Just Champion

Well, after 77 years we have seen a British citizen win the Wimbledon Tennis Championship.

Andy Murray, after years of commitment, perseverance, pain and supreme effort he has obtained the prize - he was first in the race.

For Murray, after years of just missing out, the appointment of a new coach and mentor in Ivan Lendl, with whom he worked tirelessly, enabled Andy to succeed in closing the gap between his previous under performance and realise his dream - the supreme achievement of winning Wimbledon.

As Spirit filled Christians we have a coach, sent by Jesus - the Holy Ghost (the Comforter) - whose job is to mentor, coach and guide us just as Jesus would do if he was still here on earth:

 

John 14: 26; ''But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.''

 

Now the Spirit looks for each of us to listen and develop as an ambassador for God in maximising our performance in relation to our behaviours, attitudes and personal characteristics.  In short the Holy Spirit seeks to support  us in achieving excellence in what Paul refers to as 'The Fruits of The Spirit':

Galatians 5: 22 & 23;  ''But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness [kindness], goodness, faith [faithfulness], Meekness, temperance [self-control]: against such there is no law.''

 

Paul also refers to our walk with God as a race:

1 Corinthians 9: 24; ''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 [competes for the prize] for the mastery is temperate [ has self-control] in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a corruptible [perishable] crown; but we an incorruptible [imperishable] crown.''

 

Paul draws on a scene familiar to his Corinthian readers in order to make his point.  The Isthmian Games were an athletic event which would have been known to all of his readers.  They were held on alternate summers in the vicinity of Corinth.  It was a national institution, an event not to be missed by anyone of importance in Greece.

 

But as Paul points out although many athletes take part only one was to become the champion, the outright winner.  And, sadly, the winner's crown would not last for ever, but his victory and the period in which he could bask in it's glory would transient, it would be finite.

 

Now in The Book of Hebrews Paul likens our life of faith as a race:

 

Hebrews 12: 1; ''Wherefore seeing [since] we also are compassed about [surrounded by] with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset [ensnare] us, and let us run with patience [perseverance]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 on the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the thrown of God.''

 

Paul, a fellow athlete in this race of faith which we have joined provides some helpful and timely advice to us his fellow runners. 

 

Firstly, the race is to be run by laying aside every weight; that is impediments that weigh us down, whether clothing or excessive body weight - in other words getting ourselves fit - spiritually.

 

Secondly, it is to be run by putting off the entanglement of sin.  This could refer to one sin above all others that defeats a Christian or it could be a different sin for each individual.   But what ever the interpretation  - the advice is to get rid of it!

 

Thirdly, it is a race to be run with patience.  Since patience is not an attribute commonly associated with running, this word would be better translated as endurance; endurance and persistence have been on the author of Hebrew's mind earlier in the book.

 

Fourthly, the author directs the race entrants' eyes to the finish line.  Jesus in the ''author and finisher'' in that He has already blazed the trail and finished the course.

 

The obvious difference between the Isthmian Games and our race of faith is that, as long as we listen to our coach, achieve progress and regularly improve upon our 'Personal Bests' in the performance of our Fruits of the Spirit then, as long as we finish the race, we will receive our prize.

 

But our prize is not finite, it is not perishable.  We will rejoice, delight and bask in the glory of our prize for ever and ever and ever - the prize of an everlasting life in the presence of God and Jesus. 

 

As we say in Yorkshire - ''that's just champion''