Living the Full Christian Life
As believers, we have received a great inheritance and legacy. In Acts 17:11, Luke writes, "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." (NIV) The inheritance that we have as believers is like that of the Bereans; we are not only to receive the word of truth, but to handle it, examine it, and deal with it personally.
Not only have we received the treasure of God's truth to enjoy and to possess, however, not only have we received the water of life which quenches our thirsty souls, we have received overflowing abundant life too great for our hearts to contain that we might pass it on as well.
I have always been fascinated with the Olympics. As a young child I used to enjoy watching the track and field events. I always liked to watch the relay races. I am fascinated by the incredible coordination it takes for the runners to pass the baton as they are still running. The runner who is nearing the finishing line of his run sees that the next runner has already started to run but the next runner only runs fast enough to be prepared for the sprint he is about to embark on. Just as the last runner is about to begin to slow down the next runner begins to sprint in what is a beautifully coordinated affair of running the race together. If one of the runners should go too fast or too slow then surely they would droop the baton and most likely lose the race.
The key to success is working together even as each runner does his part to win the race. If the Church in America is to continue to thrive, I am convinced that we must do a better job of running our race with intentionality. We must let our selves become so full of the love of Christ that we can not help but let out before our hearts explode with God's grace. The Christian who is satisfied only to receive the grace of God and never share it will never know the full joy of the Christian life.
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." (I Corinthians 9:19-27 NIV)