The Race of Life

The Apostle Paul used the metaphor of a race to describe life. “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs…”  and “So I run with purpose in every step” (1 Corinthians 9:24, 26). In the context, he is urging his readers to live purposeful lives, always giving their best effort in serving the Lord. He wrote these lines from Ephesus in approximately A.D. 56. 

About ten years later, Paul again used the metaphor of a race when he wrote from a prison cell in Rome, knowing his execution was imminent. 

⁶ As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.
2 Timothy 4:6-7

Paul wrote these lines reflecting on his life and ministry as the shadow of his death darkened his cell. His life had been an offering (sacrifice) to God. He had fought courageously for the truth of the gospel and now anticipated crossing the finish line in the race of life. Most importantly, he had remained faithful to Jesus through the best of times and the worst of times. He makes no mention of having a single regret. Paul finished strong. He chose to die rather than to renounce Jesus. Soon after writing this message to Timothy, he was executed. 

I have walked with scores of people as they made their way to the finish line through that final “valley of the shadow of death.” I’ve seen some die overwhelmed with guilt, regret, and terror. But I’ve also witnessed many disciples die with peace, dignity, and filled with anticipation. They finished strong. They remained faithful. Their deaths were testimonies that God’s grace is sufficient even on death’s doorstep. Jesus’ presence with them was unmistakable.

Peter’s Race

One of my nephews, Peter Hill, finished his race six days after his twenty-first birthday. He was an athlete who had finished first in most of the races he ran. But he couldn’t outrun the melanoma cancer that ravaged his body. Finally, on March 12, at track practice at Linfield College he told his coach he couldn’t run because his pain was too intense. His coach took him to an E.R. Pete died almost exactly three months later, on June 13.

Those three months were filled with heartbreaking days when Peter suffered agonizing pain but, more importantly, we witnessed his growing faith and courage. My sister, Charlotte Hill, and I wrote a book published by Kregel Publications to tell those stories. The final and best story is an accurate account of how Peter died on a Saturday night. Charlotte wrote about those final hours in our book.

Around 6:00 that evening, Peter’s sprint to the finish line began in earnest. His breathing, rapid and shallow, collapsed the oxygen mask, gluing it tightly to his face. His body writhed in an agonized effort to breathe, and his face contorted in pain. Pete was suffocating! Dave [Pete’s Dad] rushed to the nurse’s station for help. Frantically, Sam [Pete’s oldest brother] strained to pry the mask loose in order to let air refill it.

A nurse cranked on the oxygen valve, slightly increasing the flow. For a brief moment, Peter seemed annoyed by the returning air…. He lay quietly, eyes closed, his condition unchanged for several hours. Then to our surprise Pete began to speak. His voice was low, yet for the first time in days, he possessed the strength to talk conversationally. Mentally aware and lucid, his words conveyed God’s love at work within him. 

“God appeared to me when I was suffocating. Even when the oxygen mask collapsed as I fought for breath, God was right there. I wasn’t afraid—total peace overcame me even when it looked awful to you. God promised Jesus would come for me soon.”

Turning to his brother, he apologized. “Sorry about your wedding, Andy.” Andy was counting on Peter to be his best man in his upcoming wedding. With Sam, the carpenter, Pete joked about the barn raising they’d have when celebrating their reunion in heaven. 

Pete spoke directly and personally to each of the thirteen family and friends crowded around his bed. He expressed his love for each of them and encouraged them with words of hope and peace. Pete told his dad he was the best man he had ever known. He also told him, “Don’t sweat the small stuff. Get the big picture.” He told his girlfriend to seek God and to find comfort in Jesus. Dave whispered, “It’s okay to go, Pete.” Pete replied, “That’s not my call to make, Dad. I’m waiting. Christ will return for me.”

Continually, he brought our attention back to the Lord. “Find your comfort in Christ. God is good. God is very good. Christ is the answer.” God’s love and grace permeated the room, as the Spirit of God filled Pete. His last words to us were, “Don’t worry about me. I love you all. I love everyone in this room. God bless you all. God bless you all.

Then he fell asleep. 

