God’s Economy in Faith
Message Four
Running the Christian Race So That We May Obtain the Prize by Looking Away unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of Our Faith
Opening Word of the Prophesying Meeting
(Day1 ¦ Day2 ¦ Day3 ¦ Day4 ¦ Day5 ¦ Day6)
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
Heb. 12:1-2 …having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, put away every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and run with endurance the race which is set before us, Looking away unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down on the right hand of the throne of God.
Word of Appetizer
How do we run the Christian race?
Therefore let us also, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, put away every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and run with endurance the race which is set before us. Looking away unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down on the right hand of the throne of God.
We need to run with endurance, asking the Lord to direct our hearts into the love of God and into the endurance of Christ. We can live the Christian life, run the Christian race, by looking away unto Jesus with undivided attention by turning away from every other object.
Spiritual Burden
The Christian life is a race; every saved Christian must run the race to win the prize.
We can live the Christian life, run the Christian race, by looking away unto Jesus with undivided attention by turning away from every other object. If we look away unto Him as such a wonderful and all-inclusive One, He will minister Himself as heaven, life, and strength into us, transfusing and infusing us with all that He is, so that we may be able to run the heavenly race and live the heavenly life on earth; in this way He will carry us through all the lifelong pathway of faith and lead
and bring us into glory.
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
Therefore let us also, having so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, put away every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us and run with endurance the race which is set before us.
Looking away unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down on the right hand of the throne of God.
The Experience of Life
It is by being attracted by His charming beauty (loveliness, pleasantness, delightfulness) that we look away from all things other than Him. When we look away unto Jesus, He as the life-giving Spirit transfuses us with Himself, with His believing element. Then, spontaneously, a kind of believing arises in our being, and we have the faith to believe in Him; this faith is not of ourselves but of Him who imparts Himself as the believing element into us that He may believe for us.
When we contact Him, He is overflowing within us, and there is a mutuality of faith among us; we are encouraged through the faith that is in one another.
Practice and Application
We need to run with endurance, asking the Lord to direct our hearts into the love of God and into the endurance of Christ.
We can live the Christian life, run the Christian race, by looking away unto Jesus with undivided attention by turning away from every other object. We need to exercise our spirit of faith in order to walk by faith and not by that which is seen. As we look away unto Him continually, He will finish and complete the faith that we need for the running of the heavenly race. We need to contact its source, the Lord by calling on Him, praying to Him, and pray-reading His word.
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
T1 Prayer is the mutual contact between man and God (Matt. 6:9-10; Jude 20)
(Please illustrate that what is the meaning of prayer?)
T2 “So great a cloud of witnesses” is the grace given by God through the faith of many people (Heb. 12:1)
(Please illustrate that God gave us so many witnesses for the purpose of encouraging us to live a life of faith.)
Further Reading: Life-study of Hebrews, msg. 48; CWWN, vol. 17, pp. 229-240
T1 The Christian life is a race (1 Cor. 9:24; Heb. 12:1)
(Please illustrate that every saved Christian must run the race to win the prize.)
T2 A race is a way (John 14:6)
(Please illustrate that the race we are running is Christ.)
Further Reading: Life-study of Hebrews, msg. 50
T1 the Greek word translated “looking away unto” means to look with undivided attention by turning away from every other object (Heb. 12:2)
(Please illustrate that the way to run the race.)
T2 Only Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of faith (Heb. 12:2; Eph. 2:8)
(Please illustrate that the saints of the old covenant were only the witnesses of faith, but Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of faith.)
Further Reading: Life-study of Hebrews, msg. 49; CWWL, 1994-1997, vol. 1, “Crystallization-study of the Epistle to the Romans,” ch. 9
T1 Proper gospel preaching must be a matter of transfusion (2 Pet. 1:1)
(Please illustrate that the proper ministry is altogether a matter of being fully transfused with God Himself. )
T2 Faith is Christ Himself believing for us in a very subjective way (Gal. 2:20)
(Please illustrate that all the faith we have is just Christ Himself believing in us and for us.)
Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 27, “The Normal Christian Faith,” ch. 13; CWWN, vol. 23, “The Song of Songs,” pp. 106-107; CWWL, 1975-1976, vol. 3, pp. 89-94
T1 Faith is not a substance; it is a substantiating action (Heb. 12:1)
(Please illustrate that to have faith is not to have a substantial element; it is to have a substantiating ability.)
T2 The believer’s life is a life of things hoped for (Col. 1:27; Titus 1:2; 1 Pet. 1:3)
(Please illustrate that Our life should be a life of hope, which goes together and abides with faith.)
Further Reading: Life-study of Hebrews, msg. 47
T1 Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame (Heb. 12:2; 2:9)
(Please illustrate that there is a very great power within this faith which motivates thousands to become missionaries and martyrs.)
T2 In Hebrews the heavenly Christ is contrasted to the earthly religion (1 Cor. 15:45b; 2 Tim. 4:22)
(Please illustrate that to experience the indwelling Christ, we need to turn to our spirit and contact Him.)
Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msg. 380