Going for the Gold

One of Paul's favorite sources of illustrations was athletics. On several occasions he used an athletic event to illustrate a spiritual truth. J.S. Howson in his book The Metaphors of St. Paul said that sporting events "were almost a religion among the Greeks." The popularity of sports in those days would be much like they are today. Athletics were a religion and athlete's were as gods.

Paul used an illustration that he knew people would quickly relate to seeing that sports were so popular. The Isthmian Games, second only to the Olympics, were held in Corinth, so the athletic illustrations Paul used would have caught the ear of the Corinthian believers. The primary picture that Paul used in the passage before us is that of a runner. Paul illustrates the Christian life as that of a runner.

This image is also found in Hebrews 12:1, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." Also we find the picture of a runner in Philippians 3:14, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." Oftentimes the believer is compared to a runner in a race. Let's notice the passage and consider truths that every spiritual runner needs to know.

First, think with me of:

1. THE DESIRE OF A RUNNER

In every runner there is a desire that drives him, motivates him, and pushes him. This desire is behind his training. This desire beats in his chest when he competes. Paul describes such a desire.

As we think about the runner we thing of:

A. The Reason For Running

We read in verse 24, "Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize." Paul was saying that in a race all the runners compete against each other. The reason they all run is for a prize. They run to win and receive the victor's prize. This is their goal and objective in running. As believers, there should be in us a desire to win a heavenly reward. This should be a goal of every believer that one day when the Lord passes out the heavenly rewards we will be among the recipients.

In the Isthmian Games held in Corinth there could only be one winner. As Paul said, only "one receiveth the prize." I think of Mark Spitz who became the first athlete in history to win seven gold medals at an Olympic Game (Munich, 1972). When Mark was just a boy, his father, Arnold Spitz would repeatedly say to him, "How many lanes in the pool, Mark?" Mark would answer, "Six." Then his dad would ask, "How many lanes win, Mark?" Mark would reply, "One." There is only one winner in an earthly race, but in the spiritual race everyone can be a winner. Therefore Paul adds, "So run, that ye may obtain."

Notice verse 25, "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible." We get our word "agony" from the word translated "striveth." The word "temperate" speaks of self-control. The reason the runner puts himself through his rigorous training and discipline is to win the prize. The reason they run is to win. As Paul says, "Now they do it to obtain a…crown."

In verse 26 Paul uses two athletic pictures to press home his point. The first is of a runner. He says, "I therefore so run, not as uncertainly." The word "uncertainly" speaks of that which is clear and evident. Paul was saying that he did not run without a goal and without purpose.

Someone once drew a cartoon showing two men on Mars looking down at the people on earth scurrying here, there and everywhere. One said to the other, "What are they doing?" The other replied, "They are going." "But where are they going," asked the first. "Oh," said the other, "they are not going anywhere, they are just going." Paul was not just going. He had a goal. He wanted to win a heavenly reward. Likewise, we should have the goal of winning a heavenly reward.

The second athlete that he used was that of a boxer. He says, "So fight I, not as one that beateth the air." J.B. Phillips in his Letters to Young Churches paraphrases Paul's statement like this: "I am no shadow-boxer, I really fight!" Paul was not just throwing empty and meaningless punches in the air. He was not swinging at shadows. Every punch was with purpose and aim.

Paul is telling us that we should have a purpose in life, a goal of heavenly rewards. We should run the race that we might obtain a heavenly reward.

Secondly, there is:

B. The Reward For Running

He describes the reward in verse 25b, "Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible." The word "crown" that he used speaks of the laurel wreath crown that was given to the winner of the race. Today they give the winner a gold medal. Paul called this earthly reward a "corruptible crown," that is, it was a perishable crown. Since the crown was made out perishable materials, such as pine, etc, in time it would dry and deteriorate. Paul called the heavenly reward an "incorruptible" crown. It was a non-perishable crown. It would be received in eternity and would last though eternity.

The Bible speaks of several different kinds of crowns that will be given to believers. They are crowns given for specific reasons. The point Paul is making is that every believer should strive to win a heavenly reward.

There were other rewards for winning. The winner not only won for himself but also for his home city. Often the city would build a special gate in his honor. When the hero came home they would escort him through the gate with great pomp and ceremony.

We should run that one day we will hear the well done of the Saviour. We should run so that our arrival to heaven will be a glorious event. As the desire of every runner is to win, our desire should be to win a heavenly reward. Chris Evert Lloyd, the tennis star, once said: "I think I feel emotions more than most players. I have a drive, a burning desire to win every time I step on a court." In every believer there should be a drive, a burning desire to win!

Secondly, think with me of:

2. THE DISCIPLINE OF THE RUNNER

A runner that expects to win knows that he must train and prepare himself. Athletes that compete in the Olympics spend months and even years getting themselves in shape to win. Paul speaks of the discipline of a runner.

First, we see that a discipline is:

A. Inclusive

We read in verse 25, "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things." We saw a moment ago that the word "temperate" speaks of "self-control." A runner that has any hope of winning knows that his whole life must be disciplined.

His sleep must be disciplined. He knows that he had to get a certain amount of sleep each night. His diet is disciplined. Every area of the athlete's life is brought under strict discipline. As Paul said in verse 25, "And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things."

To be a successful runner in the race God has given us, there must be discipline. It takes a discipline to read God's Word daily. It takes discipline to take time to pray daily. It takes discipline to attend Church weekly. It takes discipline to say no to temptation and the lusts of the flesh.

