One of the ways in which the Word of God describes the life of a believer is that of an athlete running in a race. For an athlete to successfully run a race, he must run it with endurance. The Scriptures explain that a believer must run the race in a manner that will allow him to obtain the prize or reward that is promised to the winner. For example, the crown mentioned in the Word is not a participation trophy, it is obtained by running the race with endurance. If an athlete running a physical race does not finish, there is no prize that is expected. For believers, running metaphorically in a race, this means that they are to believe God’s Word throughout their lives, to run the race of believing with endurance. The Word is clear in that all those who are born again absolutely have salvation – that cannot ever be taken away. This is stated in the Scriptures in multiple ways. However, when it comes to the reward, the requirement for us, like it was for Paul the Apostle as he writes in Corinthians, is to finish our course, to run according to the rules, to run with self control so we may obtain that which God has made available. So God encourages us to run, so that we may obtain.