Heavenly Race… Part 1

Do you know this song: “…Heavenly race, I no go taya… Heavenly race, I no go taya… Heavenly race, I no go taya… I no go taya!!!”

Hmm… Most people who sing this song have this mindset: ‘…getting to heaven…is like…running a race…’ ‘…run faster…strive harder…sweat thicker…’ ‘…else no heaven for you to enter…’

Hmm… Let me share briefly with you a story about a man who made up his mind to RUN this so called ‘Heavenly Race’! Ready?

‘…Now a certain ruler asked Him (Jesus), saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I DO to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18)

This question can be paraphrased thus: ‘…what shall I do to win this Heavenly Race’!

Hmm… Jesus listed some!

‘…You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ (Luke 18:20)

Hear the man’s response: ‘…And he said, “ALL these things I have kept from my youth.” (Luke 18:21)

Come on now! This guy is really running this ‘Heavenly Race’!!! I tend to feel he loves the song too…

‘…Heavenly race, I no go taya… Heavenly race, I no go taya… Heavenly race, I no go taya… I no go taya”!!!

But here comes the breaking news!!!

‘…So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack ONE THING. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” (vs 22)

Oh…oh!!! ONE THING! Aba!!! Jesus should have just ‘overlooked’ the ONE THING and qualified this guy who has been running the Heavenly Race right from his youth!!! This guy whose best part of the song was… ‘…I no go taya…’

His song suddenly changed!

‘… But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful..’ (vs 23)

In fact, the guy ‘taya’ finally!!! Hmm…

Now listen carefully: No matter how much you try…there must still be ONE THING you are yet to do to enter heaven!

Someone said the Christian life is HARD! Lol…! That is an UNDER-STATEMENT! The Christian life is not just ‘hard’.… The Christian life is IMPOSSIBLE!!! Hmm… In fact, after Jesus…’disqualified’ that guy, the people around had to ask this very important question:

‘…And those who heard it said, “WHO THEN can be saved?” (vs 26)

Wow! Jesus’ answer is so plain:

‘…But He said, “The things which are IMPOSSIBLE with men are possible with God.” (vs 27)

Hmm… The HEAVENLY RACE is IMPOSSIBLE with MEN! NO MATTER HOW YOU TRY!!! It is only POSSIBLE with GOD! And I have Good News for you! God has made it POSSIBLE!!! Our part is to LEARN about how GOD HAS MADE IT POSSIBLE!!!

‘…For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, GOD DID BY SENDING HIS OWN SON in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: HE CONDEMNED SIN in the flesh..’ (Romans 8:3)

Hmm…! Read Part 2 on this exciting series on the ‘HEAVENLY RACE here. Grace!