Bible Study

Title: Crown of Victory; Race of Life
Date: Apr 11, 2011
Topic(s): Service/Servanthood, Heaven
Scripture: Hebrews 12:1-2, 2 Timothy 2:3-5, 2 Timothy 4:7, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

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During the Olympic Games, we see gold, silver and bronze medals hanging on ribbons around the necks of athletes who accomplished their goal. All that training, time, energy and money was invested over a period of years just so these young men or women could get a piece of metal.

And it's true, those medals will last a long time...but not forever. They can be stolen or lost; the ribbons will one day disintegrate and the moment of glory will be long gone. It's a fleeting honor.

What Does God Say?

However, the Bible says there is a medal--a crown--that lasts forever. And to get this reward, you must run a race, not in the Olympics but in life. Paul talks about this race and the crown we can earn in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, "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" (ESV).

God has a crown of victory for every Christian who runs the race of life well. It's His eternal reward for faithfulness, for enduring hardships, for keeping on when it's rough, for treating this race as a marathon and not a sprint.

It takes commitment and the understanding that a few "wins" or spiritual victories doesn't mean you can coast through the rest of your life. Writing to Timothy, Paul urged commitment and determination to see the race through, no matter how much it hurts, how severely you are tempted to get sidetracked by other things or how much you want to change the rules. "Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules" (2 Timothy 2:3-5, ESV).

My Thoughts

So, how do you receive the crown of victory? The Bible tells you. Read 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 again and answer the following questions:

• What does the spiritual athlete need to exercise?
• What is our goal?
• What are we not to do?
• What are the keys to successful training?
• When have you "run aimlessly" or "beat the air"?
• What requires discipline and self-control in your life?

Go back to 2 Timothy 2:3-5.

• What is the aim of the soldier or athlete?
• What gets him off course?
• What are some things in your life that "entangle" you?
• What do you think some of the "rules" may be?

The Bible uses words like faithfulness and perseverance to show you how to run the race. Use a concordance and do your own word study to see how you can run for victory.

My Part

No Olympian just shows up on the day of the games to compete. What you see on the track or in the pool is the result of years of training and competing. In the race of life, you can't just "show up," but you need to train...and race every day of your life. God has provided you with a coach--the Holy Spirit--and His training manual, the Bible.

As you read the Bible, ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you need self-control, added discipline in your training or a renewed focus or goal for the race. Look for instructions on what pleases the Lord and what He expects to see in your life. Take your training seriously; it's the key to staying the course and winning the crown. Use Hebrews 12:1-2 as a daily reminder of the race and the goal.

Commit your life today to running in a way that pleases the Lord, so that you, like Paul, can one day say: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7, ESV).

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