1 CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 9:24-27:
“Run In Such
By
1.
INTRO:
1.1.
In our last study we looked
at what Paul wrote to the Corinthians about how that they needed to use all
means for reaching the lost for Christ, including being willing to “be all
things to all men”:
1.1.1. We saw that the scripture teaches us in Proverbs 11:30 that the wise
man will win souls, “30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he
who is wise wins souls.”
1.1.2. We saw that neither a church nor an individual believer can be
spiritually healthy if they are not in some way trying to reach out to win
souls to the Lord and be used to change lives for eternity
1.1.3. We saw how that in Prov. 11:25 it is written that the one who waters
others will himself be watered, “25 The generous man will be prosperous, And
he who waters will himself be watered.”
1.1.3.1.If we will reach out to others with the gospel the Lord will minister
to us in many ways and water us
1.1.4. We saw that one of the greatest blessings in life happens when the Lord
uses us to lead a lost person to salvation in the Savior
1.2.
Finding ourselves in the context
here of being all things to all men so that we can win the most people to
Christ, in our study today we are going to look at how Paul gave us two
analogies, ‘running in a race’ and ‘boxing in a boxing match’, in order to
teach us that we Christians must view ourselves as spiritual athletes and our
Christian life similarly to competing in sporting events. Thus, we must be careful in our Christian
life to train and to compete in such a way that we will win our race or
match.
1.2.1. We will see then that training and running a race so that we will win
requires primarily two things:
1.2.1.1.Bodily Discipline
1.2.1.2.Being careful not to
disqualify yourself
2.
VS 9:24 - “9:24
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.” - Paul tells
the Corinthians that in regard to their Christian life they were to live it as
if it were a race in which they were trying to win
2.1.
In this verse, Paul refers to the Isthmian Games which were the
forerunner of the Olympic games, where in modern times various nations
participate. Encyclopedia.com says that
the Isthmian games were, “athletic events organized c.581 B.C. They were
held at
2.2.
Paul tells the Corinthians to train and then to run the race of their
Christian life in such a way so that they will be the victor.
2.3.
In order to be successful and train for a race and then win it requires
much discipline, and therefore we Christians must realize the following:
2.3.1. In the Christian life,
“desire” to serve the Lord and good intentions are very important, however at a
certain point what separates those who will be used mightily of God from those
who will be used less is that the “desire” to serve the Lord must be paired with the
“discipline” to do some things while avoiding other things, and good intentions
to serve God must be paired with consistent actions.
2.3.1.1.In other words, we must be
doers of the word of God, not merely hearers.
2.3.2. Running your race just isn’t
something that is going to happen, you need to plan your race and then race your plan.
2.3.2.1.Osmosis is defined as a, “process
of absorption or diffusion suggestive of the flow of osmotic action, and usually an effortless and often unconscious
assimilation.” I think that some
Christians erroneously think that
somehow the Lord is going to just overpower them and they are suddenly by some
forces going to be found doing the Lord’s will and calling in their lives. When Christians think this way I call it, “os-Moses.”
2.3.2.2.We Christians need to plan
ahead before each day about when we are going to spend time with the Lord in
our quiet times, and how we are going to pray for the Lord to use us, etc. We need to pray for, look for, and expect
opportunities to minister to people.
2.3.3. Regarding discipline I want
to make a disclaimer though, for there are those whom I would call “legalistic”
believers
(the ones for whom Christianity consists of a bunch of manmade rules and do’s
and don’ts) who
try to be disciplined in their Christian walk, and yet they are not where God
would have them to be and thus aren’t used mightily by Him in people’s lives. We must be careful that in being disciplined
that we are running the race God has put before us, and not some other race, as
in the case of the legalists.
2.3.4. One thing that ought to be
obvious is that in order to run a race you have to be moving. In other words, a person first has to enter
the race in order to follow Paul’s exhortation to run in such a way as to win
it.
2.3.4.1.Many people these days come
to Christ, and they seem to have the idea that all conflict and difficulty is
over now for them. Perhaps someone share
the gospel with them and told them that God loved them and has a wonderful plan
for their life, but they didn’t also share with them that the Christian life is
going to be difficult, probably more difficult than the life that they had
before. There will be peace, love, and
joy from Christ for every believer but this will be in the midst of
persecutions, trials, testings, failures, and the struggle to complete the race
that God has for us.