An hour later, Peter awoke…. He smiled, then grinned as though seeing something extraordinary! Awestruck, his chin dropped to his chest. All the while, his eyes were intensely fixed on something above, something we couldn’t see. Peter’s eyebrows rose until his forehead crinkled in wonder. Then his eyes clamped shut as though blinded by a brilliant light. His face radiant, he exclaimed, “It’s more beautiful than you can ever imagine!” Suddenly, he ripped off his oxygen mask. Miraculously, Peter breathed freely without assistance. Nodding his head up and down in response to someone, he shouted, “LET’S GO! LET’S GO! WOO HOO! THIS IS AWESOME! THIS IS AWESOME! YEAH!” Sitting straight up, he swung his arms and body back and forth as though flying from his bed. Dave tried to restrain him, but Pete’s overpowering strength knocked him back. The force of his swinging arms dashed the IV stand and bedside tray against the wall and sent them crashing to the floor. That quiet corner of Seaside Hospital was rocked as Pete flew with wings of joy into the arms of Jesus.

Like the Apostle Paul, Peter Hill fought the good fight, finished his race, and remained faithful until his last dying breath. Pete now has no reason for tears, knows no pain, and death is powerless over him. Jesus kept his word. He promised his disciples, “When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am” (John 14:3). When Jesus came for Peter, it was an unforgettable experience for the thirteen people who witnessed his departure.

During the three months before his death, I wrote letters to him seeking to encourage and strengthen his faith. But Peter’s faith had deepened and matured during those months in ways that few of us had realized. He had completely surrendered everything and every part of his life to Jesus, trusting him completely. 

Prior to his death, I had written Peter, “Only God can take something evil and ugly like cancer and create something good and beautiful from it when we respond in faith.” And a few sentences later I added, “God will redeem it, using it to develop the character of Christ in you. And as this happens, you may one day find your cancer has become an opportunity for joy, because for us ‘to live is Christ and to die is gain’ (Phil. 1:21).”

I sought to encourage and mentor Pete through my frequent letters, but Pete has had far more impact on my life than I had on his. He enriched my life by how he lived his life – and how he died. Dying well is part of finishing strong. How we die speaks volumes about our character and our faith. And disciples, more than all people, should die well.

The only way to prepare to die well is to live well. We live well by building our lives around our relationship with Jesus. We began our lives as disciples by trusting Jesus; we end them in the same way. Peter taught me that, and I have sought to share that with as many people as possible. Jesus conquered sin, death, and Satan on the cross. It’s the truth, gospel truth – meaning God’s truth. Jesus died so we could live – forever.

Believers’ Judgment

There’s still another component of gospel truth that is appropriate to consider at this time. The Bible teaches there will be a judgment for believers too. That judgment will come when Jesus’ returns.

We began Part C (“Finish Strong”) by considering 1 Corinthians 9:24 and 2 Timothy 4:6-7. In this earlier section I did not include the underlined text that follows these passages here. 

²⁴ Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! ²⁵ All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.
1 Corinthians 9:24-25

⁶ As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. ⁸ And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.
2 Timothy 4:6-8

I underlined the Scriptures describing what is often called the “believers’ judgment.” They do not describe salvation by grace through faith (justification), but the rewards faithful disciples will receive. In the Corinthians passage Paul explained we run the race of life for the prize and the prize we seek is “an eternal prize.” As he thought about his impending death, Paul told Timothy that he expected to receive the “crown of righteousness when Jesus returns.” This reward is not merely for Paul or the apostles, but for all who look forward to Jesus’s return with anticipation – those who long to be with Jesus forever. It is for all disciples who faithfully follow Jesus.

Apparently, there is no penalty in the believers’ judgment. We may not all receive the same rewards, but no one will be rebuked, punished, or lose their salvation. Instead, Paul anticipates receiving “the crown of righteousness,” and then added that all disciples will also receive this reward. I am not sure what this means, but some associate it with another passage. In Revelation 3:11, Christ said “Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take away your crown.” Then in chapter 4, Revelation describes 24 elders who had received golden crowns, taking them off and placing them before the throne of Christ while kneeling, exclaiming (verse 11),

“You are worthy, O Lord our God,
to receive glory and honor and power.”

Perhaps this is the crown (reward) Paul expected us to receive, but we give them back to Jesus knowing that any good we have done was only possible because of his grace. We give him the credit for our successes by laying our crowns at his feet.

