The Crucifixion, however else we may interpret it, accuses human nature, accuses all of us in the very things that we think are our righteousness…. Our attitude to the Crucifixion must be that of self-identification with the rest of human nature—we must say, “We did it”; and the inability to adopt something of the same attitude in the case of twentieth-century events has caused our phenomenal failure to deal with the problem of evil.
~Herbert Butterfield (1900- )
We’ve all seen it.
The guy we all thought was some sort of a spiritual giant. He was at every event, and helped everybody with everything. He knew his Bible, and could quote the material. He seemed to have so many things together in his life.
And he blew up. Life played out in epic fail mode.
How does it happen?
He changed his mind.
What?
Yeah, he un-repented about the Gospel. This, dear reader, is very, very, very simple. So simple that we can miss it if we don’t simply stop and look. The passage above makes one of the clearest statements on HOW to actually run the race with endurance: Look to Jesus – the Founder and Perfecter of our faith.
So, the guy who blows up, is the guy that tries to keep exercising his personal faith in Jesus – and in doing so – runs out of steam.
See this beloved. It is not our faith that saves us. It is Jesus.
Our faith is simply a complete turning (repenting [changing of our mind]) away from our own power to be good, and believe real hard, and setting our mind’s eye firmly on the One who does the saving. And as we set our eyes on Him alone, we begin to see more clearly how to actually run towards Him. And as He perfects our faith, we are able to run this marathon with increasing vigor and velocity.
However, at such levels of output, there is a great danger. If we try to run in this fast lane on our own. We will crash. Big time. If we look – even for a moment – to the sin trying to cling to us, or the pain of circumstance, or any other weight – we are in mortal danger. There is no momentum in this run towards the upward call of G_d in Christ Jesus. There is only Him and His power. And it is on Him and His power that we are utterly dependent.
So, as these items hostile to our faith (this looking to Him) arise, they must be acknowledged only by a confession to the One upon Whom we have our eyes. And we gotta just keep running to the light. Remember though, looking to Him IS the path of least resistance. This is the easy way. He is the Way who will not fail. He will bring us home!
But, here too, is an issue. What if i have fallen? And, here too, is the wonder of the Gospel. There is no need to do anything but agree that we need to put our eyes back on the One who can fix the problem. He is the Power to endure and resist the sin that so easily entangles us. Then – and only then – is it truly possible to get back up a keep running towards home.
Anyone for some running tonight!?!