2.3.5. We must run our own race. As I went out on the internet this week and
tried to read as many Bible studies on this passage from Christians and pastors
of some different persuasions, I discovered that every single study I read came
up with different applications to these principles Paul gives us about running
the race. This kind of reminded me of
the time when just before I married my wife when I had a broken arm and
couldn’t work my job. I spent two months
and read 17 books written about Christian marriage. I found then also that God has given us some
principles concerning Christian marriage, however how we apply those to our
situation will vary widely. I
think then that Paul would be wanting each of us to realize that we must run
“our own race”, and since each of us has different strengths and weaknesses,
different callings and ministries, and differing amounts of time that we have
been a Christian, we must realize our race is unique
2.3.5.1.Young people have a unique
race, as do old people. Young families
have unique responsibilities that they must meet on a daily basis and thus
their race is unique. When your children
have moved out of the house you now have a unique race. Single people have a unique race. Etc., etc., etc.
2.3.6. You must serve only Jesus
and depend totally upon Him. I have known people who want
to serve Jesus, however they also want to cover all the bases so to speak. They serve Jesus and maybe also read
astrology, or read tarot cards, read I Ching, practice black magic or white
magic, practice voodoo, pray to Mary or the saints, trust in Jesus’ sacrifice
to be the total price for their sins but then also try to earn God’s favor by
their works, etc.
2.3.6.1.In Zephaniah 1:5 we
read about how the Israelites tried to do the same thing and how that the Lord
said that He would cut off from being His people those who tried serve Him plus
anything else, “I will cut off them that worship and that swear by the
Lord, and that swear by Malcham.”
2.3.6.2.Since the scriptures teach
that God’s people are the
2.3.7. Run your own race, doing all that you do as
unto the Lord, not to please men. In other
words don’t look around at everybody else to see what the standard is that you
should meet, rather let God and His word set the standard of what your race
should be.
2.3.8. The author of Hebrews wrote
in Heb. 12:1 about how that we must be careful to run with endurance the race that is set before
us, “1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding
us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily
entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before
us. 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the
author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the
cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of
God.”
2.3.8.1.The Christian life must be
viewed as a life long Marathon Race we must train for and then run in such a way as to
win.
2.3.8.1.1.Many people have made a
commitment to Christ and they have set off running their race, however they
apparently thought that the race was a 100 yard dash, and thus they didn’t
finish the real race, which is a
2.3.8.1.1.1.I call these kinds of people
a “flash in the pan”. They came into the
church and were all excited about finally having found the greatest church
family imaginable. They immediately
began going to the Sunday service and usually the weekly Bible studies also,
and they usually even wanted to start serving in some capacity the day they
came in. Their zeal was noticed by all
and at first it was encouraging to everyone to be around them and see what God
was doing in their lives. However, in
just a few weeks or months they suddenly disappeared, giving some vague or
inexplicable reason for leaving. Months
or years later it is usually the case also that someone in the fellowship will
run into them somewhere and discover that they are backslidden and far away
from Christ and their lives are upside-down.
2.3.8.2.We must keep our eyes fixed
on Jesus.
2.3.8.2.1.The author of Hebrews
teaches that Jesus’ example of love and complete sacrifice which He gave for us
should motivate us to follow in His footsteps and not give up or weary in
well-doing.
2.3.9. Every runner knows that when
running a race it is imperative all throughout the race to keep your focus on the
finish line.
2.3.9.1.We Christians must not get
caught up so much in the temporal things of this life and lose sight of the
eternal things which have the greatest importance.
2.3.9.1.1.Sometimes someone’s career
or job will get in the way with their being able to be in fellowship and serve
the Lord.
2.3.9.1.2.Sometimes it is the
temptations to get rich, buy nice things, etc. that cause someone to end up
getting their eyes off of the Lord and the race that He has for them and they
end up falling away. You have to pay for
all of those things that you buy, and if you have to work three fulltime jobs
to pay for all your stuff, what kind of a testimony will you be?
2.3.9.1.3.Sometimes someone will find
and marry a non-believer and then they eventually fall away to the side in
their race.
2.3.9.2.We Christians ought to also
keep in remembrance of the fact that the New Testament teaches us in several
places that those who run their race well have assurance that they will receive
rewards in heaven for what they have done here on earth. Crowns are mentioned and there is an
inference that some of our rewards will actually be those who we win to Christ.
