I Corinthians 6:1-11
Don’t Sue the Brethren
I Corinthians 6:12-20
Stay Sexually Pure
I Corinthians 7:1-5
Counsel for Single and Married Christians
I Corinthians 7:6-11
Counsel for Christian Marriage & Divorce
I Corinthians 7:12-16
Counsel for those Married to Non-Christians
I Corinthians 7:17-24
Counsel for those Called by God
I Corinthians 7:25-31
Adopting a War-time mindset
I Corinthians 7:32-40
Counsel for the Betrothed and the Widowed
I Corinthians 8:1-6
Love Is More Important than Knowledge
I Corinthians 8:7-13
Be sensitive to conscience
I Corinthians 9:1-10
The Rights Of a Person Who Labors
I Corinthians 9:11-18
Paul Surrenders His Rights
I Corinthians 9:19-23
Being a Servant To All Men
I Corinthians 9:24-27
Dealing with Christian liberty
I Corinthians 10:1-5
The Dangers of Overconfidence
I Corinthians 10:6-13
God Will Help You Resist Temptation
I Corinthians 10:14-22
Eating Meat Offered to Idols
I Corinthians 10:23-33
Principles that Govern Christian Liberty
I Corinthians 11:1-16
Head Covering in the Church
I Corinthians 11:17-22
Conduct surrounding the Love Feasts
I Corinthians 11:23-34
Conduct surrounding the Lord’s Supper
I Corinthians 12:1-11
Speaking Various Languages
I Corinthians 12:12-20
Diversity of Spiritual Gifts
Dealing with Christian liberty
I Corinthians 9:24–27
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
The job of a football coach is to make men do what they don’t want to do, in order to achieve what they’ve always wanted to be. (Tom Landry).
Paul continues to deal with the subject of Christian liberty as he uses the illustration of an athlete. The Corinthians would have been very familiar with the Greek Olympic games as well as their Isthmian games. He says that one of the most important rules in a race is that all participants run but only one receives the prize (v.24). In the Christian life, all can win an incorruptible crown, while in an earthly contest the prize is merely “a corruptible crown.” (v. 25)
An athlete must be disciplined if he is to win the prize. If he intends to win the crown, he restricts himself in all things: his diet, his activities, his associations, and probably even his friendships. He abstains from all practices which might hinder him from winning the race, even though these things might be harmless in themselves.
One day every believer will stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ. We will receive a crown if we have disciplined our bodies to serve the Lord and win the lost to Christ. This means keeping our bodies under control and our eyes on the goal. The thing that Paul feared most was that he might get into such a spiritual condition that he would lose the reward that he so much desired of the Lord Jesus Christ. (v. 27)
This passage can be summarized as follows:
1. This race of life is a battle.
2. To win the battle the race demands discipline.
3. We need to keep our eye on the goal and not look at others in the grandstands.
4. We need to know the value of our goal, which is pleasing Christ.
5. We cannot serve others until we have mastered ourselves.
Application
My desire is that I will be disciplined in my life to the point that I will never stray off course to the very end. My prayer is that I might finish well.
I Corinthians 9:24-27 (English Standard Version)
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