for all men everywhere. "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:1-4
III. In being a disciple of Christ, we are admonished to serve the living God with an acceptable service. "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. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Romans 12:1-2
THE HINDRANCES FOR OUR SPIRITUAL RACE I. In being a New Testament Christian, fleshly lust will hinder our own Spiritual Race of life because we must run until we finish the race. "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul." 1 Peter 2:11
II. In being a son of God by regeneration, an evil heart of unbelief will interfere with our own Spiritual Race of life because we must walk by faith not by sight. "For we walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7 "Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." Hebrews 3:12-13
III. In being a disciple of Christ, becoming embittered will obstruct our own Spiritual Race of life because we must have a good attitude in this life. "And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostle's hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this power, that in whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit. But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hat neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me." Acts 8:18-23
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR OUR SPIRITUAL RACE I. In being a New Testament Christian, we must forsake all manner of sin so that we can run that Spiritual Race of life without any hindrances. "Let not sin therefore reign (rule) in you mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God." Romans 6:12-13
II. In being a son of God by regeneration, we need to run that Spiritual Race of life with patience so that we can endure unto the end. "Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count the happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy." James 5:10-11
III. In being a disciple of Christ, we should run that Spiritual Race of life with heavenly vision so that we can look unto Jesus who is the author and the finisher of our faith. "If ye then be risen with Christ (by the act of baptism), seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead (to the old life of sin), and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory." Colossians 3:1-4
THE BLESSINGS OF OUR SPIRITUAL RACE I. If we are running that Spiritual Race of life, we are growing in grace and in knowledge of the truth. "Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious." 1 Peter 2:1-3
II. If we are running that Spiritual Race of life, we are being transformed more and more into the image and the glory of our Lord. "Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (freedom from our sins). But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
III. If we are running that Spiritual Race of life, we will be given a crown of life. "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." Revelation 2:10
THE CONCLUSION I. We in being a New Testament Christian are running the Spiritual Race of life because we have been created and redeemed by three Heavenly Persons (Personalities or Beings) who equally are called the Lord God in being the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and who are called Christ the Lord in being the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit so that in this world we can become like Them. Equality signifies that those three Heavenly Persons who equally are called the Lord God and Christ the Lord in being our Creator and our Redeemer are equal in power, rule and authority in matters of Their Own Individual Being of life because They equally possess the same Divine Personage, Powers, Nature and Attributes of life.
II. The Father and the Son Relationship which exist between the Lord God and Christ the Lord is the being of a Father-head Figure and an Offspring Status Relationship instead of being two ranked Persons because those three Lord God Persons, who were called the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit in being our Creator, equally made Themselves to work and rule in the Title Name of Christ the Lord in being called the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit so that They could be our Redeemer. Rank would mean that the Father would be the first Person in power, rule and authority; the Son (Jesus) would be the second Person in power, rule and authority; whereas the Holy Spirit would be the third Person in power, rule and authority.
III. The Lord God and Christ the Lord are the two Title Names in which three Heavenly Persons who equally are working and ruling in matters of our own creation and redemption of life because we in being a New Testament Christian been created and redeemed by three equal Persons who are called the Lord God in being the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and who are called Christ the Lord in being the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit so that in that world which is to come we can become equal (having power, rule and authority) with Them.
A. We in being a New Testament Christian will become equal with those three Spiritual Persons who equally are called the Lord God and Christ the Lord in being our Creator and our Redeemer because in our Heavenly Home we will equally possess Their Spiritual Personage of life which will be a Spiritual Body, and an Eternal Soul and Spirit in reference to our own individual nature of life. "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thessalonians 5:23 "It is sown a nature body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body." 1 Corinthians 15:44 "Who (our Lord) shall change our vile body (our fleshly body), that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body (His Spiritual Body), according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself." Philippians 3:21 "And as we have borne the image of the earthy (the earthy man who possesses a physical body, and an Eternal Soul and Spirit), we shall also bear the image of the heavenly" (the Spiritual Person who has a Spiritual Body, and an Eternal Soul and Spirit). 1 Corinthians 15:49 This means that we will be a Spiritual Person who possesses a Spiritual Body, and an Eternal Soul and Spirit in our Heavenly Home because these are the Spiritual Characteristics of a Spiritual Person.
