PP0614 DATE
YE DID RUN WELL!
Gal 5:7. Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? (KJV)
INTRODUCTION: Much of the first five chapters of this epistle is Paul instructing the Galatians to not turn back toward the law. Some of the traditional Jews had influenced them to divert back to following the law for their justification. He is attempting to get them to see their error.
Listen to the tone of Paul’s voice in these following Scriptures.
Ga 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: (KJV) That sounds like today.
Ga 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? (KJV)
Ga 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. (KJV)
In our text Paul is commending the Galatians for running a good race. They apparently started off good, but did not finish well, because Paul chides them for having been hindered and not obeying the truth. Something happened that caused them to not run well, or to quit running.
We must learn that our race must be run well. We must be sure that we run with all diligence.
Today’s Christian must be equally alert in running the course given each of us by God. To not run well will bring no honor to the runner nor the Master. We must all run with the one goal in mind and that is to finish the course well.
God didn’t save you just so you could go to heaven. Nor did He save you just to keep you from going to Hell. He saved you so you would bring glory to God. Anything short of that would be failure.
We have but one command: “Run well” – According to the Word of God.
And “Finish well” – according to the Word of God.
Our objective today is to run well.
There are some rules that must be followed if we are going to run well.
You listen as we talk about running well.
I. MUST RUN ON THE RIGHT ROAD.
Mt 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: (KJV)
No one can run on two roads at the same time. The greatest problem in churches today is to get the members to stay on the right road. We must choose the right road.
A person must be saved to run on the right road.
There are a lot of roads a person may run on.
A. The Road Of “Good Intentions.”
They mean well – they intended to do certain things for God – but never got around to it. The road to Hell is paved with “good intentions”. I have talked with hundreds that have been on this road. They never get saved.
B. The Road Of Religion.
James deals with religion - Jas 1:26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (KJV)
Successful religion is: A bridled tongue – Actively ministering to the orphans and widows – and to live holy.
Most people who are religious practice religion expecting their religion to take them to Heaven. They missed the road James tells about in this passage.
C. The Road Of Good Works.
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (KJV)
I would estimate that at least 90% of people who claim to be religious would believe that salvation comes from things they do. Or good works. They will mow the neighbors yard, baby set the neighbor’s dog. They will participate in school functions. They will even take food to the sick or needy – all along they think they are accomplishing righteousness that will take them to heaven. That is the devil’s lie. If he can cause people to think they are saved by their own doing then all that believe that will go to hell.
What about the “good road?”
The Road To The Cross. Have you traveled that road? 1Co 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. (KJV)
The Road Of The Blood Of Christ. Heb 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (KJV)
D. The Road Of Obedience.
If you are saved you must be running on this road or you will not be pleasing God.
Let me tell you how to make your life easer here at the ranch –
I learned this when I was young at home. If I did what mom said – she was happy and my life was much easier.
“DO WHAT YOU ARE TOLD”. In 1958 I went into the Army – about the 2nd day I realized if I would do everything they told me to do it would be to my advantage – and it was.
Something else I learned at home – when mom was going to give me a whipping I would get real close to her and hug her and she couldn’t whip me. That works with God also. When whippings begin get real close to Him.
Doing what is right and keeping on doing it. Following the will and work of God – that’s the road of obedience.
E. The Road Of Faith.
F. Holy Living.
We are commanded to live holy lives for the honor and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
II. MUST RUN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
Pr 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. (KJV)
There is more to running the race than just being on the right road. One must run in the right direction.
The football player that recovered a fumble and then ran the wrong direction to the end-zone and scored for the opposing team. It seemed right to him. He thought he was right. Had he run the other direction he would have scored a touchdown for his team. He was running but in the wrong direction.
To just run is not the object, but we must run in the right direction.
Running in the right direction will suggest that there are rules for running. Man doesn’t make the rules – God does.
A. To Run The Wrong Way Is To Pronounce One’s Defeat.
Religious society tries to make us believe that the direction doesn’t matter, as long as we are running.
The Bible says that if you run the wrong way it will bring death – spiritual death. There is a right gate – there is a right road – there is a right way.
B. There Is A Way That Seems Right And Then There Is A Way That Is Right.
1. God says, “Ye must be born again.” There is a way that rejects the new birth.
2. God says, “Repent or perish.” There is a way that rejects repentance.
3. God says, “Salvation or Damnation.” There is a way that rejects salvation.
4. Jesus says, “I am the way”. There are many ways that rejects the blessed Son of God.
I have known hundreds of people who thought they were on the right road but, actually they were on the road to hell.
Just spending a couple of years at the boys ranch won’t take you to heaven – you still must be born again.
The right road or the right way always begins at the cross. Have you been to the cross? Did your journey start at the cross?
To run well - would be to be obedient to the truth of God’s Word, and obedience to God’s commandments.
Hindering comes when men cease to obey the truth of God.
The Galatian people had diverted back to the traditional law, and it had hindered their growth in the new birth.
I wonder how many Christians that have started off well. They had run a good race for a while and then someone came to them and begin to influence them that they didn’t have to attend church every Sunday, and that they didn’t need to tithe, or to be faithful in reading the Bible, and the first thing they knew they had been hindered and had quit the race.
