Run to Obtain

  J.J. Stark

March 2016

Week 11

IGNITE Class 10

Inductive Bible Study – (IBS)

Run to Obtain

“²⁴Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  ²⁵And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.  ²⁶Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty.  Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.  ²⁷But I discipline my body and bring it under subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should not become disqualified.”

– 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (NKJV)

One of the qualities that I really like about the apostle Paul’s writings is his frequent use of athletic analogies to explain the walk in faith in Christ.  Commonly he uses a race as examples to make his point, and jumping into this passage, he directly askes his readers this question in the first part of verse 24 - “²⁴Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?”  The answer to it seems at first to be a rather self-explanatory, but Paul in his writings always had a reason for the questions he asked.  To reiterate the question in more of a statement form – in a race, many people will be in a race, doing the same thing – running.  However, he finishes verse 24 by saying, “…Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”  This made me stop and ask myself the question, “What all is entailed in this way of running?”  Thanks be to God, that He is all knowing and always, in some shape or form, provides answers that arise in this life He has given.  An answer to this particular question can be found in Hebrews 12:1-2 – “¹Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ²looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Only one of these, the one who pushes the hardest, one elect out of all, will actually receive the reward.  This then rolls right into the rest of this passage: “²⁵And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. ²⁶Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty.  Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.  ²⁷But I discipline my body and bring it under subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should not become disqualified.”  In other words, this imperishable or eternal prize is only achieved through dedication and commitment to the continual seeking of Christ and crowning Him king of my life.  From there is using the strength He gives me to increase self-control, leading to a greater assurance and reliance on Christ’s blood to fight in the battles, which then creates a oneness between my walk in faith and the speech that He gives, that ultimately results in God bestowing His awesome, lasting rewards – making the instant “rewards” of this world come to nothing.