B. We in being a New Testament Christian will become equal with those three Divine Persons who equally are called the Lord God and Christ the Lord in being our Creator and our Redeemer because in our Heavenly Home we will equally possess Their Divine Powers of life in reference to our own individual being of life. "If we suffer, we shall also reign (rule) with him (the Lord our God). If we deny him, he also will deny us." 2 Timothy 2:12 "To him that overcometh (the forces of evil) will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." Revelation 3:21 "And to him will I give power over the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father." Revelation 2:26-27 "And they shall reign (rule) for ever and ever" (over the powers of Satan). Revelation 22:5 This means that we will be Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent in our Heavenly Home because these are the Divine Powers of a Divine Person.
C. We in being a New Testament Christian will become equal with those three Divine Persons who equally are called the Lord God and Christ the Lord in being our Creator and our Redeemer because in our Heavenly Home we will equally possess Their Divine Nature of life in matters of our own individual nature of life. "It is written in your law, I said, Ye (created men) are gods. If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scriptures can not be broken." John 10:34-35 "God has given unto us many exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." 2 Peter 1:4 "Him that overcometh (the powers of Satan) will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name." Revelation 3:12 "Of whom (God) the whole family in heaven and earth is named." Ephesians 3:15 This means that we will be eternal, impartial, self-existing, glorious, accessible, monotheistical, divine, visible, perfect, immutable, spiritual and immortal in our Heavenly Home because these are the Divine Traits of a Divine Person.
D. We in being a New Testament Christian will become equal with those three Divine Persons who equally are called the Lord God and Christ the Lord in being our Creator and our Redeemer because in our Heavenly Home we will equally possess Their Divine Attributes of life in reference to our own individual being of life. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matthew 5:48 "Be ye also merciful, as your Father also is merciful." Luke 6:36 "He that overcometh (the powers of sin), the same shall be clothed in white raiment (having his Divine Attributes Perfected): and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angles." Revelation 3:5 "For there shall in no wise enter into it (the Heavenly City) any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." Revelation 21:27 This means that we will be lovable, holy, merciful, faithful, just, righteous, good, jealous, truthful, longsuffering, unchangeable and gracious in our Heavenly Home because these are the Divine Attributes of a Divine Person.E. We in being a New Testament Christian will become equal with those three Divine Persons who equally are called the Lord God and Christ the Lord in being our Creator and our Redeemer because we are heirs of God and joint-heirs (equal heirs) with Christ in matters of our own creation and redemption of life. "The Spirit (the Holy Spirit) Himself beareth witness with our spirit (our character: our personality), that we are the children of God (by creation and by regeneration): And If children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs (equal heirs) with Christ." Romans 8:16-17 This means that in our Heavenly Home all Divine Persons will be equal in power, rule and authority.
F. We in being a New Testament Christian will become equal with those three Heavenly Persons who equally are called the Lord God and Christ the Lord in being our Creator and our Redeemer because in our Heavenly Home we will equally possess Their Heavenly Immortality of life in reference to our own individual nature of life. "Which in his times he shall shew who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords: Who only hath immortality (the Lord in all of His Power and Glory only has immortality, but the Lord has promised to give unto us those same Spiritual Blessings of Immortality), dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen." 1 Timothy 6:15-16 "To them (the Christians) who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life." Romans 2:7 This means that we will be a deathless Person in our Heavenly Home because a Heavenly Person can not die in a physical or in a Spiritual Way.1). We in being a New Testament Christian can become all that God will ever be because we can become the fullness of God in our Heavenly Home. Paul prayed that, "Ye (Christians) might be filled with all the fullness (the completeness) of God." Ephesians 3:19
2). We in being a New Testament Christian will become all that God is in the way of Personage, Powers, Nature and Attributes of life because God must become all and in all. Paul said that we will be presented to God in heaven so that "God (the Spiritual Nature of God) may be all (to each Person who has been saved) and in all" (of each Person that is saved). 1 Corinthians 15:28
"Of whom (God) the whole family in heaven and earth is named." Ephesians 3:15 Please get others to read this article so that they can learn more about the Divine Blessings of their own immortality of life because their life is precious.
May the Lord bless you and give you wisdom so that you can learn more about the Spiritual Blessings of your own divine nature of life because your life is priceless.