2.3.10. Since it is your own race
that you are running, you should set your own pace, don’t just follow the pack.
2.3.10.1.Do you remember the story of
the tortes and the hare? I can’t teach
these verses without bringing out this story.
The tortes and the hare both left the starting blocks at the same, but
because the hare ran faster it sped way out ahead. However, after it realized that it was way
out ahead it began doing other things, running other races, etc. However, though the tortes was very slow and
it just sort of plodded along. However,
because it ran a very disciplined race and kept its focus on the finish line it
ended up winning the race. When the hare
realized that the tortes was getting close to the finish line it was too far
away to now beat the tortes to the finish line, so the tortes won the
race. Even though we may see ourselves
and the race that we are running as being like the tortes, at least the tortes
was focused and with unwavering determination put one foot in front of the
other won until it finally won the race.
2.3.11. As Christians we are really not competing
against each other in the race that we are in, rather we are competing in such a
way that we might be faithful to the commission and calling that we have, in
other words what
is important is to
have fought the good fight as Paul wrote about.
2.3.11.1.These words were spelled out in lights at the 18th
Olympics at
2.3.11.2.Shortly before Paul was beheaded by Nero, as he was
writing Timothy from a Roman prison, he wrote in 2 Tim. 4:7-8 about how
he had fought the good fight and finished the course, “7 I have fought
the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;8 in the
future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the
righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to
all who have loved His appearing.”
2.3.12. We must persevere in the
race that we are in. Virtually every great work
created by men took a lot of hard work and perseverance to complete. For instance, in the field of music:
2.3.12.1.BEETHOVEN is unsurpassed in his painstaking fidelity
to his music. Hardly a bar of his was not written and rewritten at least a
dozen times.
2.3.12.2.JOSEF HAYDN, through much hardships, produced over 800
musical compositions, and at age 66 gave the world that matchless oratorio “The
Creation.”
2.3.12.3.SCHUMANN-HEINK’s parents were so poor they could not
afford a good piano, but a dilapidated, old one. For 20 years, she fought off
poverty to become one of the world’s greatest singers.
2.3.12.4.MICHAELANGELO’s “Last Judgment,” one of the twelve
master paintings of the ages, was the product of 8 years’ unremitting toil.
Over 2,000 studies of it were found among his papers.
2.3.12.5.LEONARDO DA VINCI worked on “The Last Supper” for 10
years, often so absorbed he forgot to eat for whole days.
2.4.
In order to win a race, one must also be careful not to become
disqualified. We Christians must realize the following in
regard to being careful not to be disqualified from winning our race:
2.4.1. Being disqualified in your race takes away the crown or
reward you
would have gotten and
makes all
the work that you put into training and running to be in vain. “In 1988 the Olympics were held in
2.4.1.1.Runners must not start until
the gun is fired, stray from their own lanes, hinder other runners with their
hands, etc.
2.4.1.2.Boxers have to stay in the
ring, not tie up their opponent too much, not punch below the belt, punch only
with the padded part of their glove, etc.
2.4.2. Being disqualified in our race means that we
can’t win or qualify for the race because of something that we have done that involves a lack of
discipline.
2.4.3. We must lay aside ‘every
encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us’ in our race if we are to
train in such a way as to win the race, as Paul writes in Heb. 12:1 (it is
quoted above).
2.4.3.1.When runners train for races
they realize that every ounce of unnecessary fat on their body will hinder them
from winning their race. Likewise, in
the Isthmian games in which they ran in Paul’s days, I have read that the
runners would run without any clothes on even since the little bit of air
friction unnecessary clothes would cause would set them back.
2.4.3.2.Sinful habits will hold us
back as Christians from being able to be effectively used in people’s lives as
witnesses.
2.4.3.3.Just one binge into the pig
pen of sin can sometimes cause a Christian’s ability to successfully run his
race be encumbered for many years to a whole lifetime.
2.4.3.3.1.I personally know many men
and women who once served God and were even being used mightily by Him, however
they let their guard down one day and fell into sin, and ever since then they
have either not been in the race that God has for them, or they will never be
able to serve God in the same way or the same calling as God once had for them.
3.
VS 9:25 - “9:25
And everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all
things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.” - Paul tells
the Corinthians that the one who wins a race must exercise the greatest of
self-control
3.1.
As I mentioned, the 8 months of training before the Isthmian races
required that an athlete exercise the utmost in discipline and self-control in
every area of his life. If he did not,
he would not be allowed to run in the race.
