Spiritual Gifts part 206: The goal of the race is spiritual maturity.

Spiritual Gifts Part 206: The goal is spiritual maturity, where the life of Christ is manifested in us.

The word for “race” in HEB 12:1, agona, is in other places translated as a “fight”. It can mean a contest, a fight, or a battle.

The combat objective in the angelic conflict is to seize and hold the high ground of the “supergrace” life: the life of the spiritually mature believer .

We are to flee from some things and pursue other things instead.

“Flee” is the present active imperative of
feu/gw pheugo
= to run away (literally or figuratively); by implication, to shun.

to move quickly from a point or area in order to avoid presumed danger or difficulty - “to run away, to flee, flight”.
“ to escape, to avoid.”

Other verses in the NT epistles tell us to also flee fornication (1CO 6:18), idolatry (1CO 10:14), and youthful lusts (2TI 2:22).
 

“Pursue” is the present active imperative of the Greek verb
diw/kw dioko
= to pursue (literally or figuratively).

to follow with haste, and presumably with intensity of effort, in order to catch up with, - “to run after, to chase after, to pursue.”

to move quickly and energetically toward some objective - “to hasten, to run, to press forward, to press on.”

to do something with intense effort and with definite purpose or goal - “ to do with effort, to strive toward.”

Did you ever experience as a reality in your soul that you cannot do both of these at once?