A TEST OF OUR COMMITMENT – ERIC LIDDEL

On 11 July 1924 Eric Liddell wins the gold medal in 400 meter race in Paris Olympics, after he had rejected to run in the 100 meter race because its heats were scheduled on a Sunday. He clearly and firmly believed that to participate in the 100 meters race on a Sunday is a violation of God’s command to keep the Sabbath holy, and to rest from the regular and routine works of the week – Exodus 20:8-11.

Eric Liddle had prepared for years, to run the 100 meters race, and not the 400. Both the races have to be prepared differently, because they both are entirely different races. Everything is different about them, not just the distance. Yet, Liddle desired to honour his God and his LORD, by foregoing his favourite race, the one for which he had prepared all his life, than to make name and fame in this world. God too honoured Liddle by enabling him to win the race for which he never prepared. Liddle’s time of 47.6 seconds set both a new Olympic and World Record at the time. What a race to run, and what an honour bestowed!!!
– “I have no formula for winning the race. Everyone runs in her own way, or his own way. And where does the power come from, to see the race to its end? From within. Jesus said, ‘Behold, the Kingdom of God is within you. If with all your hearts, you truly seek me, you shall ever surely find me.’ If you commit yourself to the love of Christ, then that is how you run a straight race.” – Eric Liddle

The LORD Jesus, speaking with His disciples, and also to us today, asks all of us to “TAKE UP THE CROSS AND FOLLOW HIM” every single day of our lives. This is what Eric Liddle did in Paris Olympics.
– “23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels.” – Luke 9:23-26

To walk the path that our LORD Jesus calls, we need people who possess a resolute mind, a determined heart, and a steely resolution. Eric Liddle demonstrated his resolve to follow his LORD and his Saviour faithfully and obediently, despite the loss, the disgrace and the humiliation it might bring to him personally. He walked the path which the LORD Jesus asks all of us to walk.
– “7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;” – Philippians 3:7-9

Two things that set apart Eric Liddle. One, he made the LORD Jesus his sole aim, goal, dream, and pursued it faithfully and obediently; two, he totally, fully and completely  surrendered himself and his entire life to the LORD Jesus, and the work of His kingdom.
– “Obedience to God’s will is the secret of spiritual knowledge and insight. It is not willingness to know, but willingness to DO (obey) God’s will that brings certainty.” – Eric Liddle

Eric Liddle went on to become a missionary to China. This is where Liddle’s heart was. This is where he invested his time, efforts and all his energies. Liddle looked beyond the obvious and the temporal. He had an eternal perspective for a fleeting, fragile and finite human life on earth. Liddle chose to obey God, and follow Him faithfully and obediently.

Eric Liddell’s last words before passing away from a brain tumor in a Japanese internment camp in 1945, in China were recorded as, “IT IS COMPLETE SURRENDER.” These words, which Liddle said on his deathbed during a conversation about his unwavering devotion to God’s will, sum up for us, all what Liddle truly valued, resolutely stood for, and faithfully lived for.

Now how about us dear brothers and sisters? What fills our hearts and minds? What fuels our passions and pursuits? If we are not living for the LORD Jesus Christ, and His glory, then all what we are living for is much worse than worthless pennies. The following words of Liddle sum up for us his thoughts about what should we be doing with our lives…
– “As Christians, I challenge you. Have a great aim – have a high standard – make Jesus your ideal…make Him an ideal not merely to be admired but also to be followed.” – Eric Liddle
– “We are all missionaries. Wherever we go we either bring people nearer to Christ or we repel them from Christ.” – Eric Liddle
Even so, the LORD Jesus help us.