George Washington, writing to the Virginia regiments in 1759 said, "Discipline is the soul of an army. It makes small numbers formidable; procures success to the weak, and esteem to all." Discipline is the soul of the Christian life. At times we must make ourselves do what we don't want to do and at times make ourselves not do what we want to.

Discipline is a matter that covers every area of our life. Our desires must be disciplined. Our body must be disciplined. Our will must be disciplined. Everything about us must be disciplined if we are to run well in the race of life.

We also see a discipline that is:

A. Indispensable

Notice verse 27a, "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection." Paul had learned that the body can be a wonderful servant but a terrible master. He knew that his body could either help or hurt him when it came to earning heavenly rewards. Therefore he took certain steps to make sure his body became a servant rather than a master.

He used a couple of interesting words to describe how he approached his body. The word "keep" literally means, "to hit under the eye, to give his body a black eye, hit in the face." You could say that he was talking about knocking himself out. Paul approached his body, the will and wishes of the body, as an enemy to being a good runner. Therefore he landed a punch that knocked the body out. In other words, his flesh was no longer the dominant force in his life.

He also said that he brought his body "into subjection." The word "subjection" speaks of being a slave. He made his body a slave to spiritual desires rather than allowing his body to make him a slave to fleshly desires.

This matter of spiritual discipline when it come to the body is essential to running a race that will reap heavenly rewards. The downfall of many a Christian is letting the body dictate what they do rather than the Spirit. In Galatians 5:17 Paul said, "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would." Paul described two internal occupants that are fighting each other for the control of our life. In Romans 7:21, he described it as a law within him. The flesh wants to be in charge, but at the same time the Spirit wants dominance, so they are fighting for the control of our lives. The flesh wants to get us to do certain things and the Spirit wants to get us to do certain things.

The problem is, many believers let the flesh be in control. Let me illustrate what I am talking about. It is Sunday morning. There is something about sleeping late on Sunday morning that is great (at least that is what I have been told). The flesh says, "Don't go to Church today. Stay in and rest. After all you need it." If the flesh is in control you will turn off the alarm clock and go back to sleep and miss Church. But on the other hand, if the Spirit is in control, it will veto the recommendation of the flesh and do what God wants you to do. You will crawl out of bed, stumble to the shower and get ready for Church.

Let me give you another example. It is late at night. You are tired but you haven't had time with God in His Word or spent anytime in prayer. The flesh begins pulling you to the bedroom. The flesh doesn't want you to spend time in God's Word and in prayer. But if the Spirit is in control you do what you should do, not what you want to do. You do what is right.

Let me give you a final example. You find yourself in a tempting situation. The flesh says, "Buy that book," "Rent that movie," "Take that drink," or "Go ahead and do it. Nobody will ever know." The flesh cries out, "Fulfill me, satisfy me." But if the Spirit is in control, you will do what pleases God, not what pleases the flesh. In fact, Paul said in Galatians 5:16, "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."

What I am talking about is making your body your servant, not you being a servant to your body. It is giving the body a black eye and bringing it into subjection.

There is an interesting verse found 1 Thessalonians 5:23 and an interesting order found in the verse. Paul says, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." The soul is the seat of our emotions, the place where we make decisions. Out of habit we say, "body, soul, and spirit." But the divine order is, "Spirit, soul, and body." It is not the body dictating to the soul what it should do, but the Spirit dictating what the soul should do.

Paul described the discipline of the Christian life as inclusive and indispensable.

Thirdly think with me of:

3. THE DISQUALIFICATION OF A RUNNER!

Now there was a reason why Paul took the steps he did in his Christian life. In verse 27 Paul expresses a great fear in his life.

First, there was the fear of being:

A. Disapproved For Reward

Paul says, "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway." The word "castaway" speaks of someone being disqualified or disapproved. Paul pictures himself serving in two roles.

First he speaks of himself as a herald. He speaks of "when I have preached to others." In the games there was a herald that called the runners to the starting post and also gave the signal to start the race. Paul saw himself as one who called others to the starting post to run the spiritual race.

He also saw himself as a runner in the race. When he spoke of himself as becoming a "castaway" he saw himself as a runner being disqualified. He did not want to be one that called others to run but failed to be a good runner himself.

There was also the fear of being:

B. Deprived Of Reward

I think of the 1988 men's 100-meter race during the Olympics at Seoul. It was hyped as one of the greatest showdowns ever in an Olympics. The world's two fastest human beings, American Carl Lewis and Canadian Ben Johnson, were matched against each other. Of course, there were other runners in the event, but all eyes were on those two. Lewis had already achieved history by duplicating the feat of his idol, Jesse Owens, who had won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics. Lewis had done the same at the 1984 games and now thought he had the chance to repeat his achievement in Seoul. In the final, the two men blazed down the track. Both men looked strong, but Lewis could not make up the yards between him and Johnson. As Johnson broke the tape, having clearly bested his rival, he looked over at Lewis and glared as if to say, take that. In the process, Johnson had not only beaten Lewis but had shattered the world record. But it was not long after the event that Johnson tested positive for steroid use and was stripped of his gold medal and his world record.

Paul knew that if he were disapproved he would be stripped of his reward. His desire in life was to win the gold and he did not want to do anything that would cause him to lose such a reward. How about you? Do you have a desire to win a heavenly reward? Do you have a fear of becoming a castaway? In each case, our answer ought to be YES! GO FOR THE GOLD!