“Don’t run without Christ”
Passion and Purity recently hosted their 16th Anniversary High School Co-Ed Conference at The Wolmer’s High School for Boys. Attended by many students, teachers, parents, and well-wishers all across the island, it was a day of pure, potent ministry items in the form of dance, song, sign language, drama, exhortation, prayer, and counselling.
We are eternally grateful for how God met hearts on that day and want to make way for the grace that He poured out to continue flowing to others—even to you, dear reader!
Tell us, what were your thoughts when you read the title of this article? Are you wondering to which race we’re referring?
THE ULTIMATE HERO
Yes, our country is in a time of observing how some defended mainly enslaved Africans to set them free from natural slavery, but let’s look at a greater feat: Jesus Christ of Nazareth, our ultimate hero, the Only One Who made a way for mankind to be free from the ultimate slavery (to sin)—He has set many running on the path of life.
“Running the Race of Life,” the theme of our conference, is a charge to run with Jesus. In other words, we are saying, “Don’t do life without Christ!”
As a matter of fact, there is no life without Him, so to even begin this race, you must be saved (receive the life of Christ in you by way of the Holy Spirit). Once you start this race, from that point onwards, it’s
all about obedience to Him, which is the only way to run and finish well with Him. It is a spiritual race that was first run and won by Jesus; hence, He is referred to as our Forerunner. He has laid the track to glory and cheers us on, along with other Believers who have also followed this same path to overcome and have gone before us. (Hebrews 6:20, 12:1-2)
Unlike natural races, running the race of life is not about speed and competition. It requires love, humility, patience, focus, endurance, diligence. The only one we need to watch in this race is God, and all who run according to His rules (“Not I but Christ who lives in me,” Galatians 2:20-21) are guaranteed to win.
Weariness and fainting are not welcomed, as they create drag and can even cause us to go off track in doing God’s will. Such a situation puts us at risk of being disqualified for the prize of eternity with Him. This is why He promises that if we rely on Him, He will continually provide us with His strength. (Isaiah 40:31)
Therefore, reader, God wants you to run to Him if you are unsaved, so that you can start running with Him. If you are already saved, He wants you to keep moving forward with Him simply by following His instructions for your life (abiding in the Vine). This running is not in fear of the devil, but a confident running in the will of God.
Just as natural athletes are successful due to their sacrifice and discipline in training, diet, following the advice of their coach, etcetera, we too can only expect to live successful Christian lives if we submit to Jesus and embrace the chastening He brings to mature us in our faith.
For further context and edification, you can watch the video recordings of the conference on Passion and Purity’s facebook page.
The poem below, “The Race, The Prize, The Price,” was extracted from the drama piece ministered at the conference. It was written by one of our youth leaders who played the character Ricardo, aka “Quick Rick.” Ricardo is a top university athlete who was getting carried away doing life at his own speed until He was confronted by God.
“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.” 1 Cor. 9:25-27
