1 Corinthians 9:24-27 NKJV
“24Do 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. 25And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. 26Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”
Reading that reminded me of this:
Hebrews 12:1-2 NKJV
“1Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
What Race?
What race are they both talking about? They are not talking
about a physical race on a physical race track with us running with our
physical legs and bodies. They are both talking about a spiritual race, which
is our walk of faith in obedience to our Lord, in surrender to his will, in
death to sin, and in living to righteousness, by the grace of God, and in the
power of God. And it is a fight, a conflict, an effort, a battle, i.e. “fighting
the good fight of faith.” And it is spiritual warfare against Satan resulting
in spiritual victory over sin.
For Satan will come after us to try to tear us and to wear
us down. He will pull all kinds of tricks on us to try to get us to be afraid
or to tempt us to sin or to get us to be lazy or to run away from it all
because it got too hard. And he will use other humans against us to try to
break us, to try to get us to give up trying, to feel defeated, and as though
we just can’t take another step forward. He will whisper to us all sorts of
things to get us to be afraid of so many things, or to get us to doubt God and
the teachings of Christ.
So every day we must commit our lives to obedience to our Lord,
to not live by our feelings, and to resist Satan’s attempts to dishearten and
to discourage us from moving forward with God in obedience to his commands in
doing what he has called each one of us to do collectively and individually.
And we fight the good fight of faith, not with the weapons of this world, but
with spiritual weapons of faith, perseverance, truth, righteousness, the gospel
of salvation, sharing the gospel message, and with the Word of God.
How to Do That?
Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self,
take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we
hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But
if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to
our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God.
For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the
one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
For by God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our
own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ
to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as
slaves to righteousness in walks of obedience to God’s commands. We are no
longer to permit sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires.
For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience to God is
what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with
God (see Romans 6:1-23).
For God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training
us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled,
upright, and godly lives while we wait for Jesus’ return. For it is not the one
who claims he is “in Christ” who is “in Christ,” but it is the one who has
denied self, died with Christ to sin, and who is now walking in obedience to
our Lord and to his commands, in practice, and no longer in sin. We have the
hope and the promise of eternal life with God in heaven (see Titus 2:11-14; 1
John 1-3).
Receiving the Crown
We have to stay the course, in the strength of our Lord.
Daily we must put on that armor of God to fight off Satan’s evil schemes
against us. And we cannot play with sin. We cannot get slothful. We cannot let
the trappings of this world take us off course. No matter how hard things get,
or no matter how many voices we have coming against us, or how much we are
mistreated and rejected and/or falsely accused of what we did not do, we must
remain steadfast in faith and in obedience to our Lord’s commands.
And notice with me what Paul said, which is critical that we
get this. He said he disciplines his body to bring it into subjection, lest,
when he had preached to others, he himself should become disqualified. What did
he mean by that? Read the section of this writing, “How to Do That?” He was not
talking about working out at a gym to make himself physically strong. He was
talking about disciplining himself spiritually so that he did not fall into temptation,
and into sin, and turn from serving the Lord with his life.
For we don’t “get saved” and now we are guaranteed
forgiveness of all sins and heaven as our eternal destiny. God has to draw us
to Christ, and only by the faith which he provides can any of us believe in
Jesus. And that belief involves us denying self, dying to sin, and obeying God,
in practice. And it is progressive faith (past, present, and future) which won’t
be complete until Jesus returns for his faithful bride, and provided that we
continue in walks of obedience to God, in death to sin, so that we don’t become
disqualified.
[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts
26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans
8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1
Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians
5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14;
Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24;
1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation
3:1-22]
Do Your Best
Based off of 2 Timothy 2
An Original Work /
November 7, 2011
Christ’s Free
Servant, Sue J Love
Love You, Father,
love You, Lord.
Be strong in the
grace of Christ.
Endure hardship for
your Lord.
Your commander, live
to please.
You’ll receive the
victor’s crown.
By the rules, run in
the race.
Your Lord, you’ll
see face to face.
Jesus Christ, raised
from the dead;
Of your life, He is
the head.
Endure all for the
elect.
Love You, Father,
love You, Lord.
If we died, we live
with Him.
If we last, with Him
we’ll reign.
If we disown Him
today,
He will have to look
away.
Even if we faithless
be,
Faithful He’ll
remain always.
He cannot disown
Himself.
He’s our Lord and
Savior, King.
He will reign o’er
ev’rything.
Love You, Father,
love You, Lord.
Do your best;
present yourself
As one who’s
approved by God.
Work as one who’s
not ashamed;
Rightly share the
Word of Truth.
Wander not from what
you know.
Destroy not the
faith of some.
God’s foundation; it
stands firm.
The Lord knows those
who are His:
Those who turn from
wickedness.
Love You, Father,
love You, Lord.
In a house are wood
and clay,
Gold and silver, all
array.
Some are noble, some
are bad –
Cleanse your life,
and you’ll be glad;
Useful to the
Master’s work.
A pure heart – in
righteousness,
Pursue faith and
love and peace.
Bad desires you want
to flee.
Gentle servant you
must be.
I Discipline My Body
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