Run to win (2)

Hello everyone,

How are you doing on this day? I hope well and bubbling in the Lord. We thank God for His goodness and His faithfulness.

Primary Text

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but [only] one receives the prize? So run [your race] that you may lay hold [of the prize] and make it yours. Now every athlete who goes into training conducts himself temperately and restricts himself in all things. They do it to win a wreath that will soon wither, but we [do it to receive a crown of eternal blessedness that cannot wither.” 1 Corinthians 9v24-25 (AMP)

As believers we are running a race to gain a crown that will not wither. How then do we run in such a way as to win this race? One way (taking from the Dakes commentary), and drawing the analogy with an actual athletic race is to be “as earnest to make heaven as men are to win a race." As a brother pointed out to me, God is working in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Philippians 3v14), He enables us to win the race, He is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy (Jude 1v24). Yet, we can ask ourselves the question, how much do I want this? Do I really believe in God or am I just going through the motions? Am I being a hearer only of the Word or am I also a doer? Paul said, “By the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” (1 Corinthians 15v10, KJV). Are you allowing the grace God has given to you be in vain? God is awesome that He gives us the desire and the power to serve Him. He gives us His Word, His blood, His Spirit, the name of Jesus, the power of prayer, He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1v3). How are we making use of all that He has given to us?

Supplementary Text

“I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.” Philippians 3v12-14 (NLT)

Prayer

Father, I thank You for Your Word. I thank You for this race we are running. Father, please grant us the grace to run it to the end, and to run to win in Jesus name, amen.