When Paul wrote about pressing on toward the mark, he obviously used the analogy of running a race.  He often used the illustration of running in a race to teach us how Christians should live.  Here are a few of the similarities that he points out.

A Christian must run lawfully if he wants to win the prize.  Paul put it very simply in his second epistle to Timothy.

2 Timothy 2:5 (ESV)
⁵An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

In the physical realm, this is a known and accepted fact.  If a runner veers outside the white lines that set the boundaries for his lane, he is disqualified.  No excuse will change the fact of his disqualification.  No situation or circumstance will alter the results, unless, of course, it involves another runner purposely knocking him out of his lane.  The rules must be followed if a crown is to be won.

Despite what many conclude in the religious world today, the race of Christianity involves rules that must be followed.  To suggest otherwise is not only illogical but it questions the sovereignty of God.  Can you think of one sovereign ruler in the history of this world who ever ruled without rules?  To teach that God has no commandments for His people is to question whether He even has sovereignty.  In a physical race, there are rules of entry and rules of conduct once one is in the race.  Such is the case with Christianity as well.  To enter the race, a person must comply with the rules (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 17:30; Romans 10:9-10).  To stay in the race, one must run faithfully (Ephesians 4:1; Revelation 2:10).

Another similarity between running a race and Christianity is the importance of running hard.  In a physical race, if you are not going to run hard, you may as well not enter the race and the same is true of serving Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:24 (ESV)
²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

Jogging around the track is not good enough when running a race, whether it is a physical or spiritual one.  When Paul says that we should run that we may obtain, he is telling us that we must run as hard as we can.  Notice he said that only one receives the prize.  While that is not true in the race toward heaven, Paul was simply indicating that we should run as if it were true.  If you knew that only one person was going to make it to heaven, how would you run?  You would give your all, wouldn’t you?  That is how we must run the race of Christianity.  Furthermore, not only should we run as hard and fast as we can, but we, as the Hebrews writer wrote, should remove any obstacles that might slow us down.

Hebrews 12:1 (ESV)
¹ Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,   

Finally, we must finish the course.  Paul was sure about his salvation because he knew he had done that.

2 Timothy 4:7 (ESV)
⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

We do not have to run a perfect race, but we must do our best to stay on course, run hard, and keep running to the end.  It is all a part of pressing on to the goal.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.