3.2.
Paul tells the Corinthians that the flowery wreath that the winners of
the Isthmian athletes won in the races would eventually wear out, however the
prizes obtained by Christians for running faithfully the race that God has put
before them, will never fade out or perish, but will last for all of eternity.
3.3.
We Christians need to learn to exercise self-control in all things in
our life. We need to bring our flesh under control and
subjection in every area of our life. We
should never allow ourselves to be in the flesh. We should die to self all day long of every
day, and carry out none of the deeds of the flesh. That one minute out of the 24 hour period
when we are in the flesh can ruin our testimony and race.
3.3.1. Paul wrote in Romans
13:14 that we must put on Christ as one puts on a garment, and not allow
the flesh to rule in any way, “14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and
make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”
3.4.
Many times Christians will excuse one sin (aspect of the flesh in their
life) thinking that over all they are doing pretty good in their walk with the
Lord. We should never be at rest until
every sin is confessed, and we should never sleep until our will is resolved to
do all that the Lord wants us to do each day of our life.
4.
VS 9:26-27 - “9:26
Therefore I run in such a way as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the
air; but I buffet my body and make it my
slave, lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be
disqualified.” - Paul tells the Corinthians that as a highly
trained boxer, he in his Christian walk
buffeted his body and made it his slave so that he wouldn’t be disqualified
4.1.
Paul says in these verses that he ran the race in his Christian life in
such a way that he was very focused upon God’s calling for his life. Thus, he says that he was boxing, ‘not
without aim’.
4.2.
Paul relates his Christian life not only to running in a race but also
to boxing, and he says that he does not beat the air when he is boxing. That is, he did not shadow box hitting
nothing but air. Rather, he beat his
body and put it in subjection as his slave.
4.2.1. Paul believed that he
himself could actually fail to cross the finish line and enter heaven if he chose
not to yield his will up to God. He says
here that he did not want to be disqualified from heaven.
4.2.1.1.Jesus taught His disciples
in John 15 that the branch that did not abide in Him would be picked up and
throne into the fire. We Christians must
realize that we are not guaranteed that we will go to heaven if we are not
abiding in Him. We could argue about
whether or not a person who fell away could ever have had salvation in the
first place, but it doesn’t really matter?
If you turn completely away from Christ and following Him, the scripture
teaches that you aren’t going to be going to heaven.
4.2.1.2.Spurgeon once wrote the following
about this, “There are some things which must be taken in order and if we
would win the second we must win the first…Heaven stands not first but second,
and only be persevering to the end can we win a portion in it. The cross must be carried before the crown
can be worn. We must follow the Lord in
His humiliation, or we shall never rest with Him in glory.”
4.2.2. Paul buffeted (or beat) his
body so that he himself might not be disqualified from the race after he had
preached to others and led them in their race.
4.2.3. We Christians should not
shadow box in our Christian walk, put rather put to death all the deeds of the
flesh.
4.2.3.1.A boxer has to connect on
his punches if he wants to score enough in order to win his match, likewise we
Christians must keep our flesh in subjection if we will be winners in the match
we are fighting to follow Christ and fulfill His will and calling in our life.
4.3.
There have been people throughout history who have take these verses to
such a literal extent that they have used flagellation, or whipping themselves
or having themselves whipped, in order to discipline their body and take away
the desire for sin from them. For
instance, I have read that Martin Luther used to climb the stairs at the chapel
on his bare elbows and knees, causing bleeding and scaring, hoping that by
doing so he would be able to put down his flesh enough that he would not desire
to sin any longer. This is not what Paul
meant by saying these things. People
have also taken the words that Jesus said literally about if your hand offends
to cut it off, and they have mutilated themselves so that they might not
sin. However, what Paul, and Jesus for
that matter, intended in these sayings is to teach that we Christians must be
people of self-control. We must learn to
deny the sinful desires of our flesh and instead look to the Lord to give us
victory over these sinful desires of our flesh.
4.4.
As Paul , we Christians should never think that we are so strong in the
Lord that we could not fall away from Christ into sin and back-slidding. We must never let ourselves sink away from
keeping our focus and attention on the race that the Lord has put before us.
4.4.1. In 1
Cor. 10:12, Paul wrote that if we
think that we are standing that we should take care lest we fall, “12 Therefore let him who thinks he
stands take heed lest he fall.”