RUNNING FOR THE PRIZE

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?

Run in such a way as to get the prize

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.

No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

This ends today’s reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Now that the weather is getting nice again and spring is around the corner, we will begin to see different sports emerge.

Professional baseball has finally been green lighted after the recent labor agreement.

Stock car, open wheel, and Formula 1 racing have begun as has golf tournaments.

And we will soon see running events start up in local communities across our country as well as track and field events starting at colleges and high schools.

In regard to the latter, people will be dusting off their running shoes and hit the road or track to either sprint or run distances. The most serious runners will be looking to compete in races, whether 5 or 10K’s or the ultimate running endurance events, marathons.  

In races, it’s always been pretty common knowledge that a lot of people participate but only one runner finishes first. That runner gets the prize as they have achieved something the other runners didn’t.

Now, apply this to life which has often been referred to as a race. In fact, I had a habit of always working late every day and on one particular instance of this, my Commanding Officer was leaving before me and poked his head in my door saying:

“Master Chief, it’s a marathon, not a sprint.”

His point was that my assignment in Djibouti, Africa was going to be long and so I needed to pace myself. It was great advice.

In today’s scripture passage, drawn from the closing verses of 1 Corinthians 9, we find the Apostle Paul sharing an important spiritual message to the Christians of Corinth using a running analogy. Look again at his words here:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?

Run in such a way as to get the prize

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.

No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.  1 Corinthians 9:24-27

We learn here that the idea of running for a prize has existed for a very long time. It’s obvious that foot races must have been prevalent in Corinth or else Paul wouldn’t have used it to illustrate his point.

What was that point?

It was simple. Many people live life but not everyone will get a prize, the prize here being salvation and the chance to live with the Lord forever.

Paul encouraged his Corinthian readers to run to the cross where they would find the gift of everlasting life through the redeeming work of God through His Son Jesus. Gaining the prize of salvation would bring with it free entry into the very kingdom of God and those who will abide there will wear “a crown that will last forever”, having avoided disqualification.

Note that Paul saw that gaining this prize was the most important ambition a person should have. He ran with a purpose, not aimlessly, and encouraged believers to follow his lead, training hard to be more and more like Christ in the way that they lived as they prepared for the end of the race which is code for the end of life, the day the Lord calls us out of this worldly life and into our heavenly life with Him.

So as we close, these verses would present a question:

All are running the race of life but are you running in such a way to win the prize?

If you’ve committed yourself to believe in Jesus as Savior, then the answer is “yes”. The crown of God’s kingdom is yours when the race is done.

If you’re running but have yet to believe in Jesus as Savior, I ask you to please change course and run to the cross of Calvary so you won’t face disqualification when judgment day comes.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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