Staying in the race

You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is. – Galatians 5.7-10

The birth of the Galatian church must have been exciting. Paul tells them here that they ‘ran well’ at the start. The began their Christian race fresh and fervent and hopeful and bright-eyed and bushy tailed.

But something happened, they were turned away by grace robbers who cheapen the work of Christ. That same kind of heresy still exists today.

What can we do to avoid that false doctrine, or any other false doctrine for that matter?

We get a hint in the book of Hebrews where the author talks about running that race. He says to lay aside all the extra weighs that hold us back. Then he says to run this pace with patience – and that think that is key here. We need to realise that runnng this race step by step, patiently and diligently. It is not a 100 metre dash and that is where we get into trouble.

We continue to ‘run well’ only one way – we keep our eyes in Jesus, the Originator and the Completer of our faith. He is our goal. No matter what comes along we must stay on course and not be turned away.