Here is one that Satan will spring on you – He will give you a “different” Bible. He will tell you this new Bible is easier to read. There is only one Bible – The King James Bible.
You can be assured that you have the exact Bible God wants you to have today – if you have a KJV.
III. MUST RUN WITH THE RIGHT ATTITUDE
Ec 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest. (KJV)
The race must be run because of love. God wants each of us to run our race willingly. If we run because of obligation only then there is no glory for God – but when love is the motivating factor then God receives glory. When we run to show God that we love Him and want to live for Him then that is the right attitude.
What about Sunday AM – do you say, “We have to go to church again today” Or do you say, “We get to go to church again.”
IV. MUST RUN WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE
Paul warns the Galatian people to be careful who they run with.
Ga 5:8 This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
Ga 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. (KJV)
Paul speaks of the “persuasion” in Vs. 8. He is saying that the pressure to drop out of the race; to quit running; didn’t come from the Lord, but from someone else. That pressure, that persuasion will cause you to drop out of the race. The pressure to turn back to the law instead of grace was because of who they listened to. If you don’t choose your friends well they will persuade you to slack off the race and then you will find yourself not even in the race at all, but setting in a cold backslidden place out of the will of God.
Too many Christians attempt to do a work for God while running with the world, and the world’s crowd. No one will ever accomplish much for God with the smell of the world hanging on them. The world’s crowd will drag you down and you will quit the race.
When a Christian forms and intimate friendship with an ungodly person, from that moment all progress is stayed or stopped.
Your old friends, the lost friends, must go. 2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (KJV)
Anyone that would hinder you living for God would be wrong friends.
Too often a new Christian thinks they should keep their old friend close and intimate so they can influence them. That’s not the way it works. The old friends will pull you down. You will never pull them up to the level that you are. Only God can do that. Old things are passed away.” That is speaking of the old friends and acquaintances. If you hang on to them you will defeat yourself. Your race will be hindered and eventually you will drop clear out of the race, and you will be setting on the side lines weeping and wondering what happened. You might ask, “How do I drop my old friends?” Carry your Bible everywhere you go and they will drop you.
(Me and my Bible at Ashland)
2Co 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (KJV)
There are a lot of people out there on the road of religion they are running a very good race, but their race is not the same race the blood bought Christians are running. For us to run beside them is to run the wrong race, and thus bring dishonor to our Master.
We can’t run beside the Contemporary crowd.
We can’t run beside the Catholic crowd.
We can’t run beside the Charismatic crowd.
We can’t run beside the Liberal crowd.
V. MUST RUN WITH THE RIGHT PURPOSE
1Co 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. (KJV)
I heard a story once of a runner in an Olympic race won the race and when he was given his victory trophy he left the victory stand and ran to the place where the queen of his country was setting and placed his trophy at her feet.
That is why you and I are running today. Will you win a trophy? Will you have something to lay at the feet of the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings? We are not running the race that we might receive honor, but that the honor and glory will go to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The prize is not for me.
The prize is not for my glory or attention.
The prize is for the One who saved my soul.
VI. THINGS THAT WILL HINDER US IN RUNNING THE RACE
A. Our Sinful Nature.
1. It still remains in every Christian.
2. The sinful nature is overcome only as the Christian is submitted to the will of God.
Ro 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. (KJV)
Paul is telling us of the struggle with the flesh.
B. Our Easily Besetting Sins. Heb 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (KJV)
The besetting sin is the sin that takes our attention, our effort, our devotion, our determination in living for God and places our efforts on self, pleasure, and physical gain. No one will be running well that is concerned about the elevation of self. These things may not be real bad things, but they will keep us from running for the glory of God.
Let give you an example – Tonight after church Bro. Tim Knight, Bro. Dale Collins, Bro Lee Bailey and Bro J.R. are going to run a race to the highway and back. That would be worth watching wouldn’t it? Anyway they get ready – Bro Tim has his Nikes on – Bro. Dale and Bro. Lee have their special running shoes – and here comes J.R. out wearing rubber overshoes and a big overcoat, and a backpack on filled with Gatorade. All of you start laughing at him and pointing to the uniform he is wearing.
He questions you saying, “What’s wrong with overshoes and an overcoat?
The point is J.R. won’t win a race wearing such an uniform.
Neither will a Christian.
Many years ago a sailing crew was sailing from Cuba to the southern coast of America. The navigator had logged the following report. “Sailing from Cuba, we thought we had gained sixty miles one day in our course; but the next observation we found we had lost more than thirty miles. It was an under-current. The ship had been going forward by the wind, but going backward by the current.”
So a Christian’s course in his walk with God may often seem to be right and progressive, but the under-current of his besetting sins is driving him contrary way to what he thinks.
Ga 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? (KJV)
When all the marbles are counted it will matter if you did run well.
INVITATION
Beth Haven Baptist Church
PO Box 891523
OKC OK 73189-1523
405-691-8701
icasteel1@cox.net
This sermon and thousands of others are available on a CD Rom Disk and may be purchased for $75. If interested contact the above information.
