The Bride: A study of the bride of Christ
Our Blessed Hope: Lesson 4
Every Christian is on a race course! “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great 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.” Hebrews 12:1-2
According to a Lexicon and Concordance by Ethelbert Bullinger, D.D., the word “beset” in this scripture means, “easily surrounding or encompassing; of a sin which has every advantage in favor of its prevailing.” And the meaning of the word “finisher,” is “a completer, a perfecter, who brings one through to the goal so as to win and receive the prize.”
The “great cloud of witnesses” are listed in the previous chapter of Hebrews. These great men and women of faith as spoken of in the Old Testament obtained a good report and have become a great example for us to follow. But notice verses 39 & 40: “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise; God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” These Old Testament believers have not yet been made “perfect;” that is, their spirits are in heaven, but they have not yet come into the permanent place of reward, with their glorified bodies, that God has laid up for them.
So what is the “better thing” for us? I believe the answer is found in Philippians 3:8-14. Paul is referring to this race course here when he said, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” The “mark” is the resurrection out from among the dead, and the “prize” is winning Christ as Bridegroom. This truth is referred to in Ephesians 5:32.
What an awesome “prize” is set before those who will run with patience in this race! Jesus is the “author” or Leader (Beginner), and He is also the “Finisher” of our faith! Again, notice the meaning of Finisher: “a completer, a perfecter, who brings one through to the goal so as to win and receive the prize.” Every Christian who will obey Jesus’ instruction to “deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me” will win that prize. For it is not our faith or our good works which will win this prize, but it is the work of Jesus in us as we simply obey Him, which will assure us the privilege of sitting on His throne with Him, as “joint-heirs” of Christ.
This race course is also mentioned in I 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.” To be a “castaway” is to be disapproved of the prize. How sad that would be! Of course this does not mean we would lose our salvation. Every believer in Jesus is a son of God and will spend eternity with Him in heaven. But to lose the place of reigning with Him as His bride would be very sad! It is not worth insisting on our foolish wants or desires here on earth. No! Let us be willing to give up our will and allow God to guide us. He is far wiser than we!
In running a race, there are certain requirements to be met if we would win. First, we must run according to the rules of the race. The rules for our race are found in the Word of God. They are not complicated, nor are they difficult! Jesus gave them to us when He said, “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.” If we find these rules to be difficult, it is only because we are not willing to deny ourselves! But even if we are having difficulty in denying ourselves, the minute we call out to the Lord to help us, He immediately comes to help! He loves us dearly and wants us to have His best.
Then, a runner in a race must eat the right food to keep his body strong. Again, the Word of God is the food that will keep us spiritually healthy and strong. If a runner eats healthy food, but only two or three times a week, he will soon become weak. Even so, if we partake of the Word of God only occasionally, we will become spiritually weak. We must have daily nourishment from the Word to remain strong.
A runner also needs the right amount of rest. Jesus said, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) It is a ploy of Satan to keep us so busy that we don’t have the time we need to just simply wait upon the Lord. We might be busy doing “works for the Lord,” not realizing that these works are of no spiritual value unless we have spent much time alone in prayer before beginning our day. Read the four gospels and note how often Jesus left the crowds and spent time in prayer! He is our Example! He has told us to follow Him. The apostle Paul told Timothy, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” (2 Timothy 2:4)
Another important rule for this Christian life is found in Hebrews 10:25: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.” We need fellowship of other believers! We are one body—the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22, 23). We need each other to encourage, comfort, exhort, edify, provoke unto love and good works, and just be there for one another. God has made us “one body,” with Christ as our Head. Let us follow His rule in this area!
The answer to our every need for this spiritual race we are on is in Jesus. He is our help and strength. He loved us enough to die for us, and now He is on the right hand of His Father interceding for us daily. Let us run with patience, bringing our bodies into subjection to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His coming is soon! I John 3:2, 3: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.”
According to a Lexicon and Concordance by Ethelbert Bullinger, D.D., the word “beset” in this scripture means, “easily surrounding or encompassing; of a sin which has every advantage in favor of its prevailing.” And the meaning of the word “finisher,” is “a completer, a perfecter, who brings one through to the goal so as to win and receive the prize.”
The “great cloud of witnesses” are listed in the previous chapter of Hebrews. These great men and women of faith as spoken of in the Old Testament obtained a good report and have become a great example for us to follow. But notice verses 39 & 40: “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise; God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.” These Old Testament believers have not yet been made “perfect;” that is, their spirits are in heaven, but they have not yet come into the permanent place of reward, with their glorified bodies, that God has laid up for them.
So what is the “better thing” for us? I believe the answer is found in Philippians 3:8-14. Paul is referring to this race course here when he said, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” The “mark” is the resurrection out from among the dead, and the “prize” is winning Christ as Bridegroom. This truth is referred to in Ephesians 5:32.
What an awesome “prize” is set before those who will run with patience in this race! Jesus is the “author” or Leader (Beginner), and He is also the “Finisher” of our faith! Again, notice the meaning of Finisher: “a completer, a perfecter, who brings one through to the goal so as to win and receive the prize.” Every Christian who will obey Jesus’ instruction to “deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me” will win that prize. For it is not our faith or our good works which will win this prize, but it is the work of Jesus in us as we simply obey Him, which will assure us the privilege of sitting on His throne with Him, as “joint-heirs” of Christ.
This race course is also mentioned in I 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.” To be a “castaway” is to be disapproved of the prize. How sad that would be! Of course this does not mean we would lose our salvation. Every believer in Jesus is a son of God and will spend eternity with Him in heaven. But to lose the place of reigning with Him as His bride would be very sad! It is not worth insisting on our foolish wants or desires here on earth. No! Let us be willing to give up our will and allow God to guide us. He is far wiser than we!
In running a race, there are certain requirements to be met if we would win. First, we must run according to the rules of the race. The rules for our race are found in the Word of God. They are not complicated, nor are they difficult! Jesus gave them to us when He said, “Deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.” If we find these rules to be difficult, it is only because we are not willing to deny ourselves! But even if we are having difficulty in denying ourselves, the minute we call out to the Lord to help us, He immediately comes to help! He loves us dearly and wants us to have His best.
Then, a runner in a race must eat the right food to keep his body strong. Again, the Word of God is the food that will keep us spiritually healthy and strong. If a runner eats healthy food, but only two or three times a week, he will soon become weak. Even so, if we partake of the Word of God only occasionally, we will become spiritually weak. We must have daily nourishment from the Word to remain strong.
A runner also needs the right amount of rest. Jesus said, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) It is a ploy of Satan to keep us so busy that we don’t have the time we need to just simply wait upon the Lord. We might be busy doing “works for the Lord,” not realizing that these works are of no spiritual value unless we have spent much time alone in prayer before beginning our day. Read the four gospels and note how often Jesus left the crowds and spent time in prayer! He is our Example! He has told us to follow Him. The apostle Paul told Timothy, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” (2 Timothy 2:4)
Another important rule for this Christian life is found in Hebrews 10:25: “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another; and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.” We need fellowship of other believers! We are one body—the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22, 23). We need each other to encourage, comfort, exhort, edify, provoke unto love and good works, and just be there for one another. God has made us “one body,” with Christ as our Head. Let us follow His rule in this area!
The answer to our every need for this spiritual race we are on is in Jesus. He is our help and strength. He loved us enough to die for us, and now He is on the right hand of His Father interceding for us daily. Let us run with patience, bringing our bodies into subjection to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His coming is soon! I John 3:2, 3: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.”