Hebrews -- Holding on to Jesusਨਮੂਨਾ

Running the Race of Faith

This chapter opens with a powerful and timeless metaphor: the race. In every generation, for thousands of years, people have understood the image of a runner pressing forward toward a finish line. In the time of the New Testament, the original readers were deeply familiar with the Greek Olympic Games and the rigorous training they required. For them, and for us today, this imagery speaks clearly: The life of faith is not a sprint, but a long-distance race that lasts our entire lives and into eternity.

First of all, to run well, the believer must train with discipline. Like athletes, we need endurance, which is built through perseverance and repeated resistance to discouragement and distraction. We don’t run this race alone or without guidance; we follow the wisdom of those who have gone before us, and ultimately, the example of Christ Himself.

The author of Hebrews describes a “great cloud of witnesses” surrounding us. This phrase paints the picture of a heavenly stadium filled with those who have already completed their race, the heroes of the faith listed in Hebrews 11 and countless others, known and unknown, who have endured and finished well. While this could suggest they are watching us from heaven, the text more clearly emphasizes that their lives bear witness to us, encouraging us by their example, not necessarily observing our every step. We are also watched by angels (Ephesians 3:10–11), and the world carefully observes how we live out our faith. We are not running our race in isolation. Our lives are being lived before both heavenly and earthly audiences.

Hebrews 12:1 warns us of how sin can entangle us, and not only sin, but “every weight” that hinders us. Not everything that slows us down is sinful, but if it distracts us or keeps us from running effectively, it must be laid aside. Sometimes the choice is not between right and wrong, but between what helps and what hinders. The Greek word translated as “ensnares” (euperistaton) carries layered meaning. It can refer to something “easily avoided,” “admired,” “ensnaring,” or “dangerous.” Regardless of the nuance, the command is clear: We are to lay it all aside if it is a distraction, holding us back or if we are carrying something that God never asked us to carry.

To run our race, we must press on with hupomonē—a Greek word meaning “steadfast endurance,” a determined resolve to keep going despite hardship. Paul echoes this in Acts 20:24 (NIV), saying, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me.” Each of us has a race marked out by God. No one else can run it for us, and we are not called to stand still or be spectators. We’re called to run with perseverance.

The Greek word for race (agona) implies struggle, conflict, and effort. This is not an easy jog or an apathetic stroll. It’s a battle of body, mind, and spirit. Paul used this word repeatedly (Philippians 1:30; Colossians 2:1; 1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 4:7), showing that the Christian life is a fight worth finishing, and finishing well.

Above all, as we run our race we are to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Charles Spurgeon said it beautifully:“The Greek word for ‘looking’ is a much fuller word than we can find in the English language. It has a preposition in it which turns the look away from everything else. You are to look from all beside to Jesus … Do not even look upon the race-course, or the competitors, but look to Jesus and so start in the race.”

We are not to be distracted by the crowd, the obstacles, or even the course itself. Our gaze must remain on Christ. He is our starting point, our strength for the journey, and our reward at the end. Jesus, too, ran a race. He endured the cross, not because the cross was joyful, but because of the joy set before Him: our redemption and His glorification, which would be found on the other side. He looked beyond the suffering to the victory, and so must we. As Philippians 1:6 reminds us, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” He started this race with you, and He’ll be there when you cross the finish line.