What is your Prize....

A few weeks ago, at a Thursday morning men's Bible Study, the following Bible passage was placed on the table for discussion.

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.(1 Corinthians 9:24-27, ESV)

So what is the prize in this passage? How do we train to win the prize? Is that your prize? Before we began to discuss this passage, I made sure we all realized the prize was not salvation. The Bible is very clear salvation is a gift from our heavenly Father not something we earn or can work to attain. We find these words in Romans.......

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23, ESV)

As we discussed the passage, several suggestions for the prize were placed on the table. Some suggested the prize was heaven. Heaven is the place every believer longs to be. What could be better than spending eternity where everything is without sin. All of creation, our relationship with God, and our relationship with each other all have been tainted by sin. Can we even imagine what that will be like? I know I struggle to do so.


Others suggested it might be a stronger assurance of our salvation and the freedom that comes with that assurance. Can you imagine what it would be like to wake up everyday so confident of who you are in Christ that you just cannot help but share that news with everyone you meet. That no matter the what struggle or challenge you face, finding God's joy in it. Again, I find my assurance waning at times.

Both are good prizes, but not the right answer. We finally expanded our reading to include verses 18 - 23. This is where Paul talks about the reward he seeks...

What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. (1 Corinthians 9:18, ESV)
  

The prize is being able to present the gospel. In verses 19 to 23, Paul talks about how he worked very hard to be someone who could present the gospel to Jews, those under the law, those not under the law, and the weak. 
The prize is being able to present the gospel. In verses 19 to 23, Paul talks about how he worked very hard to be someone who could present the gospel to Jews, those under the law, those not under the law, and the weak. 

Over the next few weeks we continued our discussion on what kind of training Paul went through to be a Jew, one living under the law, one living free from the law, and one who was weak. That brought me to the following questions:

• Is your prize Paul's prize? Remember he was concerned with helping the poor and those in need - see Galatians 2:10 so this prize was not instead of helping the poor.

• Are you training to be a better presenter of the Gospel to the groups in your community?

• What are the groups in your community?

• What disqualifies us from presenting the Gospel in our communities? (1 Corinthians 9:27)

Seeking to know Jesus better,

Dwayne