THE JUDGMENT SEAT of Christ is exclusively for believers. It will be the time and place where our deeds and motivations will be examined and where we will be rewarded accordingly. But until we get there, there’s a race for us to run. Here are three keys that will help us optimize our spiritual endurance and run our race effectively.
- Tear out any roots of bitterness. Bitterness gets inside us through reflection. It happens when we constantly dwell on offenses and rehearse them in our minds. But we overcome bitterness with forgiveness. There’s freedom in letting go of past offenses, which accelerates our spiritual growth.
- Love others. Love is of God. In First John 4:11, it says, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” Notice that He first loved us. This is the nature of God’s love, irrespective of our faults and imperfections. He loved us unconditionally while we were yet sinners. Christ died for the ungodly. It’s like God is saying to us, “If I can offer you that kind of love, can’t you offer the same love and courtesy to one another?” We can. We’re going to make mistakes at times, but we have to extend the same love to others that God extends to us.
- Be careful what you consume. Even as a new creation in Christ, we have the responsibility of guarding the gateways to our hearts. The gateways to the heart are the eyes, the ears, and the meditations of the mind. If we find ourselves flying off the handle, we need to investigate where a negative seed was planted. It could be through the music we’re listening to, the movies we’re watching, or the companionship we’re keeping.
All of these avenues are seed-bearers. And the heart doesn’t discriminate where seed is concerned. That’s our job. We’re the gatekeepers. In Proverbs 4:23, we’re encouraged, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” You might say, “Well, I’ve been consuming the wrong things. How can I get that bad seed out?” I’ll tell you how: It’s called ‘the law of displacement.’ Put yourself under the influence of the Word. You can override the past seed, plant a new harvest, and get a new fruit.
If we implement these things and keep our eyes on Jesus, we will run our race unhindered and on fire. We have to keep our primary pursuits on things above. I believe it’s God’s purpose for each of us to have the same testimony as the Apostle Paul, who said, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Tim. 4:7–8).
2024.]
Author
MArty Blackwelder
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