One of the grave errors we make in evangelical Christianity today is to put way too much emphasis on the “day” of our salvation, on the fact that we’ve “entered” the race. Many seem to think that “entering” the race is all that is required to ensure the prize of eternal salvation and that we are not required to actually run the race, let alone finish the race in faith. We ask people if they “got” saved rather than asking if they are “working out their own salvation” by continuing in the faith and walking with Christ as His follower and His disciple each day.

Now, this does not mean that the “day” of our salvation isn’t a wonderful and monumental event, because it most definitely is. It’s the beginning, it’s the start, it’s day one of a glorious transformation when we are translated from kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of His beloved son, but it’s not over, it’s not finished, we’ve only just begun. We are required to run the race, and to finish the race in faith, in order to obtain the prize. There is no prize, there is no ribbon for entering, only for running the race and finishing it in faith. To teach people that as long as they’ve entered the race they are guaranteed to obtain the prize is as foolish as it would be for any athletic race. I have never heard of a consolation prize or certificate given to those who entered but never actually ran the race. Jesus said “he that endureth to the END, the same shall be saved”.

Don’t let anyone fool you with any alternate pathway that ends in eternal salvation, but does not require you to continue in the faith firm until the end, they are leading you astray and giving you false assurance and false hope. Those that Jesus turns away (Matt 7:21) will be those who entered the race, but never actually ran it, or those who began the race, but then checked out somewhere along the way. Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us (Heb 12:1).