Now this I do for the
gospel’s sake,
that I may be
partaker of it with you.
Do you not know that
those who
run in a race all
run, but one
receives the
prize? Run in such a way
that you may obtain
it. And everyone
who competes for the
prize is temperate
in all things. Now they do it to obtain
a perishable crown,
but we for
and imperishable
crown.
1 Corinthians 9: 23
-- 25
This
passage with its terms and imagery refers to the Grecian public games. Those who were participating in the Grecian
games did so with the full intention to win the race and to secure the
prize. Those who were participating
would take great care of their bodies to train them and to obtain the best
possible health, they would do anything so that they would win the game and the
Garland of celestial glory given to the winner.
Those participating in the Grecian games were doing so to gain a fading
chaplet that is only composed of decaying leaves of a wild olive. But, for Christians the race that we are
running is not to gain such a thing that which would fade, rather Christians
run the race for an unfading wreath of immortality. How are you running the Christian race? To gain some prize, some acclamation from people, to look
successful, or are you doing what Paul said that he was doing and that was
doing everything for the Gospels sake partaking with the brothers and sisters in
Christ? For Christians it is the glory
to preferred the success of his ministry which should be the highest priority
of his interest and to deny himself that he may serve Jesus Christ to save
souls. The Corinthian's were succumbed
by the secular things that abounded all around them, the desire for euphoric experiences, the
Grecian gains, the worship of various gods with all of their rituals that made
them seem as though they were pleasing their god. Are you caught up in the rituals that maybe your denomination or
church teach as though this is what God requires and you could feel godly,
or are you actually studying God's Word to see how to please God according to
the way God desires for you to please Him?
To be a Christian is to be in a war against sin and to be in a battle
against that which is evil. The war, or
the battle, begins with yourself, you must come to understand the battle set before you before you can
give aid to other in their fight against evil and together, partaking together,
you support one another in this war to win souls to Jesus Christ. How is this best done? What is the game plan,
the battle plan, so that you can have success: Paul gives the answer: "Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the
air. But I discipline my body and bring
it in to this subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should
not become disqualified" (Corinthian's 9: 26 -- 27). You must bring your body into subjection to
Jesus Christ and this is done by disciplining yourself, and the rules or the
metric, the rubric, that guide you in your disciplining of yourself is why your
study of the Bible is so important, and you're pragmatic living according to the Bible. You need not look elsewhere to find how to
live or discipline your body. It may be
good to read other peoples devotions or even theological discourses, and as a
guide, they may be useful but examine what ever is written is done so
in correct interpretation of God's Word and not by someone's opinion. This is a problem in our churches today
people are following men and did not Paul in the beginning of this book, this
letter to the Corinthians, tell us that this is not the thing to do? Yes!
We are to study to show ourselves and approved to workman unto God: "Be diligent to present your self
approved to God, aid worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly (the Greek
word here is: όρθοτομοϋντα, and means to make a straight cut, to dissect, in
other words to correctly divide the Word of God, rightly dealing with a thing,
in the sense given here is not to divide Scripture from Scripture, but teaching Scripture accurately, and carefully discerning each nuance) dividing the word
of truth" (2 Timothy 2: 15).
Our responsibility is to discipline our minds so that we will not be
caught up in sin and be disqualified because what we are learning has not
been rightly divided according to Scripture.
We are not called to be "lone wolves" in this battle for we
have the support of our brothers and sisters in Christ and we need that
support. We diligently present
ourselves looking up to God and by rightly dividing the
word of God. Be careful, once again for
that which you read maybe incompatible with the word of God for this will lead you to demonstrate in your life
what you have read and come to believe and may not be true to Scripture, not Scriptural, then you may be
disqualified, not from eternal life, as some teach, rather you will not hear
Jesus say: "His lord said to him,
‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I
will make you ruler over many things.
Enter into the joy of your lord" (Matthew 25: 21). What a joy it is to serve the Lord Jesus
Christ even though at times the battle seems unwinnable, it seems as though
you were being overrun by evil, even at times falling into despair, but raise your
eyes to heaven for there in heaven is a friend, your Savior who will come and He comes He will give you
aid and help His bride and all we have to do is reach out to the Lord Jesus Christ and
receive His help. Once again, the
question is will you do it? My prayer
is that you will know that you will join with her brothers and sisters to bring
the Gospel to your world and to support one another in this effort. God blesses those who serve him according to
His Word.
Bless the LORD, you
His angels,
who excel in strength,
who do His word. Heeding the voice
of His word. Bless the LORD,
all you His hosts. You ministers of His,
who do His pleasure.
Psalm 103: 20 -- 21
Receive now God’s
blessing
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