Jesus was the fulfillment of the sacrifice needed to satisfy the punishment for all of our sin; it’s His blood that washes us clean. He paid the price for our salvation not so that we could continue to be weighted down by the past, but so that we’d be free to run the race before us with our eyes fixed on the eternal prize that awaits us.

Have you ever watched a kid try to run while holding onto their security blanket? The blanket inevitably winds up on the floor (or in the dirt!), being dragged along and slowing their momentum. Sin is our security blanket. We hold onto it because we think it brings us stability, yet all it does is keep us from running towards Christ. But the reality is, nothing we cling to is better than the life He offers us when we cling to Him.

God’s plan for His people has been in place since before time began, and He wants to use US to accomplish it! Living by faith means trusting that God will work through us to bring His plan to completion. It’s up to us to finish the work He began in us — and even if we quit in the past, we always have an opportunity to pick up, start over, and finish strong.

The Christian life is a race we’re running through this temporary world — but often, it’s less of a sprint and more of a marathon! Whether our journey is long or short, the devil is always seeking to do everything he can to try and take us out of the race. That’s why we’ve got to let go of past struggles, current burdens, and anything else that’s holding us back, and focus on the prize that’s waiting for us at the finish line.

In order to “run the race” that Scripture talks about, we have to find our strength and source in Jesus. And before we can do that, we have to allow ourselves to receive God’s free gift of grace. When we keep our eyes on Him and allow ourselves to be used for His glory, He equips us to run not just any race, but a winning race.

Jesus said that as His followers, we are the light of the world. But that means we have to shine in such a way that our brightness draws others out of the darkness and into His light. When we let go of the distractions that hold us back, we can run the race that God’s set before us, “lights out” and fully focused on the eternal prize.

Sin weighs us down and keeps us from living the life that God intended for us. But when Jesus paid the price for our salvation, He washed us clean from our past and freed us from the burden of our sin. As children of the King, we’re now free to run the race before us with our eyes fixed on the ultimate prize: eternal life in Heaven with our Father.