Obtaining The Trophy

Focus: 2 Timothy 2:5 - KJV

5. And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

The believer’s life is a race towards a finished line. Those who make it to the line are rewarded at the judgment seat of Christ where crowns and other trophies will be distributed. But in the race, the referee is not one that can be overridden and He sees even every hidden maneuver. Just like the athletics events, those who run in the dash/sprint for instance, are expected to keep their lanes from the beginning to the end. Where an athlete tries to be clever by half crossing lanes to abridge distance, they are disqualified by the referee even if they breast the tape before others. In the same manner, every believer that runs the race of life cutting corners, will have the secret exposed to him and end up being disqualified for trophy in the end. Paul made it abundantly clear that for him not to lose out, he kept his body under and endured all things, striving lawfully so that he might obtain mastery in the race.

Today, many people attempt to build wrongly on the foundation that the Lord has laid which no one else can re-lay. Stealing, lying, sexual immorality and approving such acts by others when they engage in it, is never a lawful way to run the race and it will be called out at the judgment seat, that is if those engaged in such make it there. Someone once said heaven will be full of surprises. Now, that statement is becoming rather more true than when it was first said. No wonder the Bible says he who thinks he stands should beware lest he falls. Any unrighteousness will be called out. God is a good and righteous judge. Some will assume those things they did in righteousness outweigh the unrighteous ones. It does not appear that the Lord would work in that way. It is what you are caught with that you are judged on. If you move from righteousness to unrighteousness, all your righteous deeds will be forgotten just like all your unrighteousness will be wiped away if you repent and turn to righteousness. Hence, the Lord is urging us to run this race striving lawfully; putting aside every weight that may want to hold us back or make us fail.

The Lord who knows the marking scheme for getting trophies will by His Spirit continue to coach and guide us unto the winning streaks, in the name of Jesus. The power to lay down every weight and put the body under, we receive today, in Jesus’ name. May the Lord who is the righteous judge find each and every one of us worthy of the trophy in the end, in Jesus’ name. Every power wanting to lure us into unlawful striving is demolished for our sakes, in Jesus’ name.

SOLUTION: Put away the flesh and focus on Christ as you progress in life. If we walk in the Spirit, we will never fulfil the lust of the flesh.

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