As Christians we have been entered in the greatest race, a relay that will test our endurance to complete the course. As spiritual athletes, we are to discipline ourselves for the purpose of godliness. Bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things (1 Tim. 4:7-8). This basic discipline is likened to exercising in a gymnasium. The word exercise is derived from the Greek gumnazo. But tragically the race is all too often lost because the baton is dropped. Paul was familiar with sports (with more than 50 references in the New Testament). He drew many parallels between the Christian’s discipline and the athlete’s training.
In the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, it was reported in the newspapers the incredible effort undertaken to insure the passing on of the Olympic flame from its home in Athens. Using modern technology–lasers and satellite transmitters, an impulse of energy spanned the continents to ignite a flame in Ottawa so runners could carry the ancient symbol to its destination.
God has initiated the family through the generations to carry the torch on. His Word describes countless generations, each one passing on or dropping the faith. Job saw the opportunity of four generations in His life (Job 42:16). But there is a disturbing cycle, a breakdown in the relay team. In many family lines, we find the first-generation Christian fully committed to the Lord. The second-generation Christian’s walk is more shallow and leads to compromise. And as the third generation emerges, we find sin and apathy.
These three-generational steps even hold true when we examine local churches, educational institutions, and denominations. We can go back three generations to men like Finney, Ironside, Moody, and Scoefield. And three more to Edwards, Whitfield and Carey. But what happened in between? Great educational institutions remain in the rubble of lost biblical roots and founders’ ideals. Schools like Yale, Princeton, Vanderbilt and Harvard, are all remnants of a rich past. And the original moorings are drifting away aimlessly in organizations like the Salvation Army and YM/YWCA.
We find in Joshua 24:15 a first generation commitment, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” But by the third generation, Israel was characterized by those “who did not know the Lord, nor yet the work which He had done for Israel” (Judges 2:10).
Eli the priest was a moral man, but lost control of his sons and didn’t rebuke them. His grandson was named Ichabod, meaning “the glory is departed.”
David, a man after God’s own heart, had a compromising son in Solomon who married foreign wives and allowed pagan worship. Rehoboam, David’s grandson, was corrupt and forsook the law, dropping the baton.
Nineveh repented through the preaching of Jonah. But three generations later, during the time of Nahum, Nineveh was overthrown for its wickedness.
And what happened when the God of heaven personally came down and took twelve men, equipping them with every advantage of knowing the Son of God. Yet a generation after the early church fathers, corruption of our precious faith took root. The baton of faith gets dropped, over and over again. Many of our assemblies are in their second and third generations. Do we face losing the race? Are we dropping the baton?
There is an answer. Psalm 78:5-8 provides marvelous insight into God’s mind to avert tragedy: “For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers (first generation), that they should teach them to their children (second generation); that the generation to come (third generation) might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell them to their children (continues on), that they should put their confidence in God, and not forget the works of God (take them for granted), but keep His commandments (obedience), and not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not prepare its heart, and whose spirit was not faithful to God.”
God’s desire for His people was that His testimonies be taught to the children. Disciple them. Pour into their young lives the faith passed on to you. The hope then would be that their confidence would be in God and not be like their fathers. Discipling ourselves in godliness is hard work. Lots of training is needed, devotion to a purpose. Let’s not drop the baton as we pass it to our children. This race must be won.