A race from earth to heaven!

(Thomas Watson, "The Heavenly Race")

"Run in such a way as to get the prize!"
    1 Corinthians 9:24

If you would have the prize—run the race!

The Christian race is difficult. It is a race from
earth to heaven! Is it easy for a man to deny
himself, to crucify the flesh, to behead his
beloved sin?

If we would have a sight of God in glory—we
must run this race. We cannot have the world
without labor—and would we have heaven
without labor?

In the heavenly race, ALL must run. Those who
are unfit to run in other races, like the lame and
blind—must run this race. None are excused from
this race. All have run from God by sin—and all
must run to Him by repentance! Either run—or
be damned! Either flee to heaven—or fall to hell!

"Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that
 so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance
 the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes
 on Jesus." Hebrews 12:1-2

If we do not throw off this weight of sin by sincere
repentance—it will sink us into hell. A man cannot
run a race with a heavy burden upon his back.
An immoral person cannot run the race of holiness;
a proud man cannot run the race of humility;
a self-willed man cannot run the race of obedience.

The world is a golden weight which has hindered
many and made them lose their race. "Demas has
deserted me—because he loved this present world!"
2 Timothy 4:10. So far as the world is a weight—
throw it off! I do not say lay aside the use of the
world—but the love of the world, 1 John 2:15. When
the golden dust of the world is blown in men's eyes
—it so blinds them, that they cannot see their race!

Oh, Christian, unburden your soul of sin! Throw off
this weight—if you intend to lay hold on the crown!