week of 5/31/11 2nd recorded HighQuest ! Corinthian 9:24-27

credit for the picture of Ashton Eaton goes to ZachAncel

The passage I read was 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

You can find that passage here:

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+9%3A24-27&version=NIV

My attempt to summarize:

Paul uses “running a race” as an analogy of witnessing to others as well as walking with Christ himself. He discusses training for a race, running with others, controlling one’s self, and running to win.

As I reflect:

Throughout the entire chapter really, Paul shows what could easily be his by right, if he wanted it. He has the right to bring his wife with him on these journeys and he has the right to receive funding and food and shelter from the church and those he witnesses to and he has a right to have some level of comfort and settle down as a preacher making money to share the Word… But he doesn’t take those rights into consideration. He is sharing how important it is to him and ought to be to us to share the Gospel. He shares it freely expecting nothing in return but to “win the race”. He isn’t just saved, nor is he content with simply telling someone once a week, “Jesus loves you”. He is sold out for God!

In this passage, Paul encourages us to train hard, run hard, and run as though your life depended on it. Again, he is not preaching works based salvation, but he is preaching works evidenced salvation in that once we are saved, we have a mission that cannot be ignored. We don’t come to repentance and confession of Christ as Lord just so that we can live exactly the same way as we did before Christ. Instead, there are changes that occur within us and we are compelled to share Jesus’ love and we are not contempt to simply sit idly by while many are headed for eternal separation from Yahweh. We are called by God to take part in the spreading the Gospel. He didn’t say, “if you feel like it”, or, “if it falls into your comfort zone then go ahead and tell someone about salvation.” No! He said tell every nation tongue and tribe. There were no exceptions to the rule. He set the example and said he came to do His Father’s will and that that was to seek and save the lost. We ought also be obedient and “strike a blow” to our bodies to “make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” Paul is clear in how we ought to view and take part in the mission God has given us here on the Earth. Run in such a way as to get the prize Christian.

My response to the Lord:

Yahweh, I don’t profess perfection in myself, for you better than anyone know just how broken I am. But one thing I do profess is my never ending need for your to work through my brokenness creating in me a new man. I confess my full dependence on you for every good thing. For even the power to control my own thoughts, I require your Holy Spirit. It is no different when I train in your word and among other believers, or when I am witnessing to a lost person wherever you have brought me. At every point in my life Lord, I turn to you for strength, love, compassion, understanding, encouragement, courage, knowledge, wisdom, discernment, and for the ultimate example of accomplishing your will. By your Spirit alone, and for you alone, may I run the race, and run it well. In Jesus’ name.