The Scriptures often speak about rewards that God’s people will receive at the consummation. Those promises presuppose a believers’ judgment. I believe you only live fully when you live for something or someone greater than yourself. Life becomes meaningless if we merely live for our own comfort or happiness. When we live to please and glorify Jesus, life takes on deeper meaning because we have an overarching purpose. Living for Jesus and in anticipation of his Kingdom is the prerequisite for dying well. We frequently hear personal testimonies of how people started the race (their conversion story). But just as important, if not more important, is how we finish our race. Jesus finished strong. Paul finished strong. The original disciples finished strong. In the nearly 2000 years since then, disciples have continued to finish strong, including tens of thousands who finished the race as martyrs. My nephew, Peter Hill, did not die the death of a martyr, but he died well because he lived well. He lived to please and glorify Jesus and even his death glorified the Lord.

THINKING IT THROUGH

“Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:8

THE TRUTH: Jesus is the giver of life, Messiah, Savior, and Lord of all. One day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.  

THE CHALLENGE: Disciples seek to bring every part of their lives under Jesus’ rule on their lifelong faith journey. They practice Kingdom living now in anticipation of the consummation.

The Scriptures, questions, and notes are for group discussion and personal reflection. Our goal in Tier II is character transformation which requires sustained effort and growing faith. Thinking through the questions can help you understand this challenge at a deeper level. We encourage you to focus on those questions that you find most interesting or helpful. This is not a test, but a tool to help you respond to the challenges.

Related Scriptures

Ecclesiastes 7:2 2
² Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties.
After all, everyone dies—so the living should take this to heart.

Philippians 3:13-14 ¹³ No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.

Philippians 1:20-23 ²⁰ For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. ²¹ For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. ²² But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. ²³ I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.

2 Corinthians 5:1-4, 10
¹ For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. ² We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. ³ For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. ⁴ While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 

¹⁰ For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.

Luke 6:35 ³⁵ “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High….”

Romans 14:10-12 ¹⁰ So why do you condemn another believer? Why do you look down on another believer? Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. ¹¹ For the Scriptures say,
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the LORD, ‘every knee will bend to me,
and every tongue will declare allegiance to God.’”
¹² Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.

Hebrews 11:26 ²⁶ He [Moses] thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward.

John 14:1-3 ¹ “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. ² There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ³ When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

Matthew 7:24-27 ²⁴ “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. ²⁵ Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. ²⁶ But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. ²⁷ When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”

Matthew 6:19-21 ¹⁹ “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Questions

You are encouraged to use these questions for group discussion or personal reflection. Respond to the questions that are most relevant or interesting to you (I urge you to write your responses in a journal or notebook).

1. Part C, “Finish Strong” has a sub-theme of death and dying. For many in our culture, thinking of or discussing death makes them uncomfortable. Some consider it to be a morbid subject. Why do you think this is so and are you comfortable discussing death and dying?

2. All the great Cathedrals in Europe have the words “Consider your own death” engraved on a wall. Why did disciples in ages past think it was important to think about their own deaths? Is it important for you?

3. “Finish Strong” is the title of Part C. It expresses the way disciples seek to finish the race of life. Then I used the term “dying well” as a synonym for “Finish Strong.” Is there a better way to describe how you want to die? If so, please explain how you want others to view it and why.

4. I wrote, “…the only way to prepare to die well, is to live well.” What is the relationship between the first phrase (“to live is Christ”) and the second phrase (“to die is gain”)? Do you believe it and why?

5. How does a disciple get to the point where they, like Paul, can honestly think about death as gain?

6. I shared about my nephew Peter’s death a week after his 21st birthday. What struck you as significant (if anything)?

7. Briefly share about the death of a loved one, that you have witnessed that left a lasting impression on you (whether positive or negative).

8. Is “believer’s judgement” a new concept for you? If so, was it encouraging or shocking to you?

9. Why will no one be penalized at the believer’s judgment? There will only be rewards!

10. Explain how we cannot be saved by our good works but can be rewarded for them. 

11. Finally, reflect on your own death. How would you like to die? What’s most important to you when you think about your own death?

    Copyright © 2024 Don Waite

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