Galatians 5:7 says, “You were running well. Who hindered you that you would not believe and obey the truth?” Truth in this verse does not refer to doctrine but to the reality in Christ, as preached to the Galatians by Paul. Therefore, we need to run the race by obeying the truth, which is the reality in Christ preached by the apostle.
The believers need to run the course of the race to the end. This is indicated by Paul’s word in 2 Timothy 4:7: “I have finished the course.”
The believers further experience the dispensing of the Divine Trinity in the matters of fighting the good fight and running the course of the race. To fight the good fight of the faith is to fight for the contents of the complete gospel according to God’s New Testament economy and to fight against the different teachings of the dissenters, so as to accomplish God’s economy according to the apostle’s ministry concerning the gospel of grace and eternal life for the glory of the blessed God. The focus of our preaching and teaching is Christ and the church. Hence, to teach and preach God’s economy concerning Christ and the church is to fight the good fight. In order to fight the good fight of the faith, we need to lay hold on God’s life and not trust in our human life. We have been called to the eternal life of God. Now by living this life, enjoying and laying hold on the eternal life, we will be able to fight the good fight of the faith. We also need to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints. This is to contend for the contents of God’s will given to us in the New Testament.
The believers should experience the dispensing of the processed Triune God also by running the course of the race. As believers, we are runners in a race. The Christian life is a race. We must run, and run successfully, in order to obtain the prize, the incorruptible crown, which is a reward as an incentive. We must run the race with a clear aim so that our running may not be in vain. We also need to put off every outward encumbrance and the inward entangling sin, suffer opposition with endurance, and never grow weary or faint in our souls. We should also look away from everything other than Jesus, looking with undivided attention unto Him who has sat down on the right hand of the throne of God in the heavens. He is the greatest attraction in the universe, like an immense magnet drawing us to Him. He is 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. Today He is sitting in the heavens with so many aspects to care for us in every way. He is ministering heaven, life, and strength to us, transfusing and infusing us with all that He is, to enable us to run the heavenly race and to live the heavenly life on earth. In this way He carries us through our lifelong pathway and leads us into glory. We need to run in this way until we